After a long day, do you like to relax on the gallery? Do you enjoy a dagwood or a torpedo for lunch? Do you drive on the slab or parkway? These regional terms, which might be familiar depending on where you live or grew up, are captured in the Dictionary of American Regional English. The dictionary is made up of answers collected by fieldworkers, who did surveys in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Select a state from the menu below to see which communities DARE visited and a sampling of the local language.
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DARE:
State-by-stateSee which communities DARE visited in your state
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Listen to how
we speakHear audio samples that demonstrate the rich variety of American language.
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DARE you to
take our quizDo you know a toot from a tush hog? Take our quiz and find out!
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5 Questions with Joan Hall
DARE chief editor Joan Houston Hall discusses the five-decades-long project.