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Wicked Good Guide to Boston English /

Yar

"Yeah," when followed by a word that begins with the letter I. "Yeah, it's awesome" comes out as "Yarit's awesome."
Matt Ross

re: Yar

By vikki curry (not verified) | Wed, 01/07/2004 - 12:48am

being from boston.... just no.... I HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYONE SAY THAT IN MY LIFE unless they're not from there

re: Yar

By Don (not verified) | Sat, 08/28/2004 - 10:25pm

First time I've ever heard that one!DonGobbleblog

re: Yar

By Gail (not verified) | Tue, 08/31/2004 - 9:18am

You are so right! I've heard it a million times.

re: Yar

By murph (not verified) | Wed, 09/08/2004 - 10:01am

No way, being from boston means we dont pronounce the letter R, and definately not put an extra R in where id doesnt belong

re: Yar

By Kerry (not verified) | Wed, 09/15/2004 - 12:11am

actually, he's right, although it's not only limited to the vowel "i" as what follows. We bostonians may remove the "r" from words it belongs in, but we also add it to make the connecting of words more fluid. Not only do I, a girl from Southie born and raised know from my own experience, but I've studied this accent formally in college as I am an actor. Not only do we do this quite often, but it happens to be one of my favorite "Boston-isms." And i also believe it's limited to certain parts of Boston, mainly Southie and Charlestown, with a few execeptions in places like Hyde Park and Roxbury.

re: Yar

By Chris (not verified) | Sun, 04/03/2005 - 12:36am

I say that all the time, and being in NY I get hell for it all the time too!

re: Yar

By Brightonjohn (not verified) | Thu, 07/21/2005 - 8:03am

Yar, I agree with Matt Ross."Yar" is the way I always say "yeah" when the following word begins with the long or short "I" sound. The "yar" doesn't rhyme with "car," though, in case that's what Vikki Curry is thinking. The a-r in "yar" sounds like the u-r-r in "hurry". Yar, it's confusing, but that's the way I still say it, 19 years after moving to NJ.

re: Yar

By Geri (not verified) | Sun, 07/31/2005 - 12:48pm

oh, is it ever true - similarly, an "r" goes at the end of "idea" - as in, "Yar, that's a great i-deer"

re: Yar

By Heather...aka.. Heatha (not verified) | Sat, 06/03/2006 - 12:36pm

Yup.. very true.. I was born and raised in J.P. and Dot.. but moved when I joined the military and I still say "Idea--r". People make fun of me all the time over in CAlifornia, but I love my Bostonisms. It's what makes me.. me.. and makes me a true Mass-hole.

re: Yar

By Maureen (not verified) | Wed, 02/21/2007 - 1:08pm

"Yar, I sawrit too." Is a phrase I heard in Brighton growing up. Translates to "Yes, I also observed that."

re: Yar

By Maureen (not verified) | Wed, 02/21/2007 - 1:11pm

Please post this one under the "Y" section, as it took me six years and seeing it in print to realize that the room above my "two-deckah" was not "the yattic".

re: Yar

By Kate (not verified) | Sun, 05/06/2007 - 11:09pm

"Yar" is definitely a Boston thing. My grandfather, Lowell all his life, answers the phone, to this day, by saying, "Yar". When he says it he kind of flatten out his tongue and drags it out a bit in the middle. "Yar, I saw that!" is actually another good example.

re: Yar

By Nick (not verified) | Thu, 05/22/2008 - 12:55pm

this is definitely a Boston thing but i think most Bostonians don't realize they do it. Its subtle but since reading this I catch myself doin it all the time.

re: Yar

By David (not verified) | Sun, 05/25/2008 - 9:53am

Yarits! Of cawse.

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