LITTLE RHODY
MEET
LITTLE RHODY
INSIDER ’ S TIPS
The do ’ s and don ’ ts of Rhody living .
◆ Never put a straw in your Del ’ s ; only use the squish and sip method .
◆ Accept the fact that most Rhode Islanders won ’ t drive more than twenty minutes to meet you . If by some miracle they do , act normal when they show up with a packed lunch .
◆ Know the state ’ s area code , 401 , by heart — locals will never bother to include it when exchanging numbers .
◆ Get used to receiving directions based on old landmarks or where businesses used to be .
◆ For “ Family Guy ” fans , understand that Quahog is not a real town .
◆ Memorize the Block Island Ferry jingle .
◆ Don ’ t bring up the fact that you once thought Rhode Island was part of New York .
◆ Have a favorite beach . Be prepared to defend that opinion at all costs .
◆ Also , while you ’ re at it , don ’ t ask too many questions about the state ’ s old Mafia ties . ( Just kidding ! Mostly .)
All the Way ( adjective ) The only way to order a hot wiener from Olneyville NY System — expect meat sauce , mustard , onion and celery salt . “ I ’ ll take three all the way .”
Bang a Uey ( verb ) [ bang-a-u-ie ] A fun way of telling someone to make a u-turn . “ Oh , you were supposed to take a left at the old Benny ’ s — just bang a uey here .”
Bubbler ( noun ) [ buhblah ] A public drinking fountain you ’ d often find in school hallways . “ I ’ m gonna hit the bubbler before class .”
Clicker ( noun ) [ clickah ] The device you use to change a TV channel , aka the remote . “ The 6 o ’ clock news is on , give me the clicker .”
Language Lesson
Between the inexplicable accent and the strange words and phrases that come out of our mouths , Rhode Islanders can be a bit difficult to understand sometimes . These twelve definitions should help you out .
Down Cellar ( noun ) [ down-cellah ] The basement where all the family ’ s snowstorm provisions are kept . “ Honey , we ’ re supposed to get eight inches on Monday , go down cellar and make sure we have enough water jugs .”
Downcity ( noun ) A designation for downtown Providence , specifically . “ It ’ s been a rough one , let ’ s grab drinks Downcity tonight after work .”
Gravy ( noun ) What Italian Rhode Islanders call tomato sauce . “ I only take my spaghetti lathered in gravy .”
Grinder ( noun ) [ grindah ] A sandwich served on a torpedo roll . Out-ofstaters , think sub , hoagie or hero . “ I ’ m hankering for an Italian grinder right now .”
Packie ( noun ) Nickname for a package store , which is a nickname for a liquor store .“ We need to stop at a packie before the big Red Sox game .”
Side by Each ( adjective ) A term that originated in Woonsocket , this is our roundabout way of saying something is side by side or next to each other . “ Our houses growing up were side by each .”
Supper ( noun ) [ suppah ] The last meal of the day — some may refer to it as dinner . “ Johnny , it ’ s almost time for supper , come inside and wash your hands !”
Wicked ( adverb ) An emphatic alternate to “ really ” or “ very .”“ Did you see the new ‘ Family Guy ’ episode ? It ’ s wicked funny .”
ACCENT
BREAKDOWN
Most importantly , you need to know that we Rhode Islanders have a strange relationship with the letter R . Spend enough time with one of us and you ’ ll notice we either drop it completely for an H ( see : cah and blinkah ), or we arbitrarily tack it on when vowel endings are involved ( i . e . idear , sodar ).
PHOTOGRAPHY ( TOP ): COURTESY OF DISCOVER NEWPORT / MARK DALMEIDA ; GRAPHICS : GETTY IMAGES .
8 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY ’ S NEWCOMERS ’ GUIDE l 2024