When your country stretches across a continent, lies between two major oceans and has two other states that are not contiguous with the rest of the nation, there is bound to be some linguistic variance when referring to particular objects.
To assemble a list of things that have different names in different states, 24/7 Tempo consulted sources such as Slangcity, the blog Grammarphobia, Vocabulary.com, and media sources including the Daily Meal, Reader’s Digest, and the Tennessean. This list is by no means comprehensive and is intended to give the reader a sense of the linguistic variety in the United States. We exercised editorial discretion in compiling the list to determine what words were particular to a state or region.
There are three main categories where references to objects vary from region to region and state to state: Food, transportation, and animals.
Large sandwiches are called submarines or subs in the New York/New Jersey area and are known as heroes, grinders, and hoagies elsewhere. Soft drinks are called soda in the Northeast and West, pop in the Midwest, and Coke in the South (not surprising since Coca-Cola was first bottled in Georgia). A lollipop in the Northeast is a sucker in the Midwest and South. (Also see Slang and Phrases Only Southerners Understand.)
It’s a traffic circle in much of the U.S., but it’s known as a rotary in New England and a roundabout in the West and the South. They are called highways in most of America, but in California, they are freeways. It’s a pothole in the North and a chughole in the South. No matter what it’s called, it’s a traffic hazard.
As for animals, those cacophonous insects that emerge annually or every 17 years in the spring are called cicadas in much of the country and jar flies in Appalachia. Fireflies are alight at night on the West Coast and New Jersey, and are called lightning bugs in other parts of the East Coast.
Some words for objects in certain states are a bit hard to ascertain. In Wyoming, barbed wire is ironically called silk; a hospital gown is a Johnny in Massachusetts; and a tip in Nevada is called a toke. (Also see Things They Say in New England That the Rest of Us Probably Don’t Get.)
Here are the things that have different names in different states.
Biscuit
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Saddle horn
- Where synonym is used: Wyoming
Car with one headlight
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Padiddle
- Where synonym is used: Midwest, East, West
Catfish
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Hornpout
- Where synonym is used: New Hampshire
Cicadas
- Where used: Much of US
- Synonym: Jar flies
- Where synonym is used: Appalachia
Diagonally across
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Catty-corner, kitty-corner
- Where synonym is used: Nebraska, New Jersey
Earthquake and tornado
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Quakenado
- Where synonym is used: Oklahoma
Fireflies
- Where used: West Coast and New Jersey
- Synonym: Lightning bugs
- Where synonym is used: East Coast
Frosting
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Icing
- Where synonym is used: Much of US
Garbage can
- Where used: Northern US
- Synonym: Trash can
- Where synonym is used: Southern US
Glove compartment
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Jockey box
- Where synonym is used: Idaho
Highways
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Freeways
- Where synonym is used: West Coast
Hospital gown
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Johnny
- Where synonym is used: Massachusetts
Jungle juice
- Where used: Most US colleges
- Synonym: Wapatuli
- Where synonym is used: Wisconsin
Laundromat
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Washateria
- Where synonym is used: Texas
Lollipop
- Where used: Northeast
- Synonym: Sucker
- Where synonym is used: South and Midwest
Meat and three side dishes
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Meat and three
- Where synonym is used: Tennessee
North Carolina
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: North Cackalacky
- Where synonym is used: North Carolina
Pothole
- Where used: North
- Synonym: Chughole
- Where synonym is used: South
Prairie dog
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Whistle pig
- Where synonym is used: Idaho
Semitruck
- Where used: West and Midwest US
- Synonym: Tractor-trailer
- Where synonym is used: Eastern US
Silk
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Barbed wire
- Where synonym is used: Wyoming
Soda
- Where used: Northeast and West
- Synonym: Pop/Coke
- Where synonym is used: Midwest/South
Sprinkles
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Jimmies
- Where synonym is used: New England
Submarine sandwiches
- Where used: New Jersey, Connecticut
- Synonym: Heroes/grinders/hoagies
- Where synonym is used: New York City/New England/Pennsylvania
Tennis shoes
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Sneakers
- Where synonym is used: Northeast and Florida
Tipping
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Toke
- Where synonym is used: Nevada
Traffic circle
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Roundabouts/rotaries
- Where synonym is used: West and South/New England
Unconventional
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Cattywampus
- Where synonym is used: Much of South
Vacuum
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Sweeper
- Where synonym is used: Midwest
Yard sale or garage sale
- Where used: Most of US
- Synonym: Jumble sale
- Where synonym is used: Washington
Methodology
To assemble a list of things that have different names in different states, 24/7 Tempo consulted sources such as Slangcity, the blog Grammarphobia, Vocabulary.com, and media sources including the Daily Meal, Reader’s Digest, and the Tennessean. We exercised editorial discretion in compiling the list to determine what words were particular to a state or region.