OK, this is making my brain itch, and I need your help.
I'm an upper Mid-West transplant, so Southernisms sometimes don't work for me.
My question to the crowd:
When referring to the set of furniture in a given room, is it a "suite" or "suit"?
Example:
"We went to the store the other day and bought a new bedroom suit"
My mind says it's "suite". But four different Kentucky people, including my lovely and long-suffering wife, say "suit".
Also, when referring to the little shelf that sits at the base of a window, is it a "sill" or "seal"? Again, several Kentucky people use "seal", while I've always said "sill".
Please help. It's making my head hurt.
Well, as a life long westerner, I can authoritatively say that I've never heard of a set of furniture referred to as a suite or a suit, but it is a window sill.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sill and a suite.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sill
Read through:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couch
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bedroom+suite
ReplyDeleteAlso, just to make it muddy, the term "three piece suite" is a play on "three piece suit", the former is furniture.
Native NC person here. It IS suite, but I have heard suit used here and in SW VA as well.
ReplyDeleteIt IS sill, you may be running into the accent as well.
It is sill and Suite, It's just the way they pronounce it sounds different.
ReplyDeleteLike some say crick instead of creek or worsh instead of wash.
"Like some say crick instead of creek or worsh instead of wash."
ReplyDeleteSweet!
Yeah, what everyone else said. Aren't colloquialisms fun?
ReplyDeletesill and suite.
ReplyDeleteAlso, chest of drawers, not chester drawers.
People in East Tennessee say bedroom suit.
ReplyDeleteThe two answers are "Set of furniture" and "Window sill."
ReplyDeleteNorth of the Mason-Dixon line it is:
ReplyDeleteThe window sill.
An airtight seal.
A suit is worn to Church on Sunday.
A suite refers to a series of rooms, such as the Honeymoon suite of the Notell Motel.
South of the Mason-Dixon line:
You might have a windah seal (read sill), which is phonetically identical to the airtight seal referenced earlier.
A suit refers to a collection of furniture and is phonetically identical to the clothing you wear to Church on Sunday.
A suite (sweet) still refers to a series of rooms, such as the Honeymoon suite of the Notell Motel.
Moreover, depending on usage your window might have a sah-eel-al-ah - say it in four syllables.
Y'all unnahstan' nah?
From New England.. its suite and sill :)
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Bowling Green, I always heard it said "suit", though I always say suite".
ReplyDeleteAnd I think people are saying "sill", but the accent makes it sound like "seal".
Somehow I grew up with no accent. I am thankful for this.
North got it :-) but it IS pronounced suit... LOL
ReplyDeleteExactly, Old NFO.
ReplyDeleteThanks y'all. I'm pretty good with accents, but these two have just stuck for some reason.
ReplyDelete