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Harvard linguistics expert explains perfectly logical reason we say 'Yeah, no' and 'No, yeah'

They're called discourse particles and they serve an important role in conversation.

english language, english, language, linguistics, conversation, small talk, people, words
Photo credit: Canva

"Yeah, no" makes no sense, but serves an important purpose in conversation.

The English language is weird. Not only are our formal rules of grammar confusing and inconsistent, things get even stranger when you start to account for casual, conversational English and colloquialisms. The truth is, we say a lot of things that don't mean exactly what they sound like they should mean. And sometimes? The things we say don't mean anything at all.

For example, almost everyone uses "How are you?" as a colloquial greeting, and not as a genuine question. We also say things like "I slept like a baby!" when babies are notoriously fussy sleepers.

One of the weirder things we say is so subtle you hardly notice it most of the time. It's "Yeah, no." For example, someone might say something to you and then add, "Sorry if I interrupted you." And you'll say, "Yeah, no, that's OK!"

What the heck does "Yeah, no" mean, and why do so many of us say it frequently?

Harvard linguist, self-proclaimed Etymology Nerd, and author of the book Algospeak, Adam Aleksic says "Yeah, no" and similar phrases aren't random tics. They are useful fragments of English that serve very specific purposes in our interactions.

"On the surface level, it doesn't make that much sense," he explains in a recent video on TikTok. "But that's only because you're thinking about it as 'yes' + 'no.'"

"[Yeah, no] is actually a grammatical feature called a 'discourse particle' and it can serve three different functions."

Discourse particles, or discourse markers, are words that could sometimes be thought of as "filler words" in conversation. Examples would be things like "like," "well," or "you know." They add little to the actual content of our spoken sentences but infer a lot of subtle meaning and help us modulate our tone.

english language, english, language, linguistics, conversation, small talk, people, words Like, totally. Giphy

The first function of a discourse particle, specifically "Yeah, no" is clarification, according to Aleksic. If someone asks, "Do you eat meat?", you might say, "Yeah, no I eat everything" or "Yeah, no I only eat fish." "Yeah, no" is meaningless in this instance and all the information comes in the rest of the sentence, but it allows you to transition and elaborate on your more detailed answer smoothly. Think of it as a conversational lubricant!

The second purpose of "Yeah, no" is to indicate hesitancy. Saying "Yeah" before "no" can buy you time to think about your real answer, which is "No." (It works the other way, too... If someone asks if you'd like to go get a cup of coffee, you might say "No, yeah, that sounds great.") "Yeah, no" also softens rejection. "Would you like a a drink?" ... "Yeah, no, I'm good" sounds nicer than plain old No.

The third purpose is social deflection, or hedging. "Yeah, no" can indicate modesty or soften the overall impact of whatever it is you're saying. For example, "I love this dinner you cooked us!" ... "Yeah, no, thanks!".

"It's genuinely such a useful phrase," Aleksic says in summary. Watch his full breakdown here:


@etymologynerd

yeah no why is this so interesting #etymology #linguistics #language #grammar #sociology

Because this is English we're talking about, the nuances go even deeper than that.

You won't find detailed definitions for phrases like "Yeah, yeah, yeah, no," or "No, no, yeah" in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean they don't have distinct meanings.

Sometimes it's not even about the etymology and content of the words; it's just a feeling.

In another tongue-in-cheek video, Lucie Fink explains some of the variations pretty well:

No yeah = Sure

Yeah no = No

Yeah no for sure = Yeah

Yeah yeah yeah (fast) = Yeah

Yeah yeah yeah (slow) = Total BS


@luciebfink

No yeah it makes total sense. 🙌 #english #noyeah #yeahno #englishlesson #language #fyp • inspired by a video from @braving on Instagram

And so on and so forth. There are an endless combination of discourse particles and markers we use in extremely subtle ways to make micro-adjustments to the meaning, tone, and content of our conversations. It's honestly fascinating how we do this at an extremely high level without even thinking about it.

At least now we don't have to worry about whether we're coming off confused or not well-spoken when we sputter out a "Yeah, no!" We're just so advanced at using the English language that sophisticated concepts like "discourse markers" are second nature to us now. Thanks, Etymology Nerd!

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5 ways people are going "All In" this week

From the silly to the sentimental, there are so many ways people like to go “all in” on something. Here are our five favorite examples this week.

