Diversity In American Culture

“The diversity in our speech reflects the diversity of U.S. culture (Wonderopolis).” In the American language, there are multiple names, phrases, and pronunciations throughout the country. It is only expected to have different ways from someone who lives across the country from another, but it is interesting when people speak the same language but do not have the same terms, sayings, and pronunciations. There are many different words that we could substitute, on a daily basis, and it would still mean the same thing. As an example of this, there is garbage can or trash can. “Since the 1950s, trash can has become increasingly common in American speech. Two in three people born in the 1990s would say trash can over garbage can (Josh Katz).”

For example, when it is raining while it is sunning some people call that “the devil beating his wife.” Most wouldn’t have heard that saying and tied that to rainy, sunny day. Tying into the rain theme, there is also the saying that “It is raining cats and dogs.” To the majority of America that is a normal phrase, if that was said in another country people would most likely look outside to see the falling pets. “Break a leg,” a way to say good luck. Some people say it with ill-intention, but most view it as a way to wish someone luck. In other countries, it is probably the same as telling someone to fracture their wrist. Another way to deal with something unpleasant is to “bite the bullet.” No sane person would ever want to literally bite a bullet, but it is something that would be unpleasant. To do something “by the skin of your teeth ” is to barely get away with something. To flatter someone can also be considered as “buttering someone up.” This can be confused with an act of cannibalism, but it is just a way to get on someone’s good side. If you are keeping a secret it can be called “keeping a skeleton in your closet.” The secret being concealed can be anything, most of the time it is not referencing dead bodies taking up closet

There is similar, but slightly different ways to say syrup: sir-up or seer-up. Ultimately “people say sir-up besides in some parts of the eastern parts of America”(Katz). The majority of people, besides in northeast America, pronounce cauliflower as kaw-lih-flower, instead of kaw-lee-flower. With the fruit, apricot, ape-ricot is said mainly in the south and app-ricot in the north. Think about how you say pecan; there are multiple ways to say it. “39% of people say pih-kahn, 25% say pee-kahn, 21% say pee-kan. Pecan has spread all around. Some that were more direct to the area you live in than the general location.” How many syllables are there in caramel? “The majority of people in the northern parts of the U.S. say two, and then in the South, it is more common for there to be three syllables.” There are different ways to pronounce pajamas as well. “It is more common in northern states say puh-jam-uhz; In the south, it is, for the most part, pronounced puh-jah-muhz.” Only a small percentage say aunt as ahnt, instead of as ant. To conclude, we pronounce words differently depending on our environment or