An isogloss is - well I could get all technical, but an example would be quicker. If you've ever traveled farther than the corner store you already know that a carbonated beverage is called different things in different parts of the country. Mapping that out tells you a little bit about English dialects in America.
I was already familiar with other food isoglosses (hotdish/casserole, and the whole sub/hoagie/gyro/grinder mess). But this one was topographic!
As I headed south, lovely little rivers became nice Dutch kills - the Catskills are named for the Kaaterskill, but there were plenty more, right down to the Schuylkill. Creeks for awhile, then I crossed the Mason-Dixon line, and suddenly, the rivers were all runs! James Run, Gravelly Run, Dogwood Run, Winters Run. New Jersey has necks, but I think that might only apply to estuaries.
So what's a small river called in your neck of the woods?
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