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Friday, July 20, 2007
Going downee ocean, hon
In the Baltimore dialect, to express an intention to travel to Maryland's Atlantic beaches, one would say, "I'm going downee ocean." (I have no idea why.) Tomorrow I'm going downee ocean for a week. I'm unsure what kind of computer access I'll have downee -- er, down -- there. So if you don't hear from me for a week, that's why.
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1 comment:
For someone from Maryland, your Baltimore etymology is amazing sparse. Initially, let's correct your grammar. The answer to the question where are you going is properly, "Down de oshun, hon." Nothing else. Without the question it would be said, "Going down de oshum , hon." Let us dissect this properly Baltimoreased sentence.
First "go down de" is Baltimorease for going some place, any place really. You can go down de market (go to the grocery store), go down de ship yard (go to Bethlehem Steel), go down de fahrhouse (go to the fire station), etc.
Second, the beach or the shore is something for blue blooded northern-types. Whereas, "de oshun" (the ocean) is the blue collar, not blue blood, man's annual summer vacation location. De oshun connotes one place and only one place, Ocean City, Maryland. No other beaches exist in Batimorease so no qualification is needed.
Hon is added as a friendly greeting at the end of every Baltimorease sentence from, "going down de oshun, hon" to "yer beehive is on fahr, hon."
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