Getting Sore Over Regional Usage

[butterflydreaming]

me: {talking about the cat, to L} He's mad. His ears are back. I think he's still sore about earlier.
L: Sore?!? {mental translator turns on}{pause}{laugh}
me:What? You don't use that?
L: We're a little more modern here in Seattle.
me: You say "pop" for "soda"!

So that was the second time that someone north of California thought that the usage of "sore", as in "sore loser", was strange and laughable. What about you? I'm curious to know if this usage is odd to everyone outside of SoCal.

Comments

[buhrger]

i think i'd at least occasionally use "sore" that way. it's certainly not that far removed from my ordinary idiolect.

[quizro.livejournal.com]

I use "sore", but that's because it strikes me as outdated and I love outdated slang. Like it's from the 30s: "Say fella, now don't get sore about it!"

[adventurat.livejournal.com]

Almost every time I hear someone say "no need to get sore about it" or similar, I'm watching and old TV show or movie. It's like something Wally and the Beav would say, you know? I know the usage, but it's not commonly used in these parts, at least not anymore. :)

[dkellis.livejournal.com]

"Sore" for "sore loser" is fairly normal for us Singaporeans.

Although that may be a bit farther afield then what you needed for regional research.

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

Not odd out here in New England! I use it that way fairly often, as do many people I know.

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

I use it for Sore Loser as well.. and I also say Soda instead of Pop, but then I grew up in Southern Illinois.. and am now in Ohio where everyone says Pop. But I still say Soda. :-)

[brother-che.livejournal.com]

Soda v. Pop -- that's certainly regional (I grew up in E. Washington, said Pop until I met my wife, who grew up in S. Florida, and learned to say Soda or face ridicule...) "Sore" -- I think it's a bit outdated like quizro says, but I've heard it quite often and I don't think it's regional. I think you just hit two people who've never used it.

[ghostly-watcher.livejournal.com]

We use that in Maryland too, usually with the "loser" bit attached.

[shiro-no-wired.livejournal.com]

Usually heard as "sore looser" in upstate NY; I haven't heard it in NJ yet. It seems like it's not in common use any more.