I've always wanted to have the exact boundaries of "the mission field" explained to me. I never heard that expression until I moved to Utah and then I heard it ALL THE TIME. Where is this mythical place?
It is an effective way to list a region so that all of the California (state) or Brazil (nation) mission group together and then are organized alphabetically.
If done any other way you would not be able to identify all the missions within a state or nation at a glance.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/03/2013 03:23AM by gentlestrength.
anagrammy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why are these called old-timey? >
Actually I was referring to expressions used by older, lifelong Utah Mormons that aren't really used anymore by the church officially or by members in other areas. But I don't mind a little scope creep.
The two expressions that stood out to me when I moved to Utah in the mid-90s were:
The mission field (i.e. anywhere outside of Utah)
People only leave the church because they are offended. (I never heard that in CA but I did hear that Utah Mormons had lower standards while living the gospel and worse manners than any other Mormons so maybe there was a connection there with Utah Mormons being more offensive.)
I think Utah Mormons are just mainly tactless. Because they live in Utah they seem to think that they are always understood and have cornered the market on what is appropriate and acceptable behavior because it is acceptable among Mormons. They don't seem to know that there are different (may I say higher?) standards of acceptable behavior outside of Utah.
One example is wedding receptions. All over the world it is totally inappropriate to show up at someone's wedding reception without having been invited and not having sent an RSVP to the invitation. But in Utah it is standard practice to just show up and dressed inappropriately I might add. If I had any TBM, BIC, Utah relatives visit me outside of Utah I'd have been afraid of taking them anywhere for fear of their tactless behavior and conversation.
I'm going to hijack a bit more because I agree with everything you said. When I was at BYU, I was an editor for the Daily Universe and, lucky me, the section that included the annual Bridal Edition. Because I'm from CA and a part-member family, I knew we needed to include an article on proper behavior at NON-LDS weddings. Fortunately, I had a writer on my staff from Connecticut who did a beautiful job, pissing off my assistant editor, "Susan" who was from Idaho endlessly. I can still hear "Susan" saying "But you should say at a MORMON wedding (whatever) isn't considered bad manners." And "You need to say it's polite to do (whatever) at a Mormon wedding." She was horribly offended at the idea that Mormons didn't define good social behavior for the rest of the world and that people might just have a polite way of doing things that contradicted her Mormon culture. Thankfully, she was the assistant editor and I finally told her to keep her opinions to herself - Mormons didn't need an article about how to behave at Mormon weddings. They needed instruction on how to behave when they were out of Mormon culture. Then she just resorted to sulking until it was published - but she kept her opinion to herself, which worked for me. I'm still very proud of getting that article in and well-written.
Mormons are just one big happy family. While the members outside of Utah are criticizing the Utah Mormons, the Salt Lake Mormons are laughing the at the Happy Valley Mormons.
EDIT: thought of another one, "outfit," possibly only used in Mormon Idaho to describe a pickup truck.
*"Borrow pit" is a legit term used in the Mid-West to describe the ponds and lakes left behind in the flatlands when the Interstates were built. They are now full of water and stocked with fish. "Borrow pit" is not correct when used to describe either the traffic median or shoulder and side of the road, as used in Utah.
**"Flipper crutch" is a term used by NOBODY (other than among some Mormons) to describe a sling shot. I have heard Mormons claim that they have never heard of a sling shot. I guess what would happen when you shut yourself off from the world.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2013 03:35PM by cludgie.
Barrow pit. Western U.S. a roadside borrow pit dug for drainage purposes. Also called bar pit. bar ditch [apparently in reference to the mound of earth dug from the pit.]
(Barrow means a mound or hill)
I grew up in Utah using the term "barrow pit" to name that ditch alongside a road.
Then I moved out of Utah and never heard the expression again but did not realize it.
Then I visited Utah and heard it and started laughing because I realized that term was only used in Utah (and probably Idaho and other Mormon states.)
Another term I grew up with was the word "sluff" for cutting school.
I was talking to my niece yesterday on the phone (she lives in West Jordan, Utah) and she said: "Well, dag nab it." I laughed and said to her something like: "Wow! You really talk Utahn!"
My Utah TBM MIL used that term once during a storytelling session with my husband and I here in Florida. DH and I looked at each other and said, "What?"
MIL repeated herself: "Wa-lah!"
It took a few minutes but I finally figured it out. She was saying the French word for "Voila" which, roughly translated, means "There you have it!"
I had taken honors French in H.S. (and even took a trip to Europe with my class). My mother also spoke impeccable French from her own Catholic H.S. classes. I *knew* MIL had bungled the the pronunciation badly. The sorry thing is that I later heard lots of Utah Mormons and ex-mos pronounce it the same hick way.
When my husband figured out what his mother was trying to say, he teased her mercilessly all afternoon. Wa-lah! Mom, right? <grin>
No offense to anybody here. Really.
;o)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2013 10:56PM by shannon.
Regional linguistic variations have always been fun to me. I don't find anything offensive in them. Many years ago I went to Provo from the midwest and had to catch on to what other kids were talking about. "Did I want to go to the STOMP?" (sounded painful) Would I like a SODA? We said pop. I admit I still say "warshing machine" ..and "overshoes" for rain boots.
The thing I did find offensive was the exclusiveness of some prominent Provo families. But that's another topic.
I said pop instead of soda when I lived in Utah. Maybe that depends on where one lives in Utah. I don't really know. My husband is from the midwest and calls a windshield a windscreen.
I still think of young mens and young womens as Mutual. I'm showing my age.