The soda/pop debate rages on...here in Eastern NY state, we call it soda, but west of Syracuse they say pop, or even soda pop, to cover all bases. I've heard old folks call these drinks "phosphates" too. Sounds poisonous, doesn't it?

Colloquialisms: some people still call a small stream a kill, from the Dutch. Otherwise, it's a creek, pronounced crick. We also have lightning bugs, not fireflies. If you have a hankering for something, you have a sudden desire for it.

My grandmother says somehting is "the berries" when she means it's the best. One of my teachers used to use the expression "God returning on a shingle," but i never figured that one out. Anyone know this one?

We have a Worcester here in New York, too, but it's pronounced Worster. We also have towns called Chili (Chy-lye)and Pulaski (Poo-las-kye). My favorite, though, is Skaneateles, pronounced, "skinny atlas."