What do you say? I can do a split. or I can do the splits. I had never heard of "The Splits" until recently and it sounds so weird to me! (And I can't do either btw 
) Maybe it's a regional thing. I'm originally from NY but live in Texas.
You might also enjoy...
-
@travellingbee: the splits?!??! lol sounds like an infection lol
A split
-
@FaithFertility: I know!! I was like—what?!
-
I've always heard/said the splits. I'm in Texas.
Sounds weird now that I think about it, though.
-
the splits - western Canada
-
the splits---Missouri
-
I have never heard “the splits” and that sounds super bizarre to me! Originally western PA now in NYC.
-
I say "a split" and I grew up in the south, but in areas with a lot of "relocated yankees" My work bff says "the splits" and she's from Alabama.
-
I’ve always said “a split”, and “the splits” sounds really weird.
-
Splits
From MD and now in PA
ETA: if you google it it mostly comes up as splits not split
-
From WI and have always heard the splits... a split sounds super weird to me.
-
I was a competitive gymnast in the UK and Texas and it was always splits, never a split.
-
Splits. There are three--left, right, and center.
-
I say a split. Never heard of the splits before
-
I've always heard and said "the splits". I'm in California.
-
A split - I grew up in NC.
-
This is so interesting!
-
Splits - MI and GA
-
A split.
I have NEVER heard of "the splits". I'm in the NE.
-
@honeybear: I get that there are multiple kinds of splits. But I mean that I hear people say “...So we are all just standing there and all of a sudden she does the splits.“ It isn’t like she is doing multiple splits at that moment. Just one split
-
Whaattttt?? "the splits" this is hysterical.....
I'm from NY and say a split
-
The Splits. Iowa.
-
The splits. Grew up in Texas. Now live in NYC area.
Here's another one--- "scissors" or "a scissor". My daughter is born and raised here, and she came home from school telling me someone cut "on line" at school. I asked her what line she was in, she said they had to line up at the teacher's desk to get colored pencils and "a scissor". WHHHHHATTTTT.
Now I know to look out for "a split" and quickly correct to "the splits", hahahaha
-
The splits (I can't do any splits!) - originally from Chicago.
-
A split - from NJ
-
@travellingbee: Oh, okay. I'd say "a split" in that circumstance. In choreography it was always "You do a left split on 2" or "Do a center split on count 4" or whatever. Being able to do "the splits" means you can do more than one of the following: left, right, or center. If someone say "doing the splits," I envision them, for example, sliding down into a left split, picking up a little and doing a center one, and then shifting into a right split.
But "split" is such an ugly word. We need another term for these moves, regardless of whether it's singular or plural!
-
@Anagram: On line always cracks my husband up since he is from Texas. I say can you go wait on line for me. And it always confuses him. He’s like on the computer? I don’t know anyone who says a scissor though.
-
@honeybear: That makes a lot more sense.
-
The splits, DC native.
-
the splits. It is non-specific and can refer to left, right, or center.
@anagram: @travelingbee:
DH is from NYC, I am from Texas. His whole family says "on line" and it drives me bonkers. You don't wait "on line", you wait "in line" I've never heard of "a scissor" though!
-
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: same, and same lol
-
@MrsSCB:
homie!!
-
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime:
-
Hahaha. It makes me think of “the shi*s”
-
I'm with @honeybear and @rattles, there are three splits, so they are 'the splits.'
I'd also clarify that if I'm talking about one specific one, it is 'a left split' and most people don't differentiate like that, so I can see why 'the splits' is more common.
'I can do the splits.' vs 'Do a center split.' One is generic that could mean any of the three, the other is a specific kind.
I would also like to point out that split can be used colloquially to mean leave and it has other definitions. So perhaps we use 'the splits' to help identify which definition of split we're using.
-
A split - CT, did gymnastics all throughout elementary school.
Also, scissors and in line.
Tangent..... it's "by accident" not "on accident".... you can't be ON an accident, it's a way of doing things!
-
I’m in Ontario, and have always heard the splits.
-
@bloved: I’m also from NJ!
“A split” - I’ve never heard of the splits. -
@rattles: also (formerly) a competitive gymnast and it was always *splits* regardless of where I was training/competing.
-
Both? I feel like "split" would be referring to a specific incidence, like "do a turn and then a split," and "the splits" would be to refer to it in general, like "can you do the splits?"
Haha, I'm totally overthinking it, but neither sounds weird to me! Grew up in midwest, with parents from the south, and have lived on the east coast since 18
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
53 comments