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DFJD's definitions

Higgim

The way many residents of the nouveau riche Boston suburb of Hingham mispronounce their town.
I'll be the only 17 year old at Higgim High to have a TWO-YEAR-OLD Acura. Boo-hoo; life's so un-fee-yah!
by DFJD May 18, 2006
mugGet the Higgimmug.

Norwood

I am referring to Norwood, Massachusetts, a middle-class suburb 15 miles south-west of Boston.

Norwood is located near the geographic center of Norfolk County.

The town's population has remained relatively steady at around 30,000, although the demographics have changed somewhat over the last couple of decades.

Approximately 80% of the population is white, most of whom are Catholic (predominantly Irish, with smaller groups of Italian, Polish, and Lithuanian).

15% of the population is Asian, with an almost equal number of Middle Easteners and Indians.

The remaining population is mainly Brazilian and African-American.
Along with Marshfield, Braintree, and Stoneham, Norwood has traditionally been a bastion of Irish-American residents, many of whom are justifiably proud of their heritage.

There is a fairly large, and active, Middle Eastern community in Norwood. Iranians, Syrians, and Lebanese are the predominant groups. Norwood is one of the largest towns in Massachusetts with a sizeable Muslim population not to have a Mosque.

Norwood does have a Synagogue, although Muslims easily outnumber Jewish residents at least 10-1.

There is convenient mass transit to Boston. There are three Commuter Rail stops, Norwood Depot, Norwood Central, and Windsor Gardens.

In addition, the Forest Hills to Walpole bus traverses Washington Street.

Most Norwood neighborhoods are solidly middle-class with relatively little turnover.

Norwood has one of the highest concentrations of apartment and condominium complexes in the area. Windsor Gardens is noted not only for its train station, but also a large transient population, many of whom are Indian or Pakistani.

South Norwood, aka "The Flats," is a working-class neighborhood centered around the corner of Washington and Dean Streets. Some areas are somewhat seedy; many of the two-decker and three-decker homes look as if they came straight out of Jamaica Plain or Dorchester. I would hardly classify the area as "ghetto," though.

If there is a truly "posh" section of Norwood, it would be the area adjacent to Willett Pond/New Pond near St. Timothy's Church, plus the southern part of Nichols Street (and adjacent side streets). This area abuts the more-affluent town of Westwood.

Norwood is most famous to outsiders for the "Automile," along Route 1/Providence Highway. Although most Automile dealerships are indeed in Norwood, some dealerships are just across the town line in Dedham, Westwood, or Walpole.

The late Ernie Boch, Sr. is famous for spearheading the Automile. His strong accent was a staple in Boston media for years. Example: "Boch Toyota*, Route One Nah-wood, my name is Ernie Boch, come on down!"

* If I recall, he pronounced Toyota as "Tie-oda"
by DFJD May 18, 2006
mugGet the Norwoodmug.

W Towns

The "W Towns" are a group of adjacent, very affluent towns west of Boston (beginning with the letter W), namely Wellesley, Weston, and Wayland, hence the term "W Towns." The posh Waban neighborhood of Newton, itself the wealthiest city, as opposed to town, in Massachusetts, is sometimes considered to be a "W Town." Waban is just across the Charles River from Wellesley.
Another community beginning with W, the City of Waltham, while bordering Weston and geographically close to Wellesley and Wayland, is NOT one of the W Towns. This is due to Waltham's comparatively middle-class nature.

Waban, the most-affluent neighborhood in Newton, is NOT to be confused with Woburn, a middle-class city about 10 miles to the north-east.
by DFJD August 28, 2006
mugGet the W Townsmug.

Irish Riviera

An affectionate nickname for the South Shore suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The "epicenter" of the Irish Riviera are the towns of Scituate and Marshfield. However, from north to south, Weymouth, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Duxbury, and Kingston are also considered to be part of the "Riviera."
The close-to-Boston suburbs of Milton, Quincy, and Braintree are arguably considered a part of the "Irish Riviera." They are definitely a part of the South Shore.

Inland South Shore towns including Holbrook, Abington, Rockland, Norwell, Hanover, and Pembroke are often considered part of the "Irish Riviera."

The Marshfield neighborhood of Fieldston is the most Irish-American section of the second-most Irish-American suburb in the country. The town of Stoneham, north of Boston, home to figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, has the highest-percentage of people with Irish ancestry in the USA.
by DFJD May 18, 2006
mugGet the Irish Rivieramug.

AC&C

A Canadian analgesic containing 325mg Aspirin, 15mg Caffeine, and 8mg Codeine. Available without a prescription, but one must ask for it at the pharmacy counter.

A popular brand name is 222, or "two-twenty-twos," although the generic version is much less expensive and more popular.
AC&C and its non-Aspirin counterpart, Tylenol 1, are popular purchases for Americans visiting Canada.

In Canada, "Aspirin" is a patented trademark of Bayer Canada. Any non-Bayer products are labelled as having ASA Acetylsalicylic Acid. The French abbreviation is AAS.
by DFJD May 17, 2006
mugGet the AC&Cmug.

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