11 Words That Will Make You Swear Wyomingites Have Their Own Language
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Lisa Jensen
Author
Big, wide open, and full of nature’s own beauty, a trip to Wyoming can be like visiting a different country. At least English is spoken here – or is it?
For the most part, out-of-staters can understand Wyomingites. That is, until they’re tripped up by words and phrases that sound like they’re from an entirely different language.
Anywhere else, talking about a "poke" usually refers to social media, but here in Wyoming it's short for "cowpoke," which is not only another word for "cowboy," but is also the mascot for our university's athletics.
You know - the creamy white condiment you spread on sandwiches.
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The magnificent, hulking bovines that roam the plains and fields (and, at times, streets) of Wyoming as well as grace our awesome state flag are not buffalo. They're bison. The only time you'll hear a Wyomingite refer to them as buffalo is in a compassionate attempt to not confuse someone from out of state. That's right - not often.
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The sticky, buttery-sweet confection that is just as delicious on its own as it is wrapped around an apple or melted and drizzled over ice cream.
...or sometimes you'll hear "rig," but either one refers to our second favorite form of transportation after a horse.
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Practically everywhere else in the country, if someone asks if you'd like some oysters, you can trust they're talking about seafood. In Wyoming, they're offering you deep-fried bull testicles. True story.
This short little word is among the most confusing of all for non-Wyomites because it's kind of unnecessary. It's our shorthand way of saying "and that," and we've taken to adding it arbitrarily to the end of sentences. "We can take my piggup to get some oysters n'nat."
The delicious nuts that are yummy with car-muhl.
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You recognize these as English words, but you probably won't use them right in Wyoming. Here, our midday meal is dinner and supper is eaten in the evening. So, lunch is dinner and dinner is supper. All clear?
OK, this one isn't exclusively Wyoming because it seems to be a Midwest thing, but when someone from the Cowboy State wants a carbonated beverage, they order a pop, not a soda.
A natural stream that's smaller than a river. You don't want to find yourself up it without a paddle.
What other words and phrases have you heard that prove Wyoming has a language all its own?
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