bay state lexicon

Bulkie

A bulkie (not "bulkie roll" as outlanders might say, and pronounced bull-key) is a large white bread roll (not a hard roll) with a somewhat crispy crust and a somewhat chewy inside. They come plain or with poppy seeds. (See flossing.) Some people use them for sandwiches, but in Worcester they are most often bought on Sunday mornings on Water Street (the old Jewish commercial district) and are always eaten with cream cheese--real cream cheese also from Water Street, not the Philadelphia brand.

Bubbler

What some people call a water fountain. We pronounce it "bub-la" or "bub-a-la,"depending on our verbal sophistication. The water in the bubbler at Elm Park is wicked cold. DARE notes that the word has also been heard in Appleton and Madison, Wisconsin, and in Canton and Cincinnati, Ohio.