A-B

Ahnt

Your uncle's wife.

American chop suey

Has nothing to do with Chinese food (then again, only in Boston do Chinese restaurants serve French rolls): Macaroni with hamburg, a little tomato sauce and a bit of onion and green pepper.

Take-out American chop suey at Roche Bros:

B'daydas

You can serve them mashed, or whipped or boiled.

Bahnie

In Cambridge, a Havihd student. In Sommaville, a Cambridge resident. Local speakers argue about its derivation: Some say its from "Bahnyahd," a derisive term for Hahvihd Yahd; others argue it comes from the old MBTA cah bahns just outside the Squayuh (the bahns went away when the Red Line was extended to Sommaville).

Eric Vroom recalls: "I can remember about ten years ago people in Somerville had bumper stickers and hats reading "NO BARNIES IN SOMERVILLE!!" And it just didn't mean Harvard students, it was any geek from Cambridge." Read more

Bankin

A small hillside or river bank: "The best place to see a game at Fallon Field is on the bankin."

Basement

A school restroom, at least in the Stoughton area. Pete Costello recalls: "The lavatories in all the schools I went to grades 1-12 were called 'the basement,' even if they were not on the lowest floor of the school."

Big Dig

Massive project to build a new underground highway through the heart of the city while keeping the existing elevated Central Ahtery open during construction. Now covered by the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

It is the most expensive highway project in U.S. history - at a cost of more than $1 billion per mile. U.S. Rep. Barney Frank once said it would be cheaper to elevate the city than depress the ahtery. He also once answered the question "how do you depress the Central Artery?" by saying "Have Fred Salvucci talk to it." If you get that, you probably have more of an intimate knowledge of Dukakis-era politics than is good for you.

• Latest Big Dig news.

Boahded

Exclamation to confirm a selection, for example, when selecting seats: " 'I call this seat.' 'I call that seat.' 'OK, boarded.' "
Jonathan E. Dyer

Bomah

Somebody who's wicked smaht; a Brain. At least in Saugus, that is. From the Bomar Brain, one of the first affordable calculators, which was made in Acton.
Annette Leonard

Boss a tonic

Two-liter bottle of tonic.
The Burke Boys

Brahmin

A member of the WASP overclass that once ruled the state. Typically found on Beacon Hill. Cleveland Amory's The Proper Bostonians remains the definitive study of this group.

Breakdown lane

Highway shoulder. Also, an oxymoron - the last place you want to break down in greater Boston is in the breakdown lane, especially during rush hour, when it becomes the high-speed lane (in some places, even legally). The state has built a series of emergency turn-outs along Rte. 128 so you can pull out of the breakdown lane if, in fact, your car breaks down.

Bucka

A Charlestown term for a stupid person; comes from "bucket head."
Jonathan E. Dyer

Bug

A druggie, at least in Weymouth.
Kathie Young

Bullshit

Adjective meaning "very upset," as in: "So, I was running to catch the T, and the driver closed the door on me and drove away. I was so mad - I was bullshit."
Laura Mitrovich

Bury, the

Roxbury.

Ahbs, the

The Ahnold Ahboretum, which is a wicked good place to see trees. Jo Ann Kendricken says it's also "a wicked pissa place to have a kegga on Friday or Sattaday nights - especially on Peetah's Hill."