Bowie's Local Dialect: Potato Bug or Rolly Polly? Sneakers or Tennis Shoes?

Do you put icing or frosting on a cake?

Sometimes it seems like no one is “from here”—the D.C. metro area is an area of immigrants from other parts of the United States.

And when people move here, their regional dialects come with them.

Based on research by Joshua Katz at North Carolina State University, here’s a round-up of what people in Bowie and the surrounding communities say:

Term Options Percentages Soda or pop?  Soda 79.9 percent Pop 6.7 Coke 11 Soft drink 4.8 Frosting or icing? Frosting 20 percent Icing 15.8 Both 35.6 They are distinct items (icing is thinner) 28.6 Water fountain or drinking fountain? Water fountain 81.06 percent Drinking fountain 18.38 Bubbler .56 Rubber-soled shoes for athletic activities are called...  Sneakers 47.2 percent Tennis shoes 47.1 Gym shoes 2.7
Other 3 What do you call the little gray creature (that looks like an insect but is actually a crustacean) that rolls up into a ball when you touch it?  Potato bug 34 percent Rolly polly 32.9 Pill bug 17.2 I have no idea what this creature is 15.8 What do you call groups of two or more people? You guys 37.9 percent You 14.5 Y'all 21.6
You all 26 The first vowel in "Bowie knife" [o:] as in bo  37.2 percent [u:] as in boo 58.5 I have seen this word in print but have no idea how to pronounce it 2.4 I have never seen or heard this word 2

You can look up many more regional dialect survey results here about what you might call dust bunnies, milkshakes, "you guys versus y'all" and more.

What say you, Bowie? Tell us in the comments!