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When you hear the words “all in,” what do you think? If you’ve read our last week's article, you might say lip syncing in the car so passionately that the car flips (special effects included). We've found that going "All In" can also be something heartfelt and magical, like not giving up on your lifelong dreams and becoming a figure skater at the age of 49.

Going “All In” is about doing what is special to you, whether it’s a lifelong goal or accidentally being way too passionate. Our friends at All In Food ask you what you “go all in” on? They’re all in on good ingredients, giving back to the community, and with this article, finding the best stories of people who go “All In” every week.

1. A Rubik's Cube Celebration

There’s nothing better than a bit of nostalgia to start your day. Let’s paint a picture: the year was 2016, and a young man in a red shirt placed an unsolved Rubik's cube in a bag. The next second he pulled it out: SOLVED. Someone in the crowd called out, “There are two Rubik's cubes in the bag!” What happened next was truly amazing, and the audiences reaction did not disappoint. You’ll have to watch the video yourself to see how the audience went "all in" with their response.

2. A Very All In Merry Poppins Costume

If you’ve ever watched a video by Justin Flom, you’ll know he goes All In on costumes for his kids all the time, and his 2.7 million followers exemplify that people will never get tired of his creativity and the whimsy that he creates for his family. With a hole cut out on the top of an umbrella and a bungee cord hooked into the ceiling, Justin’s daughter was able to seamlessly become Mary Poppins, using her umbrella to gently drift down from their second story. October has just begun…we can’t wait to see what else Justin goes All In on!

3. All In on Singles

This company is all about going all in, so much so it's called All In Food. These bars are packed with fiber and delicious ingredients, making for the perfect snack bar. For the last few months, All In bars have been available by the pack in three delicious flavors at Sprouts Farmers Market. As of this week, they have an exciting launch at the Sprouts "New For You Destination," so you can buy them as a single bar.

Now, you might be wondering, "Is this bar for me?" And just like dating, you need to try it to know for sure! So get out there and give it a go! You might be All In on the best snack bar too. And to give you that push, All In is giving you a free bar; just snap a pic of your receipt, and you’ll be reimbursed through the Aisle app!

4. All In on…birdwatching?

This trailer for the film, “LISTENERS: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching” has got me hooked. This film is about the non-stop, action-packed game of birdwatching, aka "birding." One thing's for certain: bird watchers go all in. Before you judge, take a look at the trailer; you might be surprised by the competitive edge that the sport has garnered. I might not be All In on birdwatching just yet, but you can count me in on watching this completely free documentary on YouTube.

5. Man dancing at a football game

@gbrotherson

So this happened today! Best Day Ever! @Atlanta Falcons

Last on our list, we have proof that dance and sports don’t need to be mutually exclusive; a man can do both (yes, I’m talking to you, Chad from High School Musical 2). This video of a man dancing at an Atlanta Falcons football game is truly a great time all around. Gary Brotherson, a self-proclaimed “Jorts and Slides enthusiast,” according to his Tik Tok bio, went all in with his energetic dance moves while he was caught on the stadium fan cam.

Thank you for rounding us out this week Gary. We can't wait to see what the internet is going all in on next week!

Snag your free (!!) snack bar here while this deal lasts. Just pick up a bar at Sprouts and text a pic ofv your receipt to get it for free. Enoy!

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American orders Olive Garden-style chicken parm in Italy and the waiter's response is perfect

He looks so confused.

via Drburtoni/Flickr and Boxer_Bob/Flickr

A waiter talking with his hands.

One of the great things about America is that we have a relatively young culture, so many of the foods that we eat were brought over from other countries. That makes America a great place to try out all the different types of food from around the world.

However, we also like to put our own stamp on staples from around the globe that give the American version its own unique flair. Some foods that we claim originated overseas were actually first made right here in the U.S. of A. For example, chimichangas, which can be found in many Mexican restaurants, actually originated in the state of Arizona. Crab Rangoon, a popular “Chinese” dish, was actually invented in San Francisco, and spaghetti and meatballs were never a thing in Italy.

TikTok creator Gabby Donahue posted a video that’s the perfect example of how some ethnic foods get remixed once they become popular in the States. In a video with over 7 million views, her father shows a waiter in Italy a photo of chicken parmesan from Olive Garden so he can order it at the restaurant. The waiter's reaction is an excellent example of someone trying to be polite while he cannot believe what he is seeing.

