Also called them “jimmies” in the Phila area, but I didn’t say that as an adult. Somewhere along the line it became “sprinkles”.
I always thought “jimmies” was a Philadelphia expression.
I heard both terms growing up as a kid in LA. I had always assumed that “jimmies” was a genericized brand name, and that “sprinkles” was the generic term.
Here’s what may be the definitive word on jimmies:
http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/03/13/the_jimmies_story/
I never heard the term growing up in CT. I first heard it when I went to college in Massachusetts.
The Wikipedia article on Philadelphia English specifically mentions jimmies as a feature of Phila-area English. So while it may have been used in Boston, it doesn’t appear that it was exclusive to Boston (or other parts of New England).
In Baltimore , we called them jimmies ( unless you were my 4 year old niece who called them shimmies ) In SC, they’re sprinkles .
I worked at an ice cream place in CT (a chain based in RI). It was in a tourist spot and during training they told us about the whole milkshake/frappe thing and warned us to be sure customers were clear on that. That was the first I’d ever heard such a thing. Working there was also the first time I heard sprinkles called jimmies.
“Frappe” is a New England-wide thing, and a lot of ice cream places use “frappe” on the menu, but other than that very few people, at least in my generation, calls them that. I think the word declined since fast food chains use “milkshake” everywhere (except for frappés at McDonald’s, which are different and incorrectly pronounced).
Also, frappé is confusing because there’s also a really yummy iced instant coffee drink with the same name.
“standing in line vs. standing on line” -
Wow, I have never heard anyone say ‘standing on line’ and I can’t even make any sense of it. Who says that (where on the east coast)?
I had a neighbor who always said “open the lights” when she was conveying that she would like them turned on. Fittingly, she said, “close the lights” when she wanted them turned off.
I’ve only heard "jimmies in New England. But speaking of Philadelphia, “One whiz with” is a cheesesteak with Cheese Whiz and fried onions. I learned that the hard way at Geno’s.
I have to tell you, I grew up in Philly, and never heard of Cheez Whiz on a cheesesteak. It was always provolone cheese, white/cream in color. But then again I wasn’t from South Philly and am not Italian!
That sprinkle euphemism has better legs than ‘sprinkles’ does.
‘Enough money to burn a wet mule’ and ‘useless as tits on a boar hog’, neither of which should need explaining.
No, I don’t really understand those expressions at all. Sorry. A little too down-home for my comprehension. surprised CC didn’t censor the second one.
I’ve heard (and said) it as “useless as tits on a bull,” same obvious meaning. @Pizzagirl, I would have been surprised if it were censored by CC.
There’s another phrase that uses the word: “tits up” for something broken, inoperative, fallen on its back, or something that’s “gone pear shaped,” [mostly UK usage for “pear shaped”].
One of my life’s goals is to make it to Philadelphia for a cheese steak tour. I’m only half-joking.
Anyway, I’ve done a whole lot of reading on the sandwich, and have come to learn that when it comes to cheese, there’s Team Whiz and Team Provolone. Me, I’d be Team Both. hehe
It seems the cheese feud is nearly as big as the feud between Pat’s and Geno’s. And it seems the more popular/famous a place becomes to the outside world, the less popular it becomes among locals (like Tony Luke’s). There seriously appears to be a competition among Philadelphians to one-up one another by naming some new hole-in-the-wall cheese steak place and proclaim it the best.
But the names I hear mentioned most often have been John’s, Jim’s, Steve’s, Campo’s and Dalessandro’s. I will have to try at least those five. 
cattywonker
Looking on line I see variations on this: cattywompus, etc. but I’ve always said “cattywonker”
I wouldn’t have a clue what a boar hog is. Is there a difference between a hog and a pig? What’s a boar? Sorry, city-raised here!
A boar is a male pig. A sow is a female pig. I think a hog is a synonym for a pig.
I’ve only heard cattywompus, not cattywonker.
Also, while we’re on thiese livestock facts, has anyone every thought about how there’s no singular form of cattle? All of the singular forms are gender- and/or age-specific (bull, heifer, calf, cow, stier, etc.)
Where I’m from a boar (and sometimes a hog as well) is wild, and there is a whole lot of discussion as to whether these feral animals are the result of escaped domestic swine or a native wild species or hybrid.