I love this quiz. Very fun with a group of people. It pinpoints where you are from in the USA by the way you pronounce words, or certain words used.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/12/20/sunday-review/dialect-quiz-map.html?_r=0
Love all the different words for kinds of rainfall. Hell no, in SoCal we don’t have words for that (one of the options in the quiz)!
That was a fun quiz - correct too. I should have paid more attention to some of the answers and the color coded map to see where the various fits were.
In general it fit to where I was born and raised, but I’m guessing the term “traffic circle” was acquired in New Jersey. (What the heck is a traffic circle!!?? I recall asking a cop who has the right of way on a traffic circle - he replied “whoever - just go”. I laughed and said “no - really.” “That is ‘really’ - there is no rule, just don’t hit anybody.”
I’m not sure if they have changed it since 25 years ago. I know the state where I live now they are all signed, and if you are in the circle you have the right of way.
Oh - “jug handles” was a new term as well when I moved to New Jersey. Where you could make a smooth and fast exit off the four lane road, then it wraps you around to a stop sign - or maybe a light? (Heh - my parents used to call the traffic lights “semifours” (sp??)
And “regular” coffee has cream and sugar in it. Found that out the hard way - almost spit it out from the lidded take out container. “Um - excuse me - this has cream and sugar in it!!” “What about it - you wanted a regular.” “Huh? isn’t regular ‘black’?”