MeInMaine Blog

Tag: maine colloquialisms

  • Pididdle, Skin A Cat (Elevator Tree), Chalmerize.

    Local ways of communication, expressions slung back and forth in conversations in Maine.

    Where everyone in your small Maine town knows exactly what you are saying. But use the word, expression unique to your area down country or out of state and whoa. Eyes get big, conversations you are in grind to a halt. And others left behind wonder what did he just say?

    Saturday Afternoon Bath Time For Mr Maine Moose.
    Maine Moose Further Up In Aroostook County Safe From Drunk Hunters. Shooting Lower State Cows, Horses.

    Canadian English, or the influence of French Acadian poetic license part of the different dialect here in Maine. But terms like “chummy”, “wicked good” are “mister man common” as all get out in Downeast sections. A yuh. You cunning chowdah head. Somehow eating more seafood and all that salt water, brisk damp air and lighthouses all add to the comedic language twist.

    Comedians in Maine make their bread and butter from the colorful expressions that cause a chuckle.

    Like “she has a wicked decent body but looks like someone took a clam rake to her face”. ‘Nuff said. We’re still in the family hour and this blog post is G rated. More on Atlantic Canadian colloquialisms.

    But if you are ever on a national big money game show. Quizzed under the hot center stage spot light about the headline for this Me In Maine blog post, here are the answers if “from away”. A piddle is a one front light out motor vehicle. Skin a cat means climb up a tree until it bends over and glide back to the ground safely. Variation of the term by kids trying to get the same point across whip up their own code expressions. That just those in the neighborhood or the same tree clubhouse would ever know how to decipher what the term “elevator tree” means.

    Chalmerize, think detailing a car like no other.

    Spit polished, clean, keen and show room spiffy. Coined from a car detailer name Chalmer Karnes who applied the elbow grease to making a car factory fresh for a small fee. Not just glossing over the vinyl, leather or genuine imitation wood trim of a vehicle with a can of Pledge. Using tooth brushes to with dental floss precision remove lint, grime, crud, junk that builds up in a car.

    From drive through spills, animals, lousy weather snow and mud, gravel that pile up, travel with a motorist. Chalmer (locals call him Chalmah) would remove seats, deep shampoo several times the rugs and go the extra mile of car detailing. Got a reputation as Top Gun from his attention to detail. Punch buggie no return can cause a flinch, your arm to hurt just with the words uttered too while we are on the subject of cars. That spotting of a VW bug and the bonus points for a pididdle blinded in one head or fog light. But a pedunk is a car or truck with a missing tail light.

    Something for the kids to pass the time on a road trip to Houlton Maine. Along with counting cows, other collectibles to kill time on the highway. While Mom and Dad “shoot the breeze” up front. Taking turns switching off shot gun position, playing Bonnie and Clyde.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
    207.532.6573
    info@mooersrealty.com

  • Knitting On It, Plugging Along In Maine.

    Not Quiet Two Years Old, Using A Graham Cracker Like A Cell Phone To Text In 1958.
    Me In Maine Blog Author Andrew Mooers In October 1958 Pauses For A Brownie Hawkeye Image, Photo.

    Expressions, colloquialisms, Maine is famous for them.

    Like the classic Downeast humor when asked by a tourist with a mess of a Maine map smashed against the driver’s wheel, his window rolled down. When needing directions to someplace and being told after a long drawn out pause by a crusty sea coast local “ya can’t get thar from he-yuh”.

    Many of our expressions have rural Maine farm based origins.

    References to Maine agricultural activities working the land. Like when I was a kid and with my Dad to get a tractor part, something at the hardware store. And Dad’s response in how are you doing as “oh you know, plugging along”.

    My Mom if on board for the trek to down would roll her eyes and wish he had another response. She thought it sounded a little like an old farm plow horse comparison and that he could vary it up, add some other “thanks for asking” expressions when queried how his day was going out in public.

    Bob Aucoin a local car dent puller and Maine autobody painter always has projects. Pretty much working all the time but after the 9-5 job with making wrinkles in car’s disappear, he shifts to puttering.

    Or on longer projects where they won’t possible get done in one day or two, he takes a pearl one, knit two approach. Terms progress when asked how’s it going as fine. He’s “knitting on it”.

    Not “I’m working on it” or pretty much half way done for a response. Something more Bert and I, Tim Sample, Bob Marley coloroful needed, called for. Like the three Maine comedians who amplify the local life style, expressions, situations in rural Vacationland for profit, humor, fun would use to communicate.

    Saying the same thing different ways. Learning the language of Maine where we use the same alphabet as you but just have a little fun playing around with where we put this word. Dropping or adding a few letters without Vana’s help. The biggest offense to some is the vanishing “a”. And bolting on, adding an “er” to the say the state Florida when it comes up in conversation. “I’ve got my heart set on a trip to Florid-ER” this winter school vacation”. Or “hold it guys, I got a killer idea-er about another way to approach this log jam quandry.”

    Where I live in Maine is not the center, heart of the state in the upper right hand corner of the nation.

    Oh no, being parked on the Canadian border of New Brunswick means how I say something, communicate has another “across the lines twist, colloquism” flare variable attached.
    Instead of would you like a soda, it’s fancy a tin of pop? And when asked how it is going, the retort is “everything is right on schedule” (pronouced SEDG-rule). Or “half an hour later in Newfoundland” if you grew up with Canadian television beamed in, picked up by your black and white tube rabbit ears.

    I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
    207.532.6573