A statistics student from North Carolina State came out with a language map of the U.S., a fun linguistics study to see how where you live shapes the words you use. Give it a try! My results showed that not only am I indeed from California, but I was linguistically shaped by my very county! (The rest of California says “drinking fountain,” but just north of San Francisco we prefer “water fountain.” A profound distinction.)

Source: Buzzfeed

I really enjoyed the study, until I reached the last question and learned that California is missing out on drive-through liquor stores. Ignorance was bliss, and now I am contemplating a move to Virginia.

(P.S. His next study should focus on rates of drunk driving in correlation with “brew thrus.”)

Were your results representative of where you are from?

About The Author

Jenny

Jenny Marshall studied Language, Culture, and Society at the University of California Santa Barbara, and now teaches English in Spain. Here she writes about the intersection of language and culture, and lives a life translated by travel.