Is this phrase/term unique to my area?

[Gryphon Rider]

You know how sometime there are terms, figures of speech, phrases, etc. that you use your whole life amongst your family and friends, but when you travel somewhere and use them with the locals there, they give you a funny look as if you just switched to another language?

Today on the tech board, I was going to use a word, but was unsure of the spelling because I don't know if I've ever seen it in print.  I went to Google and a few dictionary-type sites, but my spelling was unheard-of, and alternate spellings product legit words with definitions nowhere close to my intended use.

The term I wanted to use is the verb "wratch" as in "I wratched it", or "you will wratch it up", as in accidentally damage something while trying to work on it.  It's more in the sense of gouging, tearing, or bending something, but not completely breaking it.  An example:  "He didn't actually break into my car, but he really wratched the key-hole and the paint around it."  Who else uses this term?

[mark81]

Can’t say I’ve ever heard it used before but in the context you give I wouldn’t have questioned it at all.

[RP#62]

I don't think I've heard that term.  Most of us of the wrench-turning persuasion would use the F word for that.  Now I have malletized things, but that was intentional.

-RP

[Willow]

It sounds like you may be looking for a form of rack or wrack.

[Hooter]

Can't say I've heard that term used. I've been in Canada plenty and never heard it used there either.

Baldo has one of those types of words under his picture....youbetcha.

[baldo]

Beat it to fit, paint it to match...

[Beardo]

Must be a Prairie term. Yeah, I’ve used it. If it’s really bad, it’s “wratched to sh*t”.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Did it’s use come to be about the time of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” ?

[msb]

Must be a Prairie term. Yeah, I’ve used it. If it’s really bad, it’s “wratched to sh*t”.

Yup...have heard it used it in that context as well in the past and probably used it myself, although not for many years though. I believe it would be just one of those slang terms used in certain regions. Probably if you sifted through episodes of the Red Green Show I bet you'd hear it used ….

[Beardo]

Example:

“My bunnyhug got wratched to sh*t when I took the corner too fast and hit the rhubarb.  Had to change my gotch”

[The emperor has no clothes]

Example:

“My bunnyhug got wratched to sh*t when I took the corner too fast and hit the rhubarb.  Had to change my gotch”

[Gryphon Rider]

Example:

“My bunnyhug got wratched to sh*t when I took the corner too fast and hit the rhubarb.  Had to change my gotch”

That's funny!  Gotch changes to gonch or ginch when you head west over the Alberta/Saskatchewan border.  I've spent enough time as a kid visiting relatives in Saskatoon to know what a bunnyhug is.

from https://www.waywordradio.org/gonch/:

gonch n. underpants or panties; chones. Editorial Note: According to Katherine Barber of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, as quoted in the Edmonton Journal in 2004, this word takes a variety of spellings: “In Saskatchewan, it’s gauch, gitch or gotch, but in Alberta it’s gaunch, ginch and gonch. On the Alberta side of Lloydminster, people suddenly get an ‘n’ in their underwear, and we have no idea why.” Ginch Gonch is a brand name of stylish underwear, begun in 2004. An unrelated gonch is a gonch hook used to lift the lid of a Dutch oven, a large pot used for outdoor cooking. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

[Gryphon Rider]

Example:

“My bunnyhug got wratched to sh*t when I took the corner too fast and hit the rhubarb.  Had to change my gotch”

That's funny!  Gotch changes to gonch or ginch when you head west over the Alberta/Saskatchewan border.  I've spent enough time as a kid visiting relatives in Saskatoon to know what a bunnyhug is.

from https://www.waywordradio.org/gonch/:

gonch n. underpants or panties; chones. Editorial Note: According to Katherine Barber of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, as quoted in the Edmonton Journal in 2004, this word takes a variety of spellings: “In Saskatchewan, it’s gauch, gitch or gotch, but in Alberta it’s gaunch, ginch and gonch. On the Alberta side of Lloydminster, people suddenly get an ‘n’ in their underwear, and we have no idea why.” Ginch Gonch is a brand name of stylish underwear, begun in 2004. An unrelated gonch is a gonch hook used to lift the lid of a Dutch oven, a large pot used for outdoor cooking. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

It looks like "wratched" is at least known in western Canada.

[msb]

Ah...our lovely neighbours in dear old Saskabush. Spending a few days in Regina come May for a conference...I'm brushing up on my "Saskatchewanese" 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/10-slang-terms-all-saskatchewan-people-should-know-1.2986496

[DDT (12)]

Must be a Prairie term. Yeah, I’ve used it. If it’s really bad, it’s “wratched to sh*t”.

