geographical slanders/euphemisms

[A. Maberry]

I've heard "liquid sunshine" in both Oregon and Washington but without the
geographical qualification. I'm sure that there are those on both sides
of the border who would swear to the superiority of their particular
brand.
The rain is a pretty standard complaint in both states (west of the
Cascades, that is). E.g. the comment I've heard more than once "Must be
almost summer ... rain's gettin' warmer."

allen
maberry at u.washington.edu


On Mon, 6 Jan 2003, Peter A. McGraw wrote:

> Another possible Northwest candidate is "Oregon sunshine," i.e., rain.  I
> say possible, because I think I've heard it several ways, sometimes as
> "Oregon liquid sunshine" and sometimes just as "liquid sunshine," this last
> sometimes accompanied by the further clarification "Oregon's 'liquid
> sunshine.'"  These latter variations make it an uncertain member of this
> class of expressions.  To my knowledge all of these versions are used only
> self-deprecatingly by Oregonians.  After all, Washington would have an
> equal claim on "liquid sunshine."  Have any of you Washingtonians ever
> heard of "Washington liquid sunshine"?
>
> PMc
>
> --On Monday, January 6, 2003 12:39 PM -0500 Laurence Horn
> <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:
>
> > At 12:18 PM -0500 1/6/03, Wendalyn Nichols wrote:
> >> Those of us who grew up in the Northwest are familiar with the
> >> "California driver"--a reckless speed demon who disregards traffic rules
> >> and never comes to a complete stop at a controlled intersection.
> >
> > Notice, though, that some of these slurs and slanders are not ironyms
> > in my sense.  A Welsh rabbit is not a rabbit (but what the poor
> > rabbit-deprived Welsh presumably think is one), nor is a prairie
> > oyster an oyster.  And the DC parking permit below is not a parking
> > permit.  But a California driver is a driver, however reckless, just
> > as a Philadelphia lawyer is a lawyer.  I think the distinction is a
> > significant one.
> >
> > Larry
> >
> >>
> >> At 08:25 PM 1/4/03 -0500, you wrote:
> >>> Philadelphia lawyer
> >>>
> >>> DC parking permit (the emergency flashers on your car)---I have only
> >>> heard this from one person (from Baltimore, worked in a seedy area of
> >>> Washington DC) so I'm not sure it's in general use, or, for that
> >>> matter, usually attributed to DC
> >>>
> >>>       - Jim Landau
>
>
>
> ****************************************************************************
>                                Peter A. McGraw
>                    Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
>                             pmcgraw at linfield.edu
>