Idiom and Regional Language

[interretiarius]

I'm scared. This is my first post and stepping into a room of language experts, knowing how ignorant I am is disconcerting.

Anyway, some time ago, I read an article about the regional differences in ways that certain words are used, such as, putting gas on the car, versus putting gas in the car.

Having misplaced the article I can no longer find it. Worse, I seem not to be able to hit upon the right combination of words to bring it up in a Google search.

What I'm after is the actual nomenclature to use in place of the term 'regional language'; there must be another more exact word besides idiom.

It may be that this is not the place to build my vocabulary either, but here is where I landed hoping that someone more perfectly equipped would be able to shed some light on the subject.

A little aside from this and some small tidbit about me; I am an high school dropout, learning what little I know from reading books above my pay grade and keeping a dictionary close.

[Soup]

What I'm after is the actual nomenclature to use in place of the term 'regional language'; there must be another more exact word besides idiom.

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