There are some words and phrases that mean different things in common usage in the North than in the South. “Tanning” for instance.
tan1
tan/
verb
gerund or present participle: tanning
-
(of a pale-skinned person or their skin) become brown or browner after exposure to the sun.
-
convert (animal skin) into leather by soaking in a liquid containing tannic acid, or by the use of other chemicals.
Another one would be “Beaver Tail”. If I was offered a beaver tail in the South, I would expect a sugary pastry treat. Up here, I would more likely expect the literal tail of a large hairy rodent.
