Expressions reveal family backgrounds – Genealogy society to meet Sept. 23

Do you drive on the highway or the freeway? Do you like going to a yard sale or tag sale or garage sale for the bargains? On a hot summer day do you enjoy a cold soda or pop? These are just some of the regionalisms we use that tell others where we are from.

Ever wonder why people from Connecticut wear “mi-uns” in the winter instead of miTTens? This accent traces back 400 years.

Did your parents or grandparents have some unusual or colorful expressions? If you know what “gotchies” are, I bet I can guess where your family originated.

The way we use English can tell a lot about our backgrounds. Join Southington Genealogical Society for a light-hearted discussion about words, accents, idioms and those distinctive phrases that define us on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 7pm at the Southington Historical Society. Zoom will be available this month. Program is free. For more information, email southingtongenealogicalsociety@gmail.com.

Ancestor Road Show Comes to Town on Sept. 21 – Register now!

You are invited to take part in an Ancestor Road Show, hosted by the Southington Genealogical Society on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southington Historical Society, 239 Main St., Southington. 

Members of the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council will share their knowledge and expertise during the program. The Road Show offers participants the chance to get help from a professional genealogist in breaking down brick walls and solving family history mysteries. 

Each personal session will last 25 minutes. Attendees must complete the attached questionnaire and return it to the Southington Genealogical Society by Sept. 14. Questionnaires and a $10 registration fee can be mailed to the society at 239 Main St., Southington, CT 06489. SGS meets at 7pm on the fourth Tuesday of each month at the historical society.

Participants should also list their preferred time slots. Sessions will begin at 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 11:30am, noon, 12:30pm, 1pm and 1:30pm. The Road Show will be limited to 40 openings. You can download the form here.

Proceeds from the event will support genealogy education throughout the state. 

For additional information, please email SGS at southingtongenealogicalsociety@gmail.com.