In my books I go to great lengths to suggest that some of my characters have Maine accents without resorting to phonetic abominations ("Hey, deah, come ovah heah.") At MaineCrimeWriters today I have a post about my use of Maine lingo and a guide to some of the more colorful expressions you might encounter Down East. Check it out, why don't you.
Maine Lingo: Mollyhocked
MOLLYHOCKED. Broken beyond repair. As in, "Loaned the F150 to my numb-nut nephew Travis the other day, and the kid took it over to North Anson to go muddin' with his friends. Now the shocks are all mollyhocked."
Maine Lingo: Yard Art
Another in my occasional series of Down East colloquialisms:
YARD ART: The wheel-less cars and nonfunctional kitchen appliances many Mainers use to decorate their front lawns. As in, “If Carl and Debbie wants to sell their trailer, they might want to get rid of that yard art first.”
Maine Lingo: Prit'near
Another in my occasional series of Down East colloquialisms:
PRIT'NEAR: Just about, almost. As in, "Melvin prit'near had a heart attack when he saw the bill for that pantsuit I bought over at Reny's."
Maine Lingo: Prayer Handle
Another in my occasional series of Down East colloquialisms:
PRAYER HANDLE: The knee. As in, “I knocked a prayer handle on Len’s trailer hitch, and it’s still smarting like a son of a bitch this morning.”