“My Boston Irish father trying to order a Google image of the Olive Garden chicken parm in Italy,” Donahue wrote in the text overlay.

@gabbydonahuee

@Olive Garden ‘s biggest fan 😭😭😭😭 #italy #cultureshock #chickenparm #olivegarden


When the father showed the picture to the waiter, he seemed a bit confused about the image. “Only in the States,” he said. “It doesn’t exist in Italy.” The father couldn’t believe what he was hearing: “It doesn’t exist in Italy?”

“I don’t know what it is…on the pasta?” the waiter said, trying to make sense of the chicken breast smothered in cheese and sauce. The waiter gave his final verdict while holding his chin: “No. That’s horrible.”

“Horrible? Wow. Look at that. That doesn’t,” the father laughed. “That looks good… but,” the waiter shrugged off the father. “It does look good,” the father continued. “It tastes good. I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna mail you some. I’ll send it to you.”

“Okay? Olive Garden chicken, I’m gonna search,” the waiter said, walking away from the table.


The commenters had a field day analyzing the waiter’s body language. “‘No, that looks good’ while looking completely disgusted was the most Italian reaction ever,” one commenter wrote. “Bro remembered halfway through his disgust that he’s at work,” another added.

It’s not crazy that an American would think that chicken parmesan is an Italian dish; after all, it’s served in most Italian-American restaurants. However, according to Paesana, it was created in America by the Italian diaspora.

“In the Old World, that’s Italy prior to the Italian diaspora—the large-scale emigration of Italians from Italy to America—proteins like chicken were not widely available," according to an article on the site. "As such, the prototypical chicken parmigiana was actually made with breaded, fried slices of eggplant in place of chicken for a dish called melanzane alla Parmigiana."


Even though chicken parmesan didn’t originate in the old country, Pasquale Sciarappa, a popular Italian-born food influencer living in America, has no problem cooking the dish.

"'That’s not Italian!’ I hear this every time I share a dish like Chicken Parmigiana. And you know what? They’re right — it’s not something you’d traditionally find in Italy. But you know what else is true? It’s Italian-American. It was born in immigrant kitchens — from people who left Italy, landed in the U.S., and made do with what they had. They took inspiration from dishes like melanzane alla parmigiana and recreated comfort from memory using what was available,” he wrote.

It’s understandable that an American could go to Italy without knowing that something he’d had in Italian restaurants wasn’t actually from Italy. It’s understandable for an Italian server to balk at a photo of a dish served in an American restaurant that you’d find in a shopping mall.

But we should all agree that one of the wonderful things about American culture is that it's an amalgamation of different cultures stirred around in the same pot, and if that means we get a fresh variation on the burrito, a new way to eat Chinese crab, or a tasty piece of chicken where eggplant used to be, the more the better.

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A tmesis is abso-freakin-lutely the coolest feature of the English language you don't know exists

You might be using it and don't even know it.

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Believe or not, the tmesis has been around for thousands of years.

You might’ve never heard the word “tmesis,” but you’ve certainly heard one being used. Ever said something like “that’s a whole nother thing” or “no-friggin-way”? Congratulations, you’ve used a tmesis! As you can probably deduce, a tmesis is when a word is put smack dab in the middle of another word or phrase, usually to add emotional emphasis or comic effect. As speech writer Simon Lancaster put it, “Tmesis can make you sound inventive, anarchic, [and] amusing.”

The word itself comes from the ancient Greek word τμῆσις (tmêsis), meaning "a cutting.” In fact, Greek poet Homer used tmesis in The Odyssey. Throughout history, literary icons have been lovers of this rhetorical device. Take poet John Donne’s “In what-torn ship-so ever I embark," William Shakespeare’s “This is not Romeo, he is some-other-where.”

But the award for most impressive tmesis definitely goes to Mark Twain, who, for his essay “The Awful German Language,” wrote:

“The trunks being now ready, he DE-after kissing his mother and sisters, and once more pressing to his bosom his adored Gretchen, who, dressed in simple white muslin, with a single tuberose in the ample folds of her rich brown hair, had tottered feebly down the stairs, still pale from the terror and excitement of the past evening, but longing to lay her poor aching head yet once again upon the breast of him whom she loved more dearly than life itself-PARTED."

