Memmott: Do you speak Rochesterian?
You’ve just arrived in Rochester from L.A. or Miami. You want to fit in. Talk the talk. What do you say?
Not to worry. From time to time this column examines Rochester speech, so here are some helpful, all-purpose turns of phrases:
I’ll have what she’s having as long as it’s chicken French: I’ve mentioned this before. Rochester loves chicken French. It wasn’t discovered here, but it was perfected here. Order it and you’re in the club.
► More: In Rochester, chicken French rules the roost.
How’s the fish fry? Ask this whenever the name of a Rochester restaurant and/or bowling alley comes up. If you want to say anything more be sure to specify “beer battered” or “broiled.”
Louise: It’s one word, not really a phrase. Nonetheless, never, ever use the last name of Louise Slaughter, Rochester’s congresswoman.
Danny: Same rule. Danny is Danny Wegman, CEO of Wegmans Food Markets Inc. Never, ever, use his last name.
I like a change of seasons: Say this whenever your old friends from L.A. or Miami call to tell you that it’s 72 degrees and sunny there.
Wait five minutes and the weather will change: This has to be said whenever it’s one of those days when your app says “clear skies, bright and no precipitation” and it’s cloudy, gray and raining. This can happen any time between March 1 and Nov. 30, so it’s no big deal.
I miss the clock at Sibley’s: Actually it’s still there, standing in the first floor of the former department store on East Main Street in the city. Regardless, real Rochesterians miss the clock. Join the crowd.
Some other places you should say you miss are Midtown Plaza, the Manhattan Restaurant, Silver Stadium, Buckman’s Dairy in Greece, Earl’s, Oscar’s, The Red Creek, the old East Avenue Wegmans, the old Pittsford Wegmans and the Corner Bakery Café in College Town, a recent and surprisingly strong contender in the nostalgia sweepstakes.
It only took me (fill in the blank) minutes to get here: Convinced that all communities in the Rochester area are 15 minutes apart, locals are obsessed with timing their commutes, if only because they’re so short. Be sure to track yours.
I shot through the Can of Worms: For years, all roads in Rochester led to the Can of Worms, the twisted, tangled confluence of highways 590 and 490. Then, the Can got untangled. Nonetheless, the name endures, so bring it up, everyone else does.
Oh, I went there once for a wedding: That’s what you say if you live in Greece, Gates or anywhere else west of the Genesee River and someone asks you about a community on the east side. It’s the same the other way around. Given territorial loyalties, it’s best to have an ironclad excuse for crossing the line.
This year’s the year: From now until mid-September say this about the Buffalo Bills.
Wait till next year: From mid-September on, you can say this about the Buffalo Bills.
Don’t be a stranger: Actually, the only people in Rochester who use this parting greeting are imports from Duluth.
But I’m advocating its use as a substitute for “My work is done, why wait,” George Eastman’s suicide note.
Just about everybody in Rochester quotes Eastman, even when they’re just heading out for an Abbott’s break. But, given its origins, the phrase is kind of creepy, so I’d like a replacement.
All suggestions for a new sign-off are welcome, as are other phrases to add to our list of essential Rochester sayings. Meanwhile, don’t be a stranger.
On Remarkable Rochester
Retired Senior Editor Jim Memmott reflects on what makes Rochester distinctively Rochester, its history, its habits, its people. Contact him at: (585) 278-8012 or jmemmott@DemocratandChronicle.com or Remarkable Rochester, Box 274, Geneseo, NY 14454.
Let’s add the name of this musician to our list list of Remarkable Rochesterians found at RocRoots.com:
Joe Locke (1959 – ): Considered the finest vibraphonist in jazz, he was born in California but raised in Rochester. After East High School, where he studied under Edwin Fleming, the father of opera star Renée Fleming, he went on to graduate from the Eastman School of Music before moving to New York City in 1981 and launching a career that's seen him perform with a wide variety of artists and as a soloist. He has toured nationally and internationally, has recorded extensively, taught frequently, as well as composed. He is a member of the 2016 Rochester Music Hall of Fame.