Questions about Greek Life (from an outsider [UK])

[PeppyGPhiB]

People in Washington and Oregon say "hella," too, and people from Southern California think it's funny. Kinda like how people from Boston say "wicked." In fact, there are competing groups on Facebook regarding use of the word "hella." Northern California has more in common with the pacific northwest (PacNW) than it does Southern California. Personality, climate, scenary, popular culture, industry, political ideology...just everything.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by APhiAnna

http://www.norcalclothingco.com/

You have never seen this before TSteven? And you live up there? I respect your opinion but EVERYBODY I know that's college age from Northern California calls it NorCal...heck, even WE from Southern California call it NorCal because they do! All the guys have those NorCal shirts. And they all say "hella" constantly and none of them have remotely what I would call a Valley girl accent. I honestly am blown away that you disagree with all of that. "SoCal" and "NorCal" are mainstays in the college age vocabulary for residents of BOTH areas.

No, I have yet to see these shirts. The company is based in Santa Cruz and the shirts seem to be more "surfer" type. As such, they are not the kind of shirt I or my peers tend to wear.

And while "NorCal" or "SoCal" might be "mainstays" in the college age vocabulary, I am not college aged. Nor do I generally socialize with 18-22 year olds. The college aged men and women I know - and whom I might socialize with on occasion (i.e. an alumni or family event for example) - have yet to use "NorCal" around me. Maybe they did and I just did not pick up on it. So I don't disagree that it is used. However, I do state that *I* have yet to hear/notice it. I will try to be more alert to it now that you and others have made me aware of it.

As for "hella", I have heard "hella" a lot. I never disagreed about that. Nor did I mention people speaking with a Valley girl accent. Never my point. However, my point has simply been that *I* often hear variations of valspeak (the over use of "like" being the most common example).

As a resident of California, are you (any resident of California) saying that you do not hear some variation of valspeek at all? The use of "like" as a filler for example.

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

People in Washington and Oregon say "hella," too, and people from Southern California think it's funny. Kinda like how people from Boston say "wicked." In fact, there are competing groups on Facebook regarding use of the word "hella." Northern California has more in common with the pacific northwest (PacNW) than it does Southern California. Personality, climate, scenery, popular culture, industry, political ideology...just everything.

I would agree.