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I would have said the term "flat" for an apartment was not a USA term, having only heard it on UK media.<BR><BR>Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL7+ <BR>see truespel.com phonetic spelling<BR><BR> <BR>> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 23:31:27 -0500<BR>> From: hwgray@GMAIL.COM<BR>> Subject: Re: Chicago talk<BR>> To: ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<BR>> <BR>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------<BR>> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><BR>> Poster: Wilson Gray <hwgray@GMAIL.COM><BR>> Subject: Re: Chicago talk<BR>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> <BR>> In Saint Louis, a "six-flat" would be a "six-family flat." It was also<BR>> the case that such a residential building had individual doors for all<BR>> floors on two sides, with the numbering, 4609a, 4609b, 4609c Street<BR>> Name; 4611a, 4611b, 4611c Street Name. In the Boston area, such a<BR>> building is still called a "triple-decker," with two entrances on each<BR>> side: 82 Street Name, 84 street Name 1,2; 86 Street Name, 88 Street<BR>> Name 1,2. Sometimes, in the Boston area, the numbering will read<BR>> "86a," etc. In Saint Louis, if such a building had only a single<BR>> entrance and the simple address-type, 4912 Street Name, it was called<BR>> an "apartment building."<BR>> <BR>> I'm talking about the Saint Louis of my lost childhood, During The<BR>> War. When I last visited there, my old 'hood consisted essentially<BR>> only of empty lots. Even the basements had been filled in, so that<BR>> only my memory told me that Millie and her damned dog had once lived<BR>> here, that Johnny had once lived there, and that Colored Johnny had<BR>> lived yonder.<BR>> <BR>> -Wilson<BR>> <BR>> On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 12:51 PM, Paul <paulzjoh@mtnhome.com> wrote:<BR>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------<BR>> > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU><BR>> > Poster: Paul <paulzjoh@MTNHOME.COM><BR>> > Subject: Re: Chicago talk<BR>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> ><BR>> > My experience growing up in Chicago was that flat was used as an<BR>> > alternative to apartment, a six flat was usually a three story building<BR>> > with two apartments to the floor. The use of 12 or 24 flat was not<BR>> > unusual in my memory.<BR>> > My guess is flat is shorter than apartment and "six flat" is faster to<BR>> > say than "six apartment building"<BR>> > Never heard a home referred to as a flat. In other words, I could live<BR>> > in a six flat, but I rented an apartment.<BR>> ><BR>> > Wilson Gray wrote:<BR>> >> Heard on a Cold Case Files - a true-crimes, trash-TV show - episode<BR>> >> that occurred in Chicago:<BR>> >><BR>> >> _Three-flat_ : the kind of house known in Saint Louis as a<BR>> >> "three-family flat" and in Boston as a "triple-decker"<BR>> >><BR>> >> _Gangway_ : a narrow passageway, three to eight feet wide or so,<BR>> >> between two houses or any other two buildings, leading from the front<BR>> >> to the back of the building to the left. The same term with the same<BR>> >> meaning is used in Saint Louis.<BR>> >><BR>> >> _Decade_ : pronounced as though spelled "dekkid." This is the only<BR>> >> pronunciation that I ever heard or used in Saint Louis. I have no clue<BR>> >> as to how common this pronunciation may be in Chicago.<BR>> >><BR>> >> -Wilson<BR>> >> <BR>> >> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"a strange complaint to<BR>> >> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.<BR>> >> Mark Twain<BR>> >><BR>> >> ------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> >> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<BR>> >><BR>> >><BR>> ><BR>> > --<BR>> > "Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."<BR>> > George Washington, Farewell Address<BR>> ><BR>> > ------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<BR>> ><BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> --<BR>> -Wilson<BR>> <BR>> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"a strange complaint to<BR>> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.<BR>> Mark Twain<BR>> <BR>> ------------------------------------------------------------<BR>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org<BR> <br /><hr />Bing brings you maps, menus, and reviews organized in one place. <a href='http://www.bing.com/search?q=restaurants&form=MFESRP&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MFESRP_Local_MapsMenu_Resturants_1x1' target='_new'>Try it now.</a></body>
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