After a 15-year absence, I’m finally back in my hometown of Detroit, MI—specifically, the suburbs of Detroit, but I will be spending time visiting areas within the city limits. Being back after all these years has reminded me that there are certain words and phrases that only people who grew up in Michigan understand the meanings of.
So if you’re not from Michigan and want to do business in Michigan, it may be helpful to learn these certain words and phrases.
On the website mlive.com, Jessica Shepherd spells it out in an article she titled, “How to talk like a Michigander: 17 terms only we understand.” I’m presenting the list as it was published, without the accompanying photos. Please go to the website to see the pictures. I’ve also added my own personal commentary in italics.
Yooper
yoop-er (noun): A nickname for a native or resident of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The pronouncer I would give is YOOP-er. Accent on the first syllable.
Troll
troll (noun): used predominantly by residents of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a usually-derogatory name for a native or resident of the Lower Peninsula
Coney
Co-ney (noun): A beef hot dog, in a bun, covered in meat sauce, onions, and mustard
The meat sauce is actually chili without beans.
Michigan left
Mich-i-gan left (noun): A U-turn-style left-hand turn on a divided road that is prevalent in southern Michigan.
We sometimes called this a “boulevard left.”
Bumpy cake
Bump-y cake (noun): originated by Sanders Chocolates in Detroit, a devil's food cake covered with buttercream bumps, topped with chocolate ganache
Mitten
mit-ten (noun): A term of endearment for the state of Michigan, which has a shape resembling a hand, typically used by residents of the state
If a Michigander were trying to show you where he/she is from in Michigan, they would hold up their right hand with all fingers together with the palm facing you, and then point to spot on their hand that coincides with the geographic location in the state.
Pop
pop (noun): a sugary, carbonated beverage, sometimes referred to as soda (don't even try to start with that calling everything a “Coke” business)
Pasty
past-y (noun): a savory pastry, typically filled with meat and vegetables; not typically seen at a strip club
The pronouncer I would give here is PASTE-ee. They’re delicious.
Party store
par-ty store (noun): an establishment where a Michigander can buy alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, snacks, and more (but not typically party supplies)
The Thumb
the Thumb (noun): a rural region of Michigan, located on the east side of the Lower Peninsula, that looks like a thumb on the hand that is our state
Downriver
down-riv-er (noun): following the flow of the Detroit River, a location that is south of Detroit (examples include Wyandotte, Monroe)
South Detroit
South De-troit (noun): a fictional location created by former Journey frontman Steve Perry
The area due south from downtown Detroit is Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
The Bridge
the bridge (noun): how to refer to the only bridge that matters—the Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula
The bar
the bar (noun): the default name of the drinking establishment where you are sipping (or chugging) beer tonight
Up north
up north (noun): the place you visit during summer weekends and the occasional spring, fall, and winter weekends; a term used by Lower Peninsula Michiganders to refer to any place north of where they live
Downstate
down-state (noun): the place you return to after a weekend up north
Deer camp
deer camp (noun): a place in the woods where hunters go to mostly drink beer; no, it’s not a summer camp for deer
At the bottom of her list, Shepherd asks, “Did we miss something?”
I would say the list is right on the money. I would have added “Hockeytown.” This refers to the fan base of the Detroit Red Wings. If you hear it in reference to any team other than the Red Wings, it’s wrong.
Another honorable mention from me is “The DIA” which refers to the Detroit Institute of Arts. But those two additions just might be too Detroit-centric rather than state-wide references.
