Where you live determines what you call a sandwich, fizzy drink or something made with ice cream. Some are head scratchers.
When vice presidential candidate Tim Walz exclaimed, "Ope," at a recent rally, he made millions aware of a seemingly Midwestern word for oops. It is one of dozens of regional U.S. sayings, phrases and colloquialisms that make sense in one part of the country but might leave visitors scratching their heads. Read on for a fun, coast-to-coast trip on how Americans refer to everyday things using different words, phrases and slang.
The origin of regional US sayings, expressions and words
Regional slang and expressions often encompass colloquialisms, idioms and dialects unique to specific areas. For instance, how Americans use plural second-person pronouns varies across the country. These linguistic characteristics are influenced by history, culture and geography, leading to regional variations.
"Y'all" is commonly used in the South and "you-all" can be heard in Kentucky and parts of Florida. The phrase "you guys" is prevalent in the Northeast and you'll hear "yinz" in Western Pennsylvania, in and around Pittsburgh.
Need to express that something was awesome? In New England, you would say, "wicked," and on the West Coast you might exclaim, "gnarly." If something is considered delicious in Hawaii, you would add "ono" to your sentence. And in the Midwest, if something is messed up or askew, you might use the term "cattywampus."
Regional phrases for food and drink
When it comes to the different sayings Americans use to describe the same things, local brands and businesses may have influenced the terms people use. This is especially true when it comes to regional terms for food. Take soda versus pop versus Coke.
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"There are different regional names for fizzy drinks," explained Grant Barrett, linguist, lexicographer and co-host of " A Way with Words," the national radio show about language. Most Midwesterners call it pop, he explains, but an area in and around St. Louis, Missouri, calls it soda - not pop - because a soda bottling company used the term to advertise their business. "Likewise, you'll find that Coke is the generic term used in the South because Coca-Cola is based in Atlanta."
There is a similar business connection to the Boston word for a carbonated drink. For years, New Englanders used the regional term tonic. Technically, a tonic is something you drink to make yourself feel better. In Massachusetts, a company invented a tonic - a drink with supposed medicinal qualities - with the brand name Moxie. Surprisingly, the term tonic stuck and not Moxie as a generic word like Coke is in the South.
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Other regional food sayings
Sodas aren't the only food products with regional name variations. This was something that Sage Scott learned when she moved to the Midwest for college and had to start asking for pop. Also, Scott always called a supper baked in a glass or ceramic dish that you might bring to a potluck a casserole. Then she learned about the term "hotdish." "Hotdish isn't a warning about burning yourself as you prepare to fill your plate with food but a generic term for casserole," explained Scott, who writes the Everyday Wanderer blog.
When craving a sandwich on a long, baguette-like bun filled with meat, cheese and vegetables, would you order a hoagie, sub, hero or grinder? The convenience store chain Wawa, headquartered near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sells hoagies at its branches in the mid-Atlantic and Florida. Jersey Mike's and Subway, both national sandwich chains, call it a sub. In New England, locals typically call them grinders. And in some American places, a sub is the cold version of a sandwich whereas the hot version is a hero, such as a meatball hero.
How people scream for ice cream
Getting ice cream? Well, you'd better get your sayings straight, especially if you're in New England, which seems to have lots of ice cream-centric quirks. For instance, if you want a milkshake, make sure you ask for a frappe. If you ask for a milkshake in Maine, you'll get milk with syrup, not with ice cream. In Rhode Island, you'll want a "cabinet" which is their version of a milkshake.
Sticking with ice cream, if you want soft serve in Vermont, order a "creemee." Adding toppings to your ice cream? Understand that in some American locations, jimmies and sprinkles are not synonymous. Jimmies are the chocolate sprinkled topping whereas sprinkles are the rainbow ones. However, in the Midwest, the preferred generic term is still jimmies, and you should specify if you want chocolate or rainbow toppings.
Speaking of ice cream toppings, if you wanted caramel, how would you pronounce it? In the Northeast, West and South, most people say it with three syllables. However, in the Midwest, it sounds like the towns in California and Indiana called Carmel.
Regional roadway slang
What do you call a high-speed roadway filled with fast-moving vehicles? Is it a turnpike, highway, freeway, expressway, parkway or another term altogether?
Despite the regional slang you might use, according to the Federal Highway Administration, there are only two kinds of highways in the United States: Free roads and toll roads. Many toll roads are called turnpikes. That's because when the very first toll road opened in the 18th century, there was a gate that turned, allowing motorists access to the road once they paid the toll.
Beyond the preferred regional saying for a high-speed road, there's another traffic constant: A circle filled with cement, grass or gravel in the middle of an intersection designed to keep traffic moving. Americans refer to this roadway marvel by varying names. In New Jersey, it's called a traffic circle. In Michigan, Florida, Indiana and Texas, they call it a roundabout. And in New England, it's referred to as a rotary.
Final thoughts on ope
Coming full circle to Tim Walz's ope exclamation: Is it the Midwest slang for oops? According to Barrett, the linguist, it is not.
"Ope is the noise you make when you suddenly stop talking," he explained. However, Midwesterners have adopted it as their own. Added Barrett, "They are the salt of the earth people who are good natured and good humored, and embrace their quirks." It appears ope just might be one of those regional quirks.
Leah Ingram grew up drinking soda, eating heroes and asking for sprinkles on her ice cream. These days she's writing about food on her blog Bagels and Lasagna.
