” Place your tongue behind your teeth as you say words like “that” and “there.” These words become “dat” and “dere.” Remember to speak with a nasal tone, letting your voice resonate through your nose. Thanks! Linguists at the Madison-based Dictionary of American Regional English have come across a single example of this word's use in Wisconsin. So when newcomers to the area arrived they were welcomed with instructions to the school, "Ya der hey! ;) Thanks so much for visiting and commenting! :). ." KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on December 07, 2017: Thanks, tj! Then you just end it with your personal opinion on all this and saying the random 3 words. Then we have list of words you have to read fast. Below are the words that must be pronounced: Aunt, Roof, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, … Include some of the lingo and you may be able to blend in among Wisconsinites. All good kids. When I hear someone from Wisconsin, I can always tell which of … Love your talent, Kathy. As a native Ohioan and proud consumer of "pop" and "hotdishes," my Midwestern vocabulary sometimes gives away my humble Ohio origins as a newly-transplanted New Yorker. Different sayings for different places for sure! Living in Wisconsin for as long as we did, I found out that I really didn't know the colloquial language, and had much to learn. No major achievement is being brazenly celebrated. Lazy susan: a relish tray that sits in the middle of the table and commonly has: carrots, celery, olives, port wine cheese spread and crackers, summer sausage and if you’re really lucky cheese curds. A rag becomes a “rayg” and lag becomes “layg.”. But it's more than an accent. I've been all around the state and I've never heard anything about this other than bubbler, which most people I know call it a water fountain. Answer: I usually just ask “ where are you from?”. Now if you guys tell me you say "yuns" then I think I'd pass out, that is for sure a NETN only term that I know of. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. My high school grad class was nine (9), K-12 was ~100 kids. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on January 10, 2020: I don’t say all of these things, even though I’ve spent a good part of my life in Wisconsin! Huh? That caught my eye for sure! Maybe because our water fountains didn't bubble???? Until that is generally accepted across the world, here are 15 some words/sayings that only people from Wisconsin will understand: We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life. Joanna McKenna from Central Oklahoma on December 02, 2011: Not to get off-topic, but Angie's comment reminded me that the Brit expression that shocks most visiting female Americans is "Would you like to be knocked up?". TOO funny!! :-) Thanks so much! I'll just pretend to be shocked! Our boys loved that toy when they were small. The accent is mostly associated with Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, India, Ohio and parts of Illinois. It also has some strong similarities with the English spoken in a few major metropolitan areas of Texas — including Austin — and central Florida. What is heard by the listener is a very soft "Wuh" sound followed by a hard "Scansin." Thanks so much for your nice comment! lol! I stumbled across your post. :). Answer: Wisconsin originally, although we’ve lived in five other states as well. Don A. Hoglund from Wisconsin Rapids on December 01, 2011: I never knew those terms were not standard English.Except "bubbler" which I don't think I have ever heard anyone say.There are big mosquitoes here. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on April 06, 2012: Nope, I never heard someone in Wisconsin say 'yuns' (Unless they were originally from Tennessee!) And heaven forbid if you were to call the largest city Milwaukee, it is "Mwaukee"... no "il" in it! If you are hearing the word “booyah” in Wisconsin, it is not coinciding with a clenched fist and elbow thrust downwards. This accent covers a pretty massive area, which is why Midland … Not your weird "WiscAnson. In Maryland we called a "slide" (that thing in the park that kids go down) a "sliding board) - in Wisconsin, it was "slide". . 1.1 Tweaking Vowels and Consonants; 1.2 Using Wisconsin Lingo; 2 Tips; 3 Sources and Citations; Steps Tweaking Vowels and Consonants. Contents. My husband is from Wisconsin born and raised. Da school is thru Long Swamp, across the train tracks, past Zimmerman's Farm, left da stop n go, n behind the Hoffman Co-Op ya know? Merry Christmas to you, too. .Forrest Gump made this error talking to Jenny when they met at the anti-war rally in Washington. My friend who was also born and raised here says YOUSE GUYS. Even to say the word "Wisconsin," the pronunciation is more like Wis-can-sin, the "ah" sound being pronounced like "hat" or "bat." 1. LaDena Campbell from Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Near Oz... on December 01, 2011: Most of the terms you listed are, as JamaGenee says, very common in Kansas as well. Water fountains and stop lights rule here. People gave me so many strange looks @_@, NO we do not say wis-can-sin, its wis-con-sin, exactly how its spelled, and NO you do not need a passport so GTFO. In late May, please start removing all the objects you've thrown into the front yard since last fall that will be exposed when the snow finally melts.". (winking!!). "No," she continued "I mean, I'm thirsty, where is the "bubbler"?" Well, maybe there really IS a need for a passport to visit there! "Cripes" Like you I had not a clue what they were talking about, especially since the local accent made the pronounciation kind of like " bub- lah". The dialect survey has now become a viral internet challenge known as the – Accent tag or Accent Challenge. Call me silly, but we always went South. Ok girlie, now who just landed in Wis-can-sin from outer space? The plot of the book is based in California. Home » Fun Facts » How to Speak Wisconsin. :), Hi Kathy ~ I felt like I was talking to my neighbor who moved here from Minnesota about 8 years ago. Sep 3, 2016 - Everyone's always talking about the Wisconsin accent. I just moved back to Wisconsin, so I have to brush up on the language again! Canada has always faced several obstacles in defining itself to the outside world. I'm from Wisconsin and don't have a Wisconsin accent. I have been a freelance writer since 2010 for websites like HubPages, Textbroker, BlogMutt and Constant Content. Accent Tag Questions: :). Purple fingernails are just not a good "fashion statement" for anyone! This accent is indeed the closest to General American, but it is rapidly changing. