Where’s Your Bubbler?
The ramblings of a man raised by a daddy from the Northern and a momma from the Southern United States …
Ahhh, colloquial expressions — region-specific words and phrases that can add color and a casual tone to your writing or speech. What happens when you don't know the expression is colloquial and you're a thousand miles away from your region?
That happened to me when we lived in Wisconsin and visited my mother's family in Georgia, which we did every year. I had been shopping in the mall for over an hour and needed a drink of water. Most stores had bubblers, so I approached a clerk and asked, "Where's your bubbler?" The clerk instantly looked bewildered. It was the holiday selling season, and he was primed to respond promptly to any query. Now, he looked like he was thrown for a loop. He repeated, "Bubbler?" and then said, "I'm not quite sure, sir. Let me check …," and off he ran to bring the matter to someone in the know.
I waited for a beat, and he returned with another sales associate, who asked, "What exactly are you looking for, sir?" I responded, "I just wanted to know where your bubbler is. Do you have one?" He thought momentarily and asked, "Is this bubbler something you’d find in a garden?" I suddenly realized they hadn’t a clue what I was asking. "No, no. I want a drink of water. You know most stores have bubblers, and I just wanted to know if you had one?" A sense of relief came over them, and the second gentleman said, "Oh, you mean a water fountain!" We all started laughing, and I continued, "I’m from Wisconsin, and we call them bubblers up there. I thought they were called bubblers everywhere. Who knew?" They directed me to the water fountain’s location, and I took a big swig.
Some years ago my wife and I moved our family to Georgia to help mom take care of my ailing father. I’ve added Southern expressions and slang to my Northern repertoire, which has increased my interest in colloquial expressions and the use of slang in both formal and informal speech and writing. Now and then, I’ll be a little off in their usage. But you won’t find me pitching a hissy fit when that happens!
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