Author Archives: Samantha LeRoy

Taylor Ham vs Pork Roll

Nationality: American
Age: 47
Occupation: Homemaker
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

Text:

“Taylor ham is North Jersey and Pork Roll is Central and South Jersey.  I grew up in Central NJ (Somerset County) so I grew up calling it Pork Roll.  There is no difference between the items.  I first heard it from my parents.  The Plaza diner in Morris Plains calls it Taylor ham but we are in North Jersey.”(LeRoy)

Analysis:

Knowing either of these is already a marker that one is from or has familiarity with New Jersey. This breakfast meat isn’t sold widely across the US, mostly in New Jersey and in a little bit of Pennsylvania. I interviewed my mother, who is a New Jersey native. She has moved around a little bit and gotten the whole experience of the importance of this debate. Where you are determines what it’s called and some people take it more seriously than others. This means if you order taylor ham/pork roll and call it by the “wrong” name for the region, some people won’t answer or will expect you to correct yourself. 

The importance of this debate is really a testament to where you are from. There is such a distinction between Central/South Jersey and North Jersey that this is part of the divide. There are many factors such as Mets vs Yankees, Jets vs Giants, Philadelphia vs New York, and Pork Roll vs Taylor Ham. There is pride in where you are from and where you live, so these debates are a healthier way to engage in this mock rivalry. Having pride for one’s home comes out in many ways, including healthy rivalry and one-upping. 

Michael This, Michael That

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

Text:

Michael is a member of the Appalachia Outreach program that runs through the Catholic church. All members of the trip had chores to do because they had to pull their weight, but some people had different skills than others. One day, Michael was asked to do more than others. As he was walking away with another task, the leader was apologizing, and sarcastically he goes, “Michael this, Michael that, anything else I need to do,” and everyone laughed. For the rest of the trip, anytime someone was called more than once, they would say, “Michael this, Michael that”.

Analysis:

A large part of this trip was both tasks and community. The closer the community was, the more fun it was to do the task and the quicker and better they got done. The jokes shared commonly amongst this community create an environment that opens people’s minds to learning and acceptance. The purpose of the trip was to grow, and laughing, jokes, and community are the largest parts of that. 

Is it “Quack Dilly Iso” or “Dilly Dally Duck”?

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
Language: English

Text:

Quack diddly oso

Quack diddly oso

Quack Quack Quack

Singin’ Samorico,

Rico Rico Rico

Flora Flora,

Flora Flora Flora,

1, 2, 3, 4

Dilly Dally Duck

The dilly dally duck goes

Quack Quack Quack, 

from Sanarena, 

rena rena rena

four-up four-up, 

one two three four quack!

Screenshot 2025-02-27 at 1.39.25 PM

Analysis:
This is a children’s game that is played into high school years. It is used sometimes to determine who has to do something no one wants to do or just to pass the time. The game includes everyone sitting in a circle, singing a song, and hitting each other’s hands. When the song ends, the person who is about to be hit tries to move their hand out of the way. If they are fast enough, the person hitting is out, and the circle gets smaller; if they are too slow and get hit, then they are out. So when determining who has to do the unwanted task, the person who is out goes. If you need a winner, you keep playing and making it smaller till you have a winner. 

The game is good because it is easy and accessible to play. It helps diffuse conflict by creating a simple way to determine the outcome of an argument. Besides that, it creates a sense of unity since many people in the northern parts of America and Canada have played different versions of the game. In Washington, Quack Dilly Oso is played, while in Northern New Jersey, Dilly Dally Duck is played. The same game with the same tune but different lyrics. The difference shows one’s roots and connect them to where they are from, but the similarities allow people to find simple connections and familiarities in new places with new people. 

It’s Not Rocket Science

Nationality: American
Age: 46
Occupation: Ares Management Partner
Residence: Cleveland, OH, USA
Language: English

Text:

This phrase “means it’s not complicated”. It’s used in sentences to reassure people or to tell people they’re being stupid in a nicer way. The tone is either calm or sarcastic, depending on the delivered intent. It was first heard from the informant’s father while explaining homework.

Analysis:

One of the hardest professions to have is a rocket scientist. The amount of schooling and intelligence required is considered unparalleled except possibly by neurosurgeons, where another variation of the phrase exists, “it’s not brain surgery”. The phrase is meant to convey that it is less than rocket science and, therefore, not that hard. It is used to soften or intensify a sentence, depending on the usage. Like most metaphors, it’s used to add flair to speech.