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2/16/07
How to Speak or
Talk
Like a True Minnesota Person!
This page has been
created to help all of you understand Minnesota people a lot better.
(It's also created with a traditional Great North Woods sense of humor, which is
the only thing that keeps us warm!)
You'll be surprised at how many sayings in other parts of the country actually had their origin years ago in Minnesota! After all, it was the Minnesota people who started the infamous "Wave" that's done in the bleachers all over the USA. Was it for team support? Actually we were all freezing and it was an excuse to jump up and down to get our blood circulating again!! The State of Minnesota is composed of many ethnic populations living together. This is especially true of the Northern Minnesota area, most popularly known as "The Iron Range" aka "Da Raynch". Why? Because for many many years that area of the United State provided the richest source of iron ore in the world and is credited for being the backbone of our military defense in WWI and WWII. Iron Ore is mined in the areas of Hibbing, Minnesota and Virginia, Minnesota (mostly) and then loaded on ore cars by train to Duluth, Minnesota to be shipped to steel mills. My grandfather immigrated from Italy to work in these mines, just like many other immigrants around the world. Minnesota
talk is a result of years of blended bad English from over 43 different
countries. It may not have been perfect, but ya know...they all
understood each other and got along!
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Please note:
The Minnesota language is spoken very fast.
The reason is that it's so cold one has to say what they want
as fast as possible before their breath freezes in the air. This
technique just rolled into the summer months as well.
Here
is the Official
Minnesota Dictionary ;)
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-ABOWT or ABOOT : In the area or what something pertains to. Examples: "That deer was abowt 2 feet from me." or "The whole fight was aboot nothing." -AGE : A suffix added to the end of a noun. Example: "Look at all dat muddage on your truck!" AHHUNNERD:
10x10 AH-MIN-AH: I am going to. Example: "If if found out dat you have been lying to me, ahminah going to ground you."
-ALLA:
A contraction for the words "All of the." Example:
- AN' STUFF: The Minnesota version of "etc." Example: "We went deer hunting out at da lake and fishing an stuff."
AT-TALL:
At all. Example:
AVANAGE: To have the best position in a situation. Example: "Since I earn the money, I feel I have de avanage over my kids to tell them what ta do." BEG or BAHWGS (plural):
A paper container.
BEDDER: The superlative of Good or an order. Examples: "This new TV is much bedder than dat old one." or "I think you'd bedder be nicer to him."
BIN: Been. Example: "It's sure bin a long cold winter, eh?"
B.O.: Bad working machinery. Example: "Had to take my truck to da garage cuz it's B.O."
BOTT: A pair. Example: "I got bott of dem at de same time."
BOUGHTEN:
To have purchased.
BOYCE: Males Example: "I think you boyce need to go out and play in da yard."
BROKE-OFF: Broken off or broke. Example: "Da handle on da door broke-off." BUBBLER : A waterfountain. Example: "I need a drink from da'bubbler."
BUDDER: Not Oleo. Example: "Take de budder out of de fridge so it's soft enough to spread on da bread when it's done."
BUNCH IT:
An expression of giving up, disgusted or to quit.
BUY OFF OF:
To purchase something from another person.
CAISH:
Money. Example:
CALLUM: To contact via a telephone. Example: "Just callum up and tell him da information."
CLOSE DA LIGHT:
Turn off.
COME HERE ONCE: A request for someone to come to you. Example: "Inga, I need you to come here once and show me how to cook dis deer meat."
DINT: The past tense of did not. Example: "I dint think it was important to mention."
DISAPLINT: Firm training. Example: "If they were more disaplint when dey were kids dey would not be in trouble today."
DUN:
Contraction for "Don't".
DAT, DHAT or DOT: A Form of "That." Example: "Dat looks pretty good to me."
DAT's HER:
Job is over with.
DEM: Them. Example: "I went to da store and got dem brand new."
DERE: There. Example: "Well, dere's dis situation goin' on."
DESE: These. Example: "Look look at all dese fish I caught."
DIE-RECTLY:
To go straight. DOUBLE-OUT:
To work two shifts (in the mines) in a row.
DULUT: The city of Duluth, MN. Example: "We're going to Dulut' dis weekend to visit my inners."
DIS IS TRU:
It's a fact. DON-CHYA-NO:
Don't you know? EH?- It's the Minnesota version of an official period to their statement. And, that it's now your signal that it's your time to talk. (Not promising you won't get interrupted, however.) Some think it's a form of "right?" and asking for affirmation. It's not!
ENNAWAY:
Anyway. Example:
E-YELLOW: A Greeting. Example: "Well, E-yellow, how are you doing? I haven't seen yooz guys in ages." FER CUTE:
Very cute.
FER SURE:
For sure. Example:
FILLUM:
What Kodak makes.
FORTY-JOO-LIE:
4-7-?? FROSTS My (or Yer) BUTT: To really annoy. Examples: "It just frosts my butt when they're late." or "I bet it just frosts yer butt to have yer mudder-in-law visit?"
FROZE-UP:
Frozen. Example: GET ON:
To be hired. Example:
GIVE IT HERE:
Hand it to me.
