Use the book to give an example of how people in Grand Rapids talk. Find at least one example of something that Mr. Jimmy or Ms. Thomas says and explain what the saying means?

In chapter 16, Bud wakes up in Grand Calloway Station and goes downstairs to eat breakfast rather late. When Bud enters the kitchen, everyone except Herman Calloway is happy to see him. After Miss Thomas tells him that Mr. Jimmy will make him lunch, Mr. Jimmy asks Bud, "So what's the scoop, little man?" (Curtis, 116) Mr. Jimmy is essentially asking Bud "What's going on?" or saying "What's up?" for short. Bud mentions that he had no idea what Mr. Jimmy was asking so he responds by simply saying, "Nothing, sir." After Steady Eddie tells him to "Cop a squat," Miss Thomas asks Bud, "Were your ears burning last night, Bud?" (Curtis, 116) Miss Thomas is essentially asking Bud if he heard people talking about him behind his back last night. Being that Bud is from Flint, Michigan, he does not understand the dialect of citizens of Grand Rapids, which seems foreign and strange to him. After Miss Thomas asks him a question, Bud mentions that everybody in Grand Rapids talks funny and it seems like they are speaking a strange language. Bud is simply unfamiliar with the dialect and idioms used by the members of Herman Calloway's band and entourage.