(Northeast)

The quintessentially Boston word is liberally used in place of adjectives like “really” or “very”. It is believed to have originated around the 1600s, in conjunction with the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. During this time period, the demonology-obsessed Puritans used the word “wicked” to describe accused witches. Over time, the adjective gradually transformed itself into an adverb, morphing from “wicked” to “awful” and finally “awfully” – which carries a similar meaning to today’s intensifiers like “really” or “very”.