Yup...have heard it used it in that context as well in the past and probably used it myself, although not for many years though. I believe it would be just one of those slang terms used in certain regions. Probably if you sifted through episodes of the Red Green Show I bet you'd hear it used ….

Mike,

Yeah! Ol' Red Green would be a great source for verifying various colloquialisms! I do miss that show! We used to get it on our local PBS station, and I looked forward to each episode... "If women don't find ya handsome, at least let 'em find ya handy..." What a philosopher...

DDT

[Steve K (IA)]

No, not unique just to your area.  I have used and of course heard it many times. (but never tried to spell it)  To me it has meant to "kick it up"  "bump it up"  "dial it up" a bit.

[¿spoom]

Never hear of it in the NE or Midwest, only wracked as mentioned earlier. There it's often mentioned with things like sprung car/truck frames i.e. the truck's front end was wracked in the collision.

[bassman]

No, not unique just to your area.  I have used and of course heard it many times. (but never tried to spell it)  To me it has meant to "kick it up"  "bump it up"  "dial it up" a bit.

Ditto what Steve said....."take it up a notch"..."take it to the next level"......etc......haven't used it in several years however....

[Skinhead]

I believe the correct usage of wratched in Canada and the UP would be something along the lines of "He really wratched his bike up, eh?"  The "eh" shouldn't be dropped, it's a sure sign of poor raising.

[The emperor has no clothes]

No, not unique just to your area.  I have used and of course heard it many times. (but never tried to spell it)  To me it has meant to "kick it up"  "bump it up"  "dial it up" a bit.

I thought that was “ratchet” ?

[Gryphon Rider]

No, not unique just to your area.  I have used and of course heard it many times. (but never tried to spell it)  To me it has meant to "kick it up"  "bump it up"  "dial it up" a bit.

I thought that was “ratchet” ?

Yeah, that’s one of those similar words with an entirely different meaning, ratch (ratchet), like using a bumper jack to raise something. Completely different from “wratch”.

[ValkStrom]

That term is a new one for me, although "wretched" is likely the same thing and one I've used a few times....well along with some real expletives.  

[Alberta Patriot]

I grew up a little North of Gryphon Territory...we used "Wrecked" or sometimes "Pooched" instead.
For the more elitist white glove wearing wrenchists "Faux Pas"

[Gryphon Rider]

I grew up a little North of Gryphon Territory...we used "Wrecked" or sometimes "Pooched" instead.
For the more elitist white glove wearing wrenchists "Faux Pas"

Oh, man!  Now your gonna hijack my thread and everyone will be commenting on "pooched".   

Seriously though, I think "pooched" is more common, and "wratched" is more specific.  Something that is pooched is unusable (a.k.a. NFG).  Something that is wratched can usually be put back in service, but will be ugly or not quite as good.  E.g. "Your TV is pooched, but don't ask me to help you carry it out to the truck, cuz my knee is wratched from Saturday's wipeout at Paskapoo."

I'm not sure why I spell "wratched" with a W; it just seems more gooder that way.

[Gryphon Rider]

I believe the correct usage of wratched in Canada and the UP would be something along the lines of "He really wratched his bike up, eh?"  The "eh" shouldn't be dropped, it's a sure sign of poor raising.

You've got it!  Now celebrate with a box of Smarties!

[Chrisj CMA]

Must be a Canadian thing. Reminds me of some of the slang words the Brit’s have invented

[John Schmidt]

Must be a Prairie term. Yeah, I’ve used it. If it’s really bad, it’s “wratched to sh*t”.

Yup...have heard it used it in that context as well in the past and probably used it myself, although not for many years though. I believe it would be just one of those slang terms used in certain regions. Probably if you sifted through episodes of the Red Green Show I bet you'd hear it used ….

Mike,

Yeah! Ol' Red Green would be a great source for verifying various colloquialisms! I do miss that show! We used to get it on our local PBS station, and I looked forward to each episode... "If women don't find ya handsome, at least let 'em find ya handy..." What a philosopher...

DDT

Or as my Rita once told me during a more "personal" encounter; "honey, it's nice to have a handy man, but there's times it's nice to have a man handy!" 

[bassman]

No, not unique just to your area.  I have used and of course heard it many times. (but never tried to spell it)  To me it has meant to "kick it up"  "bump it up"  "dial it up" a bit.

I thought that was “ratchet” ?