GIVE A JINGLE: To promise to call or request a phone call. Examples: "I'll give ya a jingle as soon as dem parts come in." or "Give me a jingle when you have some time to talk."
GOATS: The insides. Example: "I just wanted to faint when I saw all da goats just fall out."
GOING WITH:
Coming along.
GUD LUCK:
Good Luck. Example: GONNA:
Going to. Example: GROW-SHREES:
Groceries GUZINTA: A form of mathematics or entering. Example: "Well, according to dis calculator, two guzinta 4 two times." or "The robber guzinta the store not knowing da security camera was on." HAFTA:
Have to. Example:
HAWDAW:
How to. Example:
HIBBEAN:
Hibbing. Example:
HIGHER:
To raise something up. HOD:
A contraction of How did? Hawt Deesh
: (Hot Dish) It's Example: "After da funeral, everyone brought a hawt deesh over to da house." IDN'T IT: A contraction of isn't it. Example: "Idn't it mighty cold taday?" INNA: In the or In a. Examples: "I just saw her go inna house." or "I'll be by inna hour to pick you up." INNERS: The relatives you married into. Example: "We are inviting the inners over for da holidays."
ISHKA: A form of disgust or filth. Examples: "Don't touch that. It fell on da floor and it is ishka!" or "The food was burnt and tasted like ishka!" J'EVER: A question. Example: "Well, I want to know if j'ever fell in love before me?" JEET: Did you eat? Example: "Jeet before going to school?
JOBBIES: A small number of objects or items. Example: "Look at all dem jobbies it takes to put this darn thing together!"
KA-PUT:
To come an end. Example: "The machine suddenly exploded and it just went
ka-put and won't run now." KA-RODGE: Where you park your car. Example: "I built a 3-stall ka-rodge so I would have room for my snowblower." KIRL: Female. Example:"Dem kirls are the ones who voted against me." KONTREE: The USA. Example: "We live in a great kontree where we are free an-stuff." KOR-DEEN: A musical instrument. Example: "Da person who plays the kor-deen is the most important one in da polka band." KREDICK: Responsibility or acknowledgement. Example: "I have to give him a lot of kredick for doing dat." or "He went and took all the kredick for it and I am the one who really thought of it." LEAVE IT GO: Let it be or don't bother with it. Example: {Dishes are dirty} "I'm going to leave it go until after dis Viking's game."
MALK or MEELK:
A calcium rich drink. Member?: To try to stir up your memory. Example: "Do you member the time we had 10" of snowfall?" MIN:
The plural of man. Example: "The Marines are looking for a few good
min." MUNCE: More than 30 days. Example: "It seems like winter is lasting for munce at a time." NORT, NORTERN, Up Nort: North. Example: "We're going up Nort to see the family." or "Can you see the Nort Star?" NOTTER: Another. Example: "I want to get a notter set of tools." OH: Zero! Example: "Take down this number. One-Six-Nine-Four-Oh!"
OH-GAY:
To be in agreement.
ONNEST: Truthful. Example: "Well, onnest judge, I wasn't speeding."
PLONKA: A long board. Example: "I need to get a new plonka for da fence."
PRETNEAR:
To be pretty close in distance or situation.
Q-PON: A savings. Example: "The Sunday paper has all da good Q-pons in it for clipping."
RAWLS: What trains run on. Example:" The train jumped it's rawls and there was a big accident."
REEF:
A Christmas Decoration.
SALLONDER: Piston driven device. Example: "I have a 6-sallonder engine in my car."
SELLAD:
A Salad. Example: SKEETERS or SKEETIES: Those bugs that bite ya at da lake. Example: "Be sure to put on da lowshun, or dem skeeters are sure to bite ya to bits."
SPENDY:
Expensive
STOOD-OVER: When you don't spend the night at your own home. Example: "We stood over there last night and watched their dogs while dey was gone."
TDREE: Three Example: "You only get t(d)ree strikes in dis game buddy."
TH: This "Th" sound seems to replace the letter "D"in a lot of words. It's not this and that it's dis and dat. Or Dinking and not Thinking and stuff. ;)
TIRDY: 10 x 3 Example: "I think it'll take tirdy years before we catch another fish dis big." Ud Be:
Would Be UFFDAH!:
@($#&@#!&!! USED-TUV-IT:
Used to it.
YAH:
Affirmative agreement.
YOU BETCHA: A confident affirmation. Example: "Are you going to the hockey game dis weekend?" Answser: "You betcha I sure am."
YOUSE: The plural of you. Prounouced like "yooz." In Minnesota we like to think it's the Northern version of the Southern word "you'all or y'all." :) Example: "I'd like to wish youse a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year."
WENT: Broke down. Example: "That second hand snowmobile just up and went on me this weekend." WINNER: Cold months with snow. Usually October through May.Example: "This winner is gonna be expense cuz fuel oil is so high." Did I miss one? If so please e-mail me so I can add it here.
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Minnesota Tech Talk
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Ten Commandments Minnesota Style 1. Der's only one God, ya know.
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