Speakers of stronger Buffalonian variants often employ "possessification", where an ad hoc genitive case is applied to business names. For example, speakers of thick Buffalonian will say they shop at "Kmart's," "Target's" or "Home Depot's;" have drug prescriptions filled at "Rite-Aid's" or "Eckerd's"; rent DVDs at "Blockbuster's" or "Hollywood's" (Hollywood Video); and eat lunch at "Burger King's," "Mighty Taco's," or "Outback's" (Outback Steakhouse).[1]
In contrast to New York City English, Buffalonian English is very strongly rhotic and not closely related to non-rhotic varieties.[1]
Another notable feature is the addition of the definite article to road and place names at what are perceived to be unnatural times by speakers of standard American English; this most often occurs with expressways. "The" precedes all expressways and main thoroughfares in the Buffalo area; e.g., "the 90," "the 290," "the 33," "the 190," "the 400." One would never hear "take 90 east" from a native Buffalonian. Instead, one would hear "take the 90 east."[1]
Buffalo is one of the easternmost cities that uses the word pop to refer to soft drinks.
I definitly do the latter two, I'm not sure about the first one, I never noticed.
Also, BUFFALO wings do not exist. You will never hear someone from Buffalo call them Buffalo wings. Next time you see a Buffalo with wings, you let me know lol. They're just chicken wings. Say Buffalo wings around here and everybody will know you're from out of town. It's kinda like going to NYC and going golly gee, look at all these tall bulidings pa! You're asking for trouble lol.
"Think for a moment about whether it is ethical to throw a living creature into boiling water before sucking it down with a cup of melted butter"
"Heyna" -- which is used when one is seeking affirmation. (Boy, it's really snowing out there, heyna?)
There is a somewhat improper use of "heyna" in which someone will ask "heyna or no?" which is sort of like the heyna equivalent to "irregardless." The "no" is implicit in the heyna.
For those who would like a comprehensive crash course on Scranton linguistics:
As a "reformed" Yankee (married a Southern Belle and moved south), I find the southern patois interesting and at times indecipherable; a few that I've learned:
"Y'all" and "All y'all," of course, as well as "fixin' to."
"Dumber than a box of hammers."
"Fat as mud."
"Bless his/her heart."
"Poorly" (ill, as in "he's poorly," means "he's feeling poorly)
... and special pronunciation, as in:
"He/she can't he'p [help] it."
"I'm tahr'd [tired]."
Y'all, I just saw Louise in the market, and she is fat as mud, bless her heart. She can't he'p it.
I've also learned a lot about The War of Northern Aggression. The South Shall Rise Again! (What do we call southerners who move north? Spies.)
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"People who enjoy meetings should not be in charge of anything."
