William Safire on the kitchen sink

[Scot LaFaive]

> In Wisconsin, is every sink called a "zinc" (or "zink") or just the kitchen "zinc"?

Having lived in Wisconsin for all 33 years of my life, I don't recall
ever hearing voicing at the beginning of "sink," unless someone was
attempting a bad German impression.

Speaking of "That 70's Show," I was impressed the other night when
Hyde kept asking Fez for a "pop," not a "soda." Also, Hyde does a
great Northern Wisconsin/Minnesota accent when he's making fun of Bob.

Scot


On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 2:51 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: William Safire on the kitchen sink
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> In Wisconsin, is every sink called a "zinc" (or "zink") or just the
> kitchen "zinc"? If it's the former, I'd tend to believe the "Dutch
> ancestry" explanation. Otherwise, I have no clue, since the closest
> that I've been to Wisconsin is "That '70's Show" ("Hello,
> Wisconsin!"). My father went to Madison, but that experience had no
> particular impact on his  "Alabama brogue," as he termed his native
> dialect.
>
> My grandmother was the last of the dialect Mohicans, since the "zinc"
> pronunciation died with her. All living members of my family say
> "(kitchen) sink," including my 97-y.o mother, a daughter of said
> grandmother.
>
> -Wilson
>
> On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 2:56 PM, Joseph Salmons <jsalmons at wisc.edu> wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> >  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >  Poster:       Joseph Salmons <jsalmons at WISC.EDU>
> >  Subject:      Re: William Safire on the kitchen sink
> >  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >  Interesting. I don't recall that pronunciation from the south or
> >  Texas, but the z-ful pronunciation of 'sink' is well known in
> >  Wisconsin, where it's popularly associated with people of Dutch
> >  ancestry. (I have no evidence on whether that's true or to what extent
> >  it might be.)
> >
> >  Joe
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  On Mar 30, 2008, at 1:47 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:
> >
> >  > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >  > -----------------------
> >  > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >  > Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >  > Subject:      William Safire on the kitchen sink
> >  > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >  >
> >  > In his article on the kitchen sink in today's NYT Mag, Safire notes
> >  > that the kitchen sink was once an object made of a "sheet of _zinc_
> >  > over wood ..."
> >  >
> >  > Perhaps this is the reason that my late, East-Texas-born grandmother
> >  > always referred to our kitchen sink, which differed in no way from the
> >  > usual enameled kitchen sink standard in houses built back in the day,
> >  > as "the _zinc_," though she referred to the bathroom sink only as "the
> >  > _sink_."
> >  >
> >  > -Wilson
> >  >
> >  > --
> >  > All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> >  > come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >  > -----
> >  > -Sam'l Clemens
> >  >
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>
>
> --
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> -----
>  -Sam'l Clemens
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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