A question of vocabulary

[Billfred]

What do you call a wall- or floor-mounted device that provides a stream of water for drinking?

[Joe Matt]

I put water fountain down, but then realized I don't call it that.

It's a drinking fountain Bilfred. ;)

[savage301]

I call it a drinking fountain. But I also call soda pop just pop.

[sciencenerd]

Here in the great Northwest they're generally referred to as drinking fountains or occasionally water fountains. I've never even heard it described as a "bubbler" before.

[Katie Reynolds]

Bubbler!

[Dan Petrovic]

I put water fountain.

but I'm from New England...

does that mean I'm supposed to call it a bubbler?

[EricH]

Drinking fountain. (possibly just fountain.)

[JBotAlan]

Yeah, I also put water fountain but I do call it a drinking fountain. Either would not sound out of place.

Where did you hear "bubbler"? I have never heard that once!

JBot

[Katie Reynolds]

Where did you hear "bubbler"? I have never heard that once!It's (mostly) a Wisconsin thing, especially in eastern and central Wisconsin. I guess it's also used in some NE states and Australia (?)!! Here's the history lesson ...

The Bubbler was developed in 1888 by the then-small Kohler Water Works (now Kohler Company) in Kohler, Wisconsin, which was already well-known for its faucet production. While Harlan Huckleby is credited with the actual design, it was Kohler that patented it and trademarked the name. The original Bubbler shot water one inch straight into the air, creating a bubbling texture, and the excess water ran back down over the sides of the nozzle. It was years before the bubbler adapted the arc projection, which allowed the drinker to partake more easily.

Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubbler)

:)

[Cody Carey]

How about mystic water-bringer?

[Jaine Perotti]

I've heard it used mostly in southeastern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I always thought it might have been a Boston-influenced type of thing. I'm surprised to hear that it is used elsewhere in the country!

Anyways, I'm more of a western New-Englander when it comes to my speech. I call it a water fountain. However, I still use the word "wicked" somewhat frequently... :D although I think I started using that word after I met my stepmom, who is... surprise! - from southeastern New Hampshire.

[artdutra04]

The last time I was at a tag sale eating some wicked awesome clam chowdah, I saw an antique drinking fountain for sale.

[KelliV]

I come from Chicago, I have always called it a water fountain.
I call "soda pop" pop, the CTA train the El, Chicago "the city", and the living room in the house is the "front room".
Bubbler is what my friends from up north call it.

[anna~marie]

Bubbler is what my friends from up north call it.
I hope by up north you don't mean Michigan... everyone I know calls it a drinking fountain

[Donut]

I call it a drinking fountain.

But I've actually heard bubbler before.

I call remote controls tuners though, so who knows?

[Bill_Hancoc]

i was tempted to put water fountain but i put other since i call it a drinking fountain. But i have heard older people call it a water fountain.

[raymaniac]

This is the weirdest poll I have ever seen.

I call it a drinking fountain or a water fountain.

[hallk]

I think calling it a bubbler is stupid but if I don't then people don't know what I mean. I called it a drinking fountain until I moved here.
Its just another example of crazy WI voc.

[EddieMcD]

Bubblah! Actually, I use both that and "water fountain" interchangeably.

I have gotten weird looks when I'm elsewhere in the country and call it a bubbler.

[David55]

ברזייה :D

When I'm speaking English, I call it a water fountain.

[Bemis]

Water fountain or drinking fountain. Never heard of a bubbler....

[Cody Carey]

Wouldn't it stand to reason that a bubbler... I don't know... Bubbled?

[Bemis]

By the wiki quote, originally, it did.

[prettycolors91]

I hope by up north you don't mean Michigan... everyone I know calls it a drinking fountain

yeah...uhh...in my family we call those bubble blowing machines bubblers, not drinking fountains. and as for the michigan thing....we don't talk like northerners. we talk like michiganders...which is different from everything. lol.:D

[JBotAlan]

yeah...uhh...in my family we call those bubble blowing machines bubblers, not drinking fountains. and as for the michigan thing....we don't talk like northerners. we talk like michiganders...which is different from everything. lol.:D

You know you live in Michigan if you go to *any* regional out of state and think people "talk weird"...:yikes: or is it like that for everyone else?

JBot

[prettycolors91]

You know you live in Michigan if you go to *any* regional out of state and think people "talk weird"...:yikes: or is it like that for everyone else?

JBot


no...I'm pretty sure its just us michigan people :rolleyes:

[Bemis]

I go to regionals in state and think people talk weird. Pronounce those H's in your words, and its pop, not soda! :)

[artdutra04]

I call remote controls tuners though, so who knows?If you want some more crazy New England vocabulary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_slang), we call it clicker. :yikes:

Actually, after looking through that Wikipedia article I find that use quite a bit of the Boston slang, even though I don't have anything that resembles a Boston accent.

[Cynette]

Drinking Fountain.

And we all talk funny to someone else from somewhere else!

[braindrain]

Water fountain

its pop, not soda!

I call it soda (CT girl!) and my cuz from Boston calls it tonic

[lukevanoort]

I usually call it a water fountain if I refer to it as anything other than "Mmm, cold(ish) water."

If you want some more crazy New England vocabulary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_slang), we call it clicker. :yikes:
I'm rather partial to calling it a converter. It just seems to make more sense to me, since nowadays converters/tuners/clickers/remote controls do a lot more than just tune to a channel, the ones I use don't click, and remote control sounds like they're really far away. That said, I usually say remote, no one would understand what I meant if I said "Pass me the converter."

[Jeff 801]

To be different I call it a Water fountain

[Eric Finn]

I've heard that "Bubbler" is New England slang, but the only time I've ever seen it is at Canobie Lake Park. Everybody I know and I call it a water fountain.
Also, I call soft drinks soda.

[JamesBrown]

I call it a Bubbler, as a noter the er can be replaced by an ah.

This is one of the few things I say that get weird looks at school