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on December 11, 2011: Thanks robie and Debby for your thoughtful comments, and the up vote as well! :) Thanks so much for stopping by!! I take all the blame. What it means in Wisconsin: The word the Western half of Wisconsin uses to describe any sort of carbonated sugary drink. Hi Moonlake! Include some of the lingo and you may be able to blend in among Wisconsinites. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. I have lost so much of my Southern accent and I wish I hadn't. Am I the only one who barely says any of these? (Don't tell anyone, but I'm NOT a KU fan. haha Everyone says that! I'll have to remember that name for skeeter spray! I say mosquito and pretty near like a normal person. I once went into a "Wisconsin shop" in a mall there, and found a very humorous "Wisconsin passport." Why do Wisconsin people and Minnesota people have similar accents? :) Some of the BEST memories I have in my life happened in Tennessee! One year she sent me a booklet called "How to Speak Minnesotan". Other “th” word examples include this, these, and those. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on December 07, 2011: Thank you SO much, Kenneth, that means a lot to me. I think a lot of these "our region only" type words actually span far greater than people realize. :) I think it depends on the part of Wisconsin one is in, most of these are said around Milwaukee, and I think a few farther South, some are even from Sheboygan! Best of luck to you in the future. Please select a sample from the list below. I just say, "Wes--con--sin . mmmbye ~~ Blessings, Debby. It is pronounced, AlabaAH . But luckily, I go to a boarding school, so I have the occasional people make fun of how I say certain words. Insert Accented Letters with Word’s Insert Function. [1] X Research source Other “th” word examples include this, these, and those. This article has been viewed 44,198 times. What it means in Wisconsin: Hometown of the Packers, also frequently flooded with a sea of green. I had to laugh and told her "up by the front doors, near the restroom.". Also, emphasize "ah" sounds, like in the word "father," with a nasal tone of voice and stress “R” sounds in words like “are” and “work." As indicated by the Midwesterner above, Midland American English speakers often don’t think they have an accent all. That was why I haven't been here more. :)Glad you like the hub! KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on September 27, 2013: I'm so glad you enjoyed this, Natalie, and that it gave you some laughs! More objectionable might be the (over)use of dialect words such as yah (a very Germanic “yes” that harks back to the Upper Midwest’s roots in Germany and Scandinavia), and you betcha. And I offer you my deepest apologies for not visiting more. ;D. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on December 03, 2011: Sure you are, Angie! :). Friends told me in Wisconsin that I was kind of "twangy" when I first got there, I had to giggle! Kenneth Avery from Hamilton, Alabama on December 07, 2011: Dear KathyH....you are welcome, my good friend and hubwriter. This makes for a very interesting way of saying and pronouncing some common phrases! When I started working in retail, I had a co-worker ask me one time where the "bubbler" was. ”By” may also be used as a greeting, such as in “How’s by you?” You may answer this with “Fair to middling ’.”. But I am a born and bred southern man. Good! My husband was born and raised in Minnesota about 40 mins from the Wisconsin line. Thanks so much for your great comment! The world is changing, and Veritiv can be your partner as we prepare our businesses for the “new normal”. Back in 2003, Prof. Bert Vaux posted a dialect survey to help determine how people pronounced certain words and the difference in the words used to describe certain items or events. I have never heard him say BELIEVE YOU ME. KathyH (author) from Waukesha, Wisconsin on July 10, 2013: I hadn't heard of that one, Glory B.! "—used by school teachers from German ancestry in old Wisconsin schoolhouses, means "believe what I say" or "believe me." 1 Steps. Dey sed it's gunna snow in da morn, so make sure yer ski-doo (snow mobile) is ready to take ya to school; buses ain't running routes and roads ain't plowed eh. I will keep you in my prayers. I especially enjoyed writing magazine articles for a country music magazine called Neon Rainbow from September 2001 through June of 2003. So a real Wisconsin accent is new.” Salmons believes pieces of what’s become our dialect developed by the 1960s, or perhaps earlier. ;D. Angie Jardine from Cornwall, land of the eternally youthful mind ... on December 02, 2011: Hi Kathy - this hub was really interesting as we use loads of your Wisconsinisms in the UK! There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Your experience is a great example of what I meant when I wrote this. I do say that and I'm from Arkansas. 'Fair to middlin' is a common colloquialism, as is 'believe you me'. Their attempting this will help with further understanding the difference in the accents of people who grew up or live in different places. :) Now that you mention it, she did talk a lot like "Wisconsin-ites!" But I attempted to answer her with "in the toy department?" To do a Wisconsin accent, round out consonants and drag out vowels. The second phase of this accent test is for participants from different regions of America to try pronouncing some set words. Steven Avery — "recognizably thick Wisconsin accent" Michele Bachmann — "that calming, matzoh-flat Minnesota accent" Jan Kuehnemund; Brock Lesnar; Don Ness — "You'll find that Ms. Palin and Duluth Mayor Don Ness don't sound all that different." ;) So glad you liked this! Even going out to lunch with friends from work was an interesting experience! Some of it we can blame on the awesome collection of immigrant groups that settled here and melded together, but some of it I’m not sure has any explanation. I call "stop-n-go lights" stop lights. Pronounce “th” like a “d. I've heard it pronounced different ways, too. 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