BINGO !    I think that’s the correct word as we used it.    Never had to write it out / spell it but that seems the most plausible to me.

Thanks MH !

[¿spoom]

Lots of folks say, "ratchet it up" fwiw.

[gordonv]

Example:

“My bunnyhug got wratched to sh*t when I took the corner too fast and hit the rhubarb.  Had to change my gotch”

That's funny!  Gotch changes to gonch or ginch when you head west over the Alberta/Saskatchewan border.  I've spent enough time as a kid visiting relatives in Saskatoon to know what a bunnyhug is.

from https://www.waywordradio.org/gonch/:

gonch n. underpants or panties; chones. Editorial Note: According to Katherine Barber of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, as quoted in the Edmonton Journal in 2004, this word takes a variety of spellings: “In Saskatchewan, it’s gauch, gitch or gotch, but in Alberta it’s gaunch, ginch and gonch. On the Alberta side of Lloydminster, people suddenly get an ‘n’ in their underwear, and we have no idea why.” Ginch Gonch is a brand name of stylish underwear, begun in 2004. An unrelated gonch is a gonch hook used to lift the lid of a Dutch oven, a large pot used for outdoor cooking. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

I've heard the word wratched, or something close sounding to that, but no clue where or when or even remember what content.

Now gonch, used it all the time as a kid in the 60's, so that brand of underwear in 04' had nothing to do with it.

Neighbours would be all BCers and immigrants from the old country. I don't think anyone was from the Prairies, so have no idea where the words came from.

[hueco]

I googled  "wratched". Nothing. Must be a Canada thing. Ya'll need to get more redneck up there. Eh? I am" fixin to" post this here typing reply.

[Tx Bohemian]

I googled  "wratched". Nothing. Must be a Canada thing. Ya'll need to get more redneck up there. Eh? I am" fixin to" post this here typing reply.

Kinda looks like we need a "Canadian to Redneck" translation dictionary!

I have never heard of "wratched" either, but this thread is interesting! (at least to me)

[The emperor has no clothes]

I had a friend in high school who was from Whitehorse. He called a case of beer a " two four". Is that a Canuck saying, or just unique to him ?

[Alberta Patriot]

I had a friend in high school who was from Whitehorse. He called a case of beer a " two four". Is that a Canuck saying, or just unique to him ?

Here ya go Eh!
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Canadian%20two-four
Oh'...Don't ferget ta grab a Two Four ah' Doughnuts too Eh!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssCZWBtwUTI&list=PLf5agPBUxtWlkyVeKTjRTGOIHw4mLaeQi&index=2

[Wizzard]

Growing up when me misbehaved as Kids my Uncle would call us "Honyocks" . Never heard that term used anywhere else. Looked it up and found that its common to Alberta, Saskatchewan North and South Dakota.

[Beardo]

Growing up when me misbehaved as Kids my Uncle would call us "Honyocks" . Never heard that term used anywhere else. Looked it up and found that its common to Alberta, Saskatchewan North and South Dakota.

Never heard that one. We got called bunyak though.

I think the reason we might have more of these slangs, especially here on the Canadian prairies, is we haven’t been here as long as a lot of Americans. Most of us are only about 4th generation Canadians, my grandfathers parents came here from the home land in the early 1900’s. I know quite a few of my friends grandparents that spoke fluent Polish, Ukrainian, etc. So many of those slangs...and insults...still survive.

[t-man403]

Well, I pertineer wasn't going to comment on this eh....cause the english language is so wratched eh!  

[Jess from VA]

I just found Youin's and Weun's wierd.


You want to study a strange English word... look up Peckerwood.

The cemeteries where dead or executed prisoners are buried (paupers) at Leavenworth, Texas state, and a couple other prisons have real names, but are all referred to as Peckerwood Hill.

Prisons expect family to claim the bodies, but sometimes there is no family, or they don't want him back... even dead.  At Leavenworth prison, 30 are unmarked and the rest only have a number.  No one may trespass there, so you have to have permission, and use a chart to find what number is on the grave you want.  Almost no one ever goes there. 

But Peckerwood has many other meanings, like prison gangs. 

The only marker you get at Leavenworth Prison cemetery.

[Alberta Patriot]

This is an excellent thread Eh! Gives us Canucks a chance to share our culture with our riding buddies in the U.S.Eh'...Eh'

[Wizzard]

 

This is an excellent thread Eh! Gives us Canucks a chance to share our culture with our riding buddies in the U.S.Eh'...Eh'