The tmesis is well-loved in today’s pop culture. Alan Gordon Partridge, a British parody character played by Steve Coogan, famously experimented with different ways to add "bloody" into the word "unbelievable," which became one of his most quotable moments among fans.

“Unbelievable. Un-bloody-believable. Unbe-bloody-lievable. Hang on, there’s one more. Unbelieva-bloody-ble.”

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Then there’s the animated character of Archer, who used the phrase "some-crazy-how.”

Or “Cinder-f**kin-rella” in Pretty Woman…

- YouTube www.youtube.com

And of course, we saved the most famous pop culture tmesis of all for last: “Legen-wait for it-dary.” Said many, many times by Neil Patrick Harris’ Barney from How I Met Your Mother.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Many use a tmesis to add in an expletive (again for emotional emphasis, and because it’s just fun), as with fan-bloody-tastic, guaran-damn-teed, abso-freakin-lutely Jesus-tap-dancing-Christ, boo-f**kin-hoo, back-ass-wards, un-f**king-real, in-f**king-credible. But there are plenty of clean and safe ones too, like hot-diggity-dog, and scrum-diddly-umptious!

And while the tmesis might seem strictly an English-language device, the concept of word splitting and insertion appears in other languages, such as German, Dutch, Catalan, Finnish, French, and Mandarin Chinese, to some extent.

Still, you gotta admit that the chaotic slicing-and-dicing-and-inserting aspect feels very, very English, does it not? Yet one more colloquial quirk that makes it so hard to fully master, but easy to appreciate.

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27 English words people have a hard time enunciating properly, even native speakers

"The word I notice people struggle with is 'vulnerable'. Something about that N following an L is tricky."

Image via Canva/Povozniuk

English words that are difficult to enunciate.

The English language is hard to master, even for native speakers. With over an estimated one million words in the language, not only are English words hard to memorize—they can be hard to properly pronounce and enunciate. Getting tripped up with pronunciation can make your communication unclear, or worse—make you sound uneducated.

As American English teacher Vanessa explains, many mispronounced words are common and used in daily conversation due to tricky consonants and vowels in English words. But by knowing the proper pronunciation, it can help you become a more confident speaker, which is why she shared 33 words that are hard for English language learners to pronounce, such as "probably," "drawer," and "sixth."

On the subreddit r/words, a person posed the question: "What's a word you've noticed many native English speakers have difficulty enunciating even though the word is used fairly often?"

Turns out, there are a menagerie of words people notoriously stumble over. These are 27 English words that people say are the hardest to enunciate.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Tricky 'R' words

"The word I notice people struggle with is 'vulnerable'. Something about that N following an L is tricky." - common_grounder

"Rural." - Silent-Database5613

“'Nucular' for nuclear." - throwawayinthe818

"Remuneration v renumeration (first one is correct)." - RonanH69

"February. It sounds like you're pronouncing it like it's spelled Febuary. But it's spelled February." - SDF5-0, ShadedSpaces

"Mirror. Some people pronounce it 'meer'." - weinthenolababy, diversalarums

"Anthropomorphize is a word I have to use semi-frequently with limited success each attempt." - ohn_the_quain

"I can’t say the phrase 'rear wheel' without considerable effort." - ohn_the_quain

"Eraser (erasure, but they're talking about the pink rubber thing)." - evlmgs

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Multiple syllables

"Exacerbated vs exasperated." - SNAFU-lophagus

"'Asterisk'. A lot of people wind up inadvertently name-checking Asterix. I think it's best for those who struggle to use the alternative name for that punctuation mark, the 'Nathan Hale', after the American patriot who famously declared, 'I can only regret that I have but one asterisk for my country!'" - John_EightThirtyTwo

"I realized recently I have always mispronounced mischievous. It's mis-chiv-us, not mis-chee-vee-us. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone pronounce that correctly." - callmebigley"

'Supposebly' [supposedly]. Drives me up the wall." - BlushBrat

"Library. My coworker knows I hate it, so he’ll say Liberry every time." - Jillypenny"ET cetera, not 'ect' cetera. I think people are used to seeing the abbreviation etc and since there is no diphthong tc in English their mind bends it into ect." - AdFrequent4623

"The amount of people who say Pacific when they're trying to stay specific is pretty alarming. I'm not even sure if they know it's a different word sometimes." - Global-Discussion-41

