Question for New England (MA, Cape Cod) loungers: freakin', frickin' or friggin'?

[smoogatz]

My novel set on the Outer Cape is coming out in September, we're down to super-duper-double-extra-final absolute last call on edits/corrections, and a friend of mine remarks that "freakin'" (which I use a few times as a variation on the gerund form of "fuck") is more of a Jersey/Philly thing, and that the proper Masshole-ism is "frickin'." My wife, who lived in Boston for four years (BU alum), believes "friggin'" is correct. I lived in P'town off and on for almost eight years, and I have no earthly idea. As always, thanks in advance for any help you can give me--

smoogatz

[Deep13]

1. Freakin' is probably correct...

...as 'frigging' means the same thing as the other F word. Frickin' doesn't mean anything. They say 'freakin' on Family Guy, set in RI. I have heard all three. Most people I know back East, however, don't use TV-friendly euphemisms. Or else they use abbreviations.

BFD- big fucking deal
BFT- 'bout fucking time
TFB- too fucking bad

[MissMillie]

2. I think

frickin' and friggin' are both used here in MA

In my (admittedly sheltered) life, I have heard "freak" as more of an inner-city rap sort of slang.

[MANative]

3. As a MA Native ....

definitely freakin'. And another vital addition to MASSpeak is "wicked" - hope you worked it in somewhere! ;)

[masshole]

4. What age(s) are the characters?

Overall I'm with your wife on this - "friggin" sounds right to me, especially if the characters are younger. "Fricken" works also, maybe specifically for an older character.

[Little Wing]

5. Massachusetts is a puritanical state

and the correct terminology would be 'that which The Lord frowns upon'

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Best friggin' answer on the thread.

And 'friggin' is the way it's said in Maine unless your grandmother or a nun is within earshot. Then it becomes 'freakin.'

Around Boston where I lived for a very long time I heard mostly 'friggin,' but I don't know about the Cape.