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DFJD's definitions

Waban

The most affluent section of Newton, itself the wealthiest city, as opposed to town, in Massachusetts. Waban is characterized by large, tudor houses, a small shopping district of "upscale" mom-and-pop retailers, and an MBTA Green Line stop to whisk commuters to jobs in Brookline and Boston.

It has been cheekingly said that Waban has the highest per-capita number of Volvos outside of Scandinavia!

Waban is relatively close to the interchange of Route 128/I-95 and I-90 Mass Pike.

Waban's Zip Code, 02468, is one of the most "desirable" within Route 128. US Census data from 2000 shows that more than twice as many residents over 25 hold graduate degrees than bachelor's degrees (as the highest educational attainment). Residents who hold "only" a high school diploma are about 1/5 of those who have bachelor's degrees and 1/10 of those who have a master's degree or higher.
Waban is NOT to be confused with Woburn, a middle-class city about 10 miles to the north-east.

While an unincorporated neighborhood of Newton, Waban is sometimes considered a W Town, along with Wellesley, Weston, and Wayland, due to socio-economic similarities. Waban is located just across the Charles River from Wellesley.
by DFJD August 28, 2006
mugGet the Wabanmug.

Greenbush

A neighborhood in Scituate, Massachusetts, soon to be a terminus for a reinstated (dormant since the 1950's) commuter railroad.
The Greenbush Line will travel from Boston's South Station, making stops in Quincy, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate.

The upper-South Shore is the last area in Greater Boston without adequate commuter transit. There is a Commuter Boat from Hingham, but most parking is reserved for Hingham residents, at discounted rates!

A boorish, vocal group of Hingham residents tried every trick in the book to "de-rail" the Greenbush Line. A Boston Globe columnist from nearby Weymouth mercilessly, and justifiably, described these NIMBY activists as petulant primadonnas.
by DFJD May 18, 2006
mugGet the Greenbushmug.

Weymouth

A "town that's technically a city" of approximately 55,000 residents in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, about 13 miles south-east of downtown Boston.

The town's length is about 7 miles north-to-south; the width is about 3.5 miles east-to-west.

Weymouth is on the South Shore, fondly nicknamed the Irish Riviera.

IMO, one of the town's true gems is Grape Island, located in the southern part of Boston Harbor and within Weymouth's jurisdiction.
A couple of years ago, a Boston Globe columnist who grew up in Weymouth stated that "Weymouth ain't Wellesley, it's not Weston, and it sure isn't Hingham. And that's a really good thing." That quote is on the Weymouth government web site, BTW.

However, Weymouth, MA is quickly becoming a gentrified town. While it will never vie with nearby Cohasset, Hingham, Milton, or Norwell in overall demographics, the town is rapidly shedding its blue collar reputation.

I wouldn't be surprised if, in five-years time, many people talking about the "old neighborhood" will be referring to Brookline or Cambridge, not necessarily Dorchester, South Boston, or Quincy.

I am seeing more Subaru Outback, Audi Quattro, and Volvo Cross Country cars parked in even the most modest of Weymouth establishments.

Weymouth has traditionally been a "Chevy and Toyota" kind of town.

Although I am happy to see Weymouth progressing economically, I fear that many longtime residents, and first-time home buyers who traditionally consider Weymouth a "step-up" to more affluent communties, will be priced out of this town altogether.
by DFJD May 18, 2006
mugGet the Weymouthmug.

Sherbrooke

The largest city in Québec’s Eastern Townships, about 60 mi/100km east of Montréal and 30 mi/50 km northwest of Québec’s border with Vermont and New Hampshire.

Sherbrooke is known among many New Englanders as the closest city where one can legally buy codeine at the pharmacy without a prescription (Google “Tylenol 1” and “AC&C” for more information). Also, since Québec’s drinking age is 18, many northern New England youth frequent Sherbrooke’s pubs and clubs.

The Eastern Townships are similar in topography to nearby New Hampshire and Vermont and, by Québec standards, a fairly large Anglophone (English-speaking) community, many of whom trace their ancestry to New England loyalists who fled north after the American Revolution.
Sherbrooke resembles a large, northern New England city, albeit with a French flair.

Sherbrooke is also the name of a major street in Montréal.
by DFJD May 17, 2006
mugGet the Sherbrookemug.

Aspirin

A popular term for Acetylsalicylic Acid. In Canada and Germany, among other countries, Aspirin is a patented trademark of the local Bayer subsidiaries. Therefore, any non-Bayer products are labelled as ASA (Canadian English), AAS (Canadian French), and ASS (German). I am not making the last one up!
by DFJD May 17, 2006
mugGet the Aspirinmug.

The Lake (Newton, MA)

"The Lake" is a nickname (and in popular usage) for the relatively working-class section of the otherwise upper-middle-class and outright affluent City of Newton.

This area is, arguably, the most "Christian," notably Catholic, in Newton (I am not being Anti-Semitic; much of Newton, especially the southern and western parts, are predominantly Jewish). Residents are also, generally, more conservative than those in other parts of 'liberal' Newton.

The Lake gets its name from a now dredged Silver Lake and a popular ballroom which had the same name. Most residents are Italian-American and, to a lesser degree, Irish-American, though "yuppies" are starting to move in for its relatively (for Newton) inexpensive home prices.

Known for a type of slang called "Lake Speak," spoken by some older residents. Please refer to the "Boston Globe" archives for more information. Last, but not least, one of the few sections of Newton where genuine Boston accents ('dropped R's, words such as cahn't, bahthroom, etc.) can be commonly heard.
He lives in Newton and drives a Ford Taurus and speaks with a Boston accent. Must be from The Lake (Newton, MA).

One will see many bumper stickers, usually on Buicks, Chryslers, Dodges, and Mercurys (and usually driven by older people) commemorating "The Lake (ballroom)," with the colors of the Italian Flag on it.

People who think of Newton as an affluent, predominantly Jewish city where most adults hold graduate degrees are surprised to hear of a neighborhood (The Lake) that has more in common, socio-economically, with Malden or Quincy than with areas of Newton south of the Mass Pike.
by DFJD May 26, 2011
mugGet the The Lake (Newton, MA)mug.

Whoite

The way many people in areas as geographically disparate as Newfoundland, Canada and the white (whoite) population of western Alabama pronounce the world "white." It is said to be of Scottish-Irish origin.
People in Toronto think we Newfies are the whoite trash of Canada, but we really don't care.

Starving, poor white kid in western Alabama swatting flies off his arms and belly: "I'm hungry and them flies are everywhere!" "Shut up, son, at least you are whoite!"

Ol Alabama diddy from the 1940s: "Oh I may have a tumuh on me belly, at least I am whoite, I'm proud to be whoite!" (Saying "me belly" for "my belly" as recently as the 1940s leads credence to the belief that the 'whoite accent' of western Alabama is definitely British influenced (say, from 4-6 generations earlier).
by DFJD June 24, 2011
mugGet the Whoitemug.

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