"Then there was my old boss who would confidently and consistently use the word tenant when he meant tenet." - jaelith"

"Probably." - Rachel_Silver

"Contemplate. It's one of those word I hear people stumble over more than anything, often it comes out as Comtemplate, Contempate or a combination of both." - megthebat49

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Foods

"Turmeric. People drop the first R. It drives me nuts!" - Jillypenny

"Oh, and it’s espresso, no X [ex-presso]." - Jillypenny

"Also cardamom with an N." - nemmalur

"Pumpkin (punkin)." - evlmgs

espresso, espresso gif, sipping espresso, espresso drink, drinking espresso sipping modern family GIF Giphy

Awkward vowels

"Crayon 👑. My ex pronounced it 'cran'. Drove me up a wall." - rickulele, premeditatedlasagna

'Mute' for moot. A good friend of mine, who's extremely intelligent and articulate otherwise, says that. Unfortunately, it's a word she likes to use. I haven't had the heart to tell her she's pronouncing it incorrectly, and it's been three decades." NewsSad5006, common_grounder

"Jewelry." - weinthenolababy

"I hear grown adults calling wolves woofs and they're not doing it to be funny." - asexualrhino

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College student's malicious compliance when professor bans laptops is hilariously genius

Well, that's one way to take notes.

Photo credit: Canva

College student's malicious compliance over laptop ban is genius

Malicious compliance can be delicious to enact or even witness, though the same cannot be said for those on the receiving end. One college professor was unlucky enough to experience a student enacting the phenomenon on him after he decided to ban laptops from his classroom. It's unclear why he imposed this restriction on students when many use their laptops for note-taking or accessing course materials in class, yet, to his surprise, every student complied.

Well, every student more or less complied. There were no laptops or tablets to be seen in the video uploaded to social media. In fact, beyond the cell phone that recorded the class, there were zero electronic devices visible. But one student's interpretation of the new rule left viewers wheezing, and his classmates fighting to hold in their laughter. It was glorious malicious compliance.

professor, class, college, students, people, malicious compliance Teacher engaging with students in a math class discussion.Photo credit: Canva

Chances are, if you've never heard of malicious compliance, you've still seen or participated in it at some point in your life. It's when you're told to do something or not do something, and you comply in the most ridiculous way possible. For instance, an employer enforces a new dress code that bans jeans and overly casual wear, so the next day, an employee who normally wears jeans is sitting in the morning huddle wearing a tuxedo. It's not jeans, nor is it overly casual, so technically, they're within dress code.

In one ridiculous incident of malicious compliance, a woman was told that her pink hair was against the dress code at work. Instead of dying her hair to a more natural color or quitting her job, she wore wigs every day —not ordinary wigs. She walked into work wearing a Founding Father's wig, a wig that looked like a sumo wrestler's hair, and even a bald cap. The woman basically wore every kind of wig she could find in a Halloween shop, and she would share her updates on her TikTok page.

wigs, malicious compliance, humor, resistance, people Elegant in vintage attire, holding a bouquet of roses.Photo credit: Canva

Some rules don't make much logical sense, which can push someone's petty buttons and result in hilarious, malicious compliance. When the college professor banned laptops, the only student still able to take notes was the one with the typewriter. That's right, he pulled a typewriter out and began typing everything his professor said, even though nothing noteworthy was actually being said. The student gave a tight-lipped smile and a thumbs-up when the professor inquired if he was okay.

Clearly, the student was not okay. He'd likely much rather be typing on his laptop. Still, the student next to him seemed to be getting a kick out of the whole thing, along with viewers of the video. Though it's not clear where the video originated, it was uploaded to TikTok by @EssayProcrastination and has more than 2.3 million views and over 25K comments. People find the malicious compliance delightful, with one person writing, "This level of petty NEEDS TO BE REWARDED."

@essayprocrastination Dude, he was typing his heart out 🤣 #college #collegestudent #professor #typewriter ♬ original sound - EssayProcrastination

Another says, "Malicious compliance! My favorite kind of compliance."

One person is asking the important questions, writing, "Where did he even get a typewriter at such short notice?"

Someone else agrees, saying, "When your professor takes it too far, now you need to take it overseas!"

typewriter, writing, malicious compliance, petty, humor Typing a story on a vintage typewriter.Photo credit: Canva

Another person laughs, "It would be even better if the next day everyone showed up with their typewriter."

