Let's see... there are a number of instances where my usage doesn't fit the map, at least not entirely.
Map 1 puts me (i.e. Cincinnati, Ohio) in "carmul" territory, but I've always said "care-a-mell." Maybe because it's a word I've rarely heard outside of TV commercials.
I pronounce "Bowie knife" as "boo-ie," but that's because I read or heard somewhere that that's correct and trained myself. I probably learned it from a history teacher.
To CorporalCaptain: On the "slaw" map, the question isn't whether you always call it slaw, just whether it's an allowable alternative. So the red areas are those where people use both terms interchangeably, which fits with my experience locally.
For map 7, I think I'd be more likely to say just "you" than "you guys."
I seem to tend toward the Southern influence for "pajamas." Not surprising, since my father was a Cincinnati native (right on the border) and my mother was Virginian.
I'm not actually sure how I pronounce "pecan." I seem to use two or three of the options interchangeably, but I think I tend toward the New England pronunciation for some reason. Although in the context of "pecan pie," my first impulse seems to be to go with the "red" version, fitting the map.
On map 11, I don't fit any of the options. I think of the drink as "cola," though I recognize "pop" as a vernacular alternative. To me, "Coke" is a brand name, not generic. But then, I've never been a drinker of the vile stuff (cola/soda of any kind, not just Coke) and never will be.
I don't think I was at all familiar with crayfish/crawfish/crawdads until my Louisianan biology teacher talked about the different names for them.
On map 13, I think I'm in the "no word for this" category. Although if pressed to describe such an area, I'd probably call it a circle.
On map 14, Cincinnati seems to be in a little enclave of "sear-up" in a sea of "surrup." That fits with my usage and my experience. I say "sear-up" but I've often heard people use the other pronunciation.
I grew up calling long sandwiches subs or submarines, but there are some local restaurants that call them hoagies.
I use "water fountain" and "drinking fountain" interchangeably, which fits the map.
I called them "gym shoes" in school, but now I tend to go with "sneakers." Again, Cincy seems to be in an enclave of blue in a sea of red -- which sort of corresponds to how we've voted in the past couple of presidential elections. Both probably have a common demographic cause.
I've always used "highway" and "freeway" interchangeably, which doesn't fit anything on the map. It never occurred to me that there would be a substantial distinction between them. But now that I think about it, there are some local roads that are called highways but have stop signs and intersections -- though we also have freeways that are named the Such-and-Such Highway.
"The City" is where The Tick lives, of course. But seriously, since I've lived my whole life inside the limits of the largest city within eighty miles, I have no reason to think of "the city" as meaning anything other than Cincinnati.
