Ode to the Vermont wave

[sl8]

https://www.vermontpublic.org/podcast/brave-little-state/2024-04-04/ode-to-the-vermont-wave

(21:21 min. audio and transcript at link)

Ode to the Vermont wave

By Nina Keck, Burgess Brown, Sabine Poux
Published April 4, 2024 at 5:39 PM EDT

LISTEN • 21:21



Nina Keck / Vermont Pubic
Question-asker Mica Tucker, of South Strafford, waves to a driver in a passing car. She wants to know: "What's up with the Vermont wave?"

Do you lift one finger off the steering wheel or two? When exactly do you do it — and what does it mean? Brave Little State sets out to write the unwritten rules of the road.

Brave Little State is Vermont Public’s listener-driven journalism show. In each episode, we answer a question about Vermont that’s been asked — and voted on — by you, our audience. Today, a question from Mica Tucker, of South Strafford:

“What’s up with the Vermont wave?”

Reporter Nina Keck gets schooled in some Vermont car manners. And she finds out what these gestures — often ephemeral, sometimes legendary — tell us about our communities.

[...]

Note: Our show is made for the ear. We highly recommend listening to the audio. We’ve also provided a transcript. Transcripts are generated using a combination of robots and human transcribers, and they may contain errors.

[democrank]

1. So many folks in this "Brave Little State" wave

Just another positive aspect of life here in Vermont

[erronis]

2. Most of the time I'm a four-finger type of guy

But sometimes, I'll roll down my window and stick my arm out and flap my hand around. So happy to be here!

[sorcrow]

3. Two-finger wave here

Sometimes whole hand.

Brave Little State is a fun show/podcast. Be sure to listen to the one about the Vermont accent. A linguist has Vermonters read a short passage about a couple named Don and Dawn... They have a fairm with keows and a bairn etc.

I had an old neighbor, probably born before 1920 and raised in rural Vermont. He had a very pronounced accent. I think somebody from away might have needed subtitles on occasion to fully understand him. His favorite verbal intensifier was Christly, as in it's Christly hot today. Or who's that Christly old man?

Best regards,
Sorghum Crow

[sl8]

4. Thanks, I'll look for it. ... think I found it.

https://www.vermontpublic.org/podcast/brave-little-state/2021-08-05/the-vermont-accent-explained

I'll give it a listen later.