Everyone showing up with a typewriter would be quite a feat, since you generally can't just pick one up at your nearest Walmart. But this guy gets an A plus for finding a way to follow the rules in the most annoying way possible. It would be no surprise if the laptop ban were lifted by the end of class, since who uses pen and paper these days?

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The American island where residents speak a dazzling blend of Southern and Old English

Ocracoke's endlessly entertaining dialect may soon be extinct.

BBC Global/YouTube & EZScore/Flickr

An isolated island called Ocracoke is home to a unique accent not found anywhere else in the world.

American English comes in all sorts of different flavors and varieties. I grew up in Baltimore, which shares some dialectical DNA with the accent you find in other Northeastern cities like Philadelphia. Baldamor, hon! There's the New England dialects, most famously the Boston accent: Pahk the cah at Havahd yahd! The New York accent is world famous, as is the deep Southern twang, which gives way to a thick Cajun accent the closer you get to the water in Florida and Louisiana.

These are all different versions of the greater American dialect. But there is one place, a tiny island off the coast of North Carolina, where a few residents speak in such a unique way that it's not even identified as American by most people around the world.

Ocracoke, North Carolina, is home to a unique dialect called the Brogue: A strange blend of American Southern, Old Elizabethan English, with little bits of Irish and even Australian thrown in.

The Brogue, also known as Hoi Toider, is absolutely fascinating to hear in action. When you watch interviews with the locals of the island, they at first appear to be speaking a form of deep American southern—you can hear the twang the way you might in parts of Georgia of Alabama. But then, without warning, a word or phrase will slip out that sounds distinctly British. Old English even. Then you'll swear you hear a bit of Irish!

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The dialect owes its roots to a surprising source: Pirates.

Pirates loved to hide out on Ocracoke as the island is incredibly remote, about 20 miles from the mainland of North Carolina. Even today there are no bridges or flights to Ocracoke; it can only be reached by a (quite lengthy) boat ride. Eventually, the island was actually purchased by the Blackbeard's quartermaster (yes, that Blackbeard), William Howard, where he created something of a pirate settlement. English sailors and Native American tribes also passed through and had their own unique impact on the culture and developing language of the island.

In case have your doubts about the island's buccaneerish roots: "In one popular island legend, Ocracoke comes from the phrase, 'Oh, crow cock,' which was spoken by the infamous pirate Blackbeard as he waited to do battle at sunrise with the governor’s forces that had come to capture him," writes a guide from NC State University.

The dialect had a lot of room to develop without much outside influence. The BBC's Brian Carlton writes, "Howard's community lived in near-isolation for almost two centuries. Electricity didn't arrive at the island until 1938 and a ferry service didn't start until 1957, leaving the islanders cut off except for the occasional supply trip to the mainland."

That's why Hoi Toider is still alive to this day, although its speaking population has dwindled.

Here are a few hallmark phrases of the unique dialect: A "dingbatter" is anyone not from the island; a tourist. An "O'Cocker" is anyone born on the island of Ocracoke. A "buck" is a good male friend, while a "puck" is a female friend. The Brogue uses "weren't" liberally for singular nouns ("The sun weren't out yesterday.") and frequently adds an "a" in front of verbs. ("We went a-fishin' this morning.")

But to fully appreciate Hoi Toider, you've got to hear it in action:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Experts say that as awesome as the Brogue is, it will likely disappear within the next 50 years.

Though the island remains about as remote as it comes, in 2025 there's no escaping the influence of social media, television, and film. Every generation born on the island is a smidge less-adoptive of the Brogue than the one that came before.

It will probably be mostly gone in the next couple of generations, which feels like a tragedy. Instead of "dingbatter" and "buck," the kids will be saying "Skibidi toilet" and "rizz." OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but young people growing up on the island won't be as immersed in the language as their elders and will begin to speak more and more like your average American.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

There's a concept called culture homogenization. It's the idea that over time, because of technology and globalization, unique individual cultures from around the world will all start to look more and more the same. It's why you see fast food restaurants directly next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and people all over the globe listening to the same handful of musical artists.

Ocracoke has managed to hang on longer than most places due to how difficult it is to reach. Here's hoping that the Ocracoke Brogue can survive somehow, some way, in little pockets of the island. It's just too dang cool and interesting to go away just yet.

This article originally appeared in May. It has been updated.

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