3 Quarters Today

My Life, my photography, my passions

travel

Day 218/365: Grinders vs. Subs

by

American Slang Dialects

I have lived in three distinct areas of the United States, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Each region has a regional dialect and slang for various words. We all know of the nationwide debate between pop, soda, and Coke but there are many other traditions.

I grew up eating “grinders”, pictured above from People’s Choice in East Hartford, but in the Midwest these are called “Submarine” sandwiches, or Subs. The latest made popular by Subway restaurants. In other areas of the country hoagie is the preferred name for a toasted sandwich on a bun.

What’s in a name anyways, what is the history and origin? Garzelli’s restaurant has a theory.

New England "Grinder"
New England “Grinder”

The biggest difference I see is the amount of meat. In Connecticut, the meat comes first and foremost and it’s piled high. At Subway you would never see this much meat.

The definition is as follows:

“A long French or Italian-style bread loaf, filled with meats and cheeses, topped with an assortment of lettuce, peppers, pickles – whatever – with a vinaigrette dressing or mayo.”

American Slang, sub vs. grinder
Turkey Sandwiches are nothing to sneeze at either.

So what do you call it: Grinder, Sub, Hoagie, Poor Boy, Hero? Or maybe something entirely different.

The Slangman Guide to Street Speak 1: The Complete Course in American Slang & IdiomsBuy At AmazonAmerican Slang Dictionary and ThesaurusBuy At AmazonLet’s Talk Turkey: The Stories Behind America’s Favorite ExpressionsBuy At AmazonDirty Sign Language: Everyday Slang fromBuy At Amazon

Differences in the American Language

A State-by-State Guide to the Most Hilarious (and Annoying) Slang Across the U.S.

Actually, it’s only 49 funny sayings, from where I sit. Probably from where you sit as well. Let me start by saying that I am from Texas, and the rest of y’all talk funny. Now don’t get riled up — we all sound funny to outsiders. I’m going to ask the …

10 American Slang Terms and Phrases That Confuse Brits

Like any other language, American has its idioms. Some are very similar to British English, and it’s not difficult for Brits to figure them out. “Peaks and valleys,” for example, is obviously the American version of “peaks and troughs.” However, there …

International students reflect on American slang

As unfamiliar as American slang may be, international students have found many ways in which to draw parallels between the slang used in the U.S. and that used within their home countries. Freshman Vlad Papancea, who is from the Covasna region of …

Are You a John Q. Public or a Joe Blow?

A dictionary of American slang bears witness to an explosion of Joe-inspired characters in the mid-20th century: Joe Average, Joe Beige, Joe Lunch Bucket, Joe Sad, Joe Schmoe, Joe Six Pack, Joe Yale, Joe Zilch. (Joe Cool, from the same era, is no …

Day 217/365: Tag Sale vs. Garage Sale

by

Tag Sale : East Coast Slang
Tag Sale : East Coast Slang

It’s amazing how in just one country the vocabulary can be so different. For instance I had a Giant “Tag” Sale in Connecticut where in Massachusetts, and the Midwest it would be called a “Garage”  Sale.

My primary purpose of going to East Hartford Connecticut was to empty my Mothers house and get it ready for sale. I never intended to have an “estate” sale, but a very good friend suggested her sister who was starting an estate agent business and said she would help out.

So out of the closets and out of the basement came more and more items. My Mom collected everything from cookie jars to nutcrackers and commemorative plates. Anyone interested in some Princess Diana memorabilia?  What about an Apollo 11 Poster from 1969. What about Batman Action Figures in original packaging?

Many items we didn’t put out for sale as they needed to be photographed, inventoried, and offered to collectors, but the cookies jars they went out on the “Yard Sale”. What is your name for a sale to sell all your junk, or precious items?

Garage Sale: Midwest Slang
Garage Sale: Midwest Slang

Day 216/365: Trip To Connecticut

by

My apologies for being away so long. In the past three weeks I have sent my youngest son off to Marine boot camp, and took a trip to Connecticut to empty and clean my Mothers house so it could be sold. A side trip to recover from such an endeavor was to Block Island, RI.

So be prepared for several postings per day until I catch up.

Estate, Tag Sale
Estate, Tag Sale

I had ten days to completely empty and catalog the belongings of my Mothers house, she passed in January, and it would not have been possible without a small army of wonderful friends who gave their time and friendship during my stay. Looking back on the pictures it was a huge undertaking, but we had a wonderful time, laughed and strengthened friendships that will last for a lifetime.

After the house was empty I rewarded myself with a four day trip to Block Island, Rhode Island for a “girls weekend”, a trip that was twenty years in the making. Here is a sneak preview.

Block Island Beach, Graces' Cove
Block Island Beach, Graces' Cove

Day 122/365: Windpower, Past and Present

by

OnOne Effects: Graduated Blue and Magic Hour
Wind power today and yesterday
Photo REDO with Lightroom 4 (more realistic to what I really saw)
Windmills and Wind Farm SOOC
Windmills and Wind Farm SOOC

The world has come full circle in it’s use of energy. Harnessing wind power was used for hundreds of years as evidenced by this windmill in the foreground used to pump water into a livestock tank.  In the back are modern wind turbines in Western Iowa.

Iowa leads the United States in wind energy, more than 15% of the electrical power is generated by 47 wind farms across the state. This particular farm is part of the Adair Wind Farm. Don’t let the distance fool you, these modern wind turbines are huge. The base at the bottom is fifty feet in diameter and they stand 263 feet tall with each turbine being 126 feet in length.

Massive and impressive. Many people think they are eyesores to the landscape. Personally I find them graceful, serene, and peaceful from a distance, the rotating blades create a hypnotizing effect with their consistent rhythm. But then I don’t live right next to them either.

UPDATE:

7/2012: Second image was processed using Lightroom 4. As I’m going through my old photos I now have the tools to improve them and thought I would repost a few blog articles. 

Thanks for the suggestion Victoria, I had forgotten about the graduated blue action on the OnOne software.