Today, Lindsay talks with Tyler Lockett from Austin about why that city is unique and “weird,” and how you can connect with locals using three phrases!
Texas is a U.S. state that’s bigger than France, and Austin is probably the state’s most unique city. Unlike most of the rest of Texas, it’s very young, politically liberal, and filled with culture. Keep Austin weird is the local motto.
Tyler believes that if you’re going to Austin, you may as well speak the language. Though English does tend to be spoken by Texans, three southern phrases might help you sound more like a local.
Here are Tyler’s 3 phrases:
- Howdy: This is an older or cowboy way of saying ‘Hello’. It’s casual, but common across Texas and even other parts of the United States.
- Y’all: This is contraction of ‘you all’ that refers to a group of people. It might be used as “Are y’all going to the movies?”
- Fixin’ to: This means you are about to, or intend to, do something. You might say “I’m fixin’ to go to work.” or “She’s fixin’ to move to Austin.”
Have you ever heard Americans use Howdy, Y’all, or Fixin’ to?
Would you like to visit Austin?
Tell us what you think in the comments section below!
Tyler Lockett is a professional ESL teacher living and working in Austin, Texas. He has been teaching ESL for over 5 years and has lived in China and Japan. He graduated from Houston Community College with an A.A. degree and lived in New York City for 7 years where he graduated from Parsons School of Design In New York City with a B.A. degree. In addition, he received his Cambridge CELTA certification at International House in New York City. He has backpacked around France, Mongolia and Thailand and is hoping to travel to Istanbul, Vietnam, and Chile in the next two years. He loves Teaching ESL, making connections with his international students, and can’t wait to have more adventures abroad in his career.
ITALKI USERNAME: tyler lockett
