U.S. Dialect Map

[EMSC]

In parts of New England they use Bubbler

Interesting. I have never heard that term ever used in New England states myself. Though I obviously never lived directly in NE either.

I can say that there is zero use of said term anywhere in upstate NY though. In fact I never heard that such a term even existed for a water fountain until I was in my mid-20's (and definitely LoL'ed when I heard of it). So at the least Wisconsin and upstate NY should not fully color map/match the way they seem to (close, perhaps; but not identical by any means).

 

[jnelly]

Well, I do live in Madison so this makes sense. . Its of no wonder, when I travel, particularly skiing with googles on my nose, making my voice even more nasally....everyone first assumes I'm from Canada...which I suppose isn't the worse thing to lean into at times!

* For the record, I'm a soda and water-fountain man myself.
* My Queens raised wife and I get a lot of mileage out of each others vernacular.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

NY does not use the term Bubblers for example (upper midwest only term for a water fountain/drinking fountain).

In parts of New England they use Bubbler

I've never heard "Bubbler" in my life.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

In my house risotto has been dedicated to Liz ever since - and that will no doubt continue.

I've also witnessed her line delivery of risotto. Very unique!

 

[Tony Crocker]

I've never heard Bubbler in my life.

Me nor Liz either.

line delivery of risotto

Liz' delivery of risotto (s sounds like z, accent second syllable with long o) is what search says is correct in Italian.

 

[Sbooker]

Liz' delivery of risotto (s sounds like z, accent second syllable with long o) is what search says is correct in Italian.

Yep. We say the zed but the o we say like 'hot'.
That night Liz ordered the risotto she also ordered a hot toddy. If we are having risotto one of the kids will also ask if we have a hot toddy. (In Liz' strong American accent).

 

[Sbooker]

I've never heard "Bubbler" in my life.

We say bubbler here in Oz. If you are game you can read below of the rugby league player Todd Carney and his infamous bubbler incident and subsequent suspension from the game.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/face-went-white-todd-carney-dops-big-twist-over-obscene-bubbler-act/news-story/9e9112729f642c2342af24ada371b704

The term is now Aussie folklore.

You Americans may not know but rugby league is seen as the working man's football code. The Rugby Union chaps would never be involved in such vulgar behaviour.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Many people have told me I have a very strong NYC accent... James can confirm

It's similar to the actor Alan Arkin but a bit stronger. Interesting trivia about Arkin -- he lived in Brooklyn's Crown Heights until age 11, then moved with his family to Los Angeles but never lost his slight Flatbush cadence.

We say bubbler here in Oz.

The bubbler mystery deepens and here's the explanation (along with a full article for those who want to go further down the rabbit hole):
The term "bubbler" is primarily used in parts of the United States, specifically in eastern Wisconsin and eastern Massachusetts, to refer to what is more commonly known as a drinking fountain. The word bubbler originated in Wisconsin, with the Kohler Company developing a drinking fountain design in the early 1900s that caused water to bubble up, leading to the nickname. While it's not used nationwide, it's a common and even cherished term in those specific regions.


As far as Oz is concerned:
The word "bubbler" is used in Australia, particularly in the eastern states, to refer to a drinking fountain. It's most common in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, and Queensland. While not as prevalent in other parts of the country, like Victoria or Western Australia, it's still a recognised term.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

delivery of risotto

This guy does a brutally accurate American pronunciation of this word:

 

[MarzNC]

The bubbler mystery deepens and here's the explanation (along with a full article for those who want to go further down the rabbit hole):

What I found more interesting is the info about the source for The NY Times quiz:
" . . .
Those who say bubbler are proud of it, and not afraid to defend it – it’s an icon of the Boston accent. However, the word bubbler is not native to the Bay State. There are two regions in the United States that say bubbler: eastern Wisconsin and eastern Massachusetts, most residents unaware of the other region’s usage, and both claiming ownership of the term. So why do these two places 1,000 miles apart proudly use this word no one else in the country seems to know?

Bert Vaux has a PhD in phonology and taught dialects of English at Harvard University and is the co-creator of the Harvard Dialect Survey. The survey has been turned into a quiz on The New York Times website that can tell where you live by the words you use, and how you say them. In an interview I conducted with Vaux, he suggested, “With bubbler, it appears that the term (and indeed the object itself) was able to spread from its point of origin in Wisconsin all the way eastward across what we call the Northern cultural region to its other extreme in the Boston area.”
. . ."

The source survey database isn't at Harvard in Cambridge, MA. It's hosted at the Univ. of Cambridge in the UK.