17 Words And Phrases People In Nebraska Just Don't Understand
English might officially be the prevalent language in America, but the truth is that we speak American – and different parts of the country speak it far differently. The internet has brought us closer together linguistically, letting regional words and phrases spread spread everywhere. But still, if you say certain words to a Nebraskan, you’ll probably get a pretty confused look in return.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/bubbler.jpg?w=720)
This is a cute term, and it's actually what the device's inventor called it. But we know it better as a drinking fountain or water fountain.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/chughole.jpg?w=720)
We call it a pothole...or any number of various obscenities.
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![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/coke.jpg?w=720)
You can call it soda, you can call it pop, but calling every fizzy cola drink a "coke" is just wrong.
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![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/devil-strip.jpg?w=720)
That strip of grass between the street and the sidewalk. We call it...uh, that strip of grass between the street and the sidewalk?
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/devils-darning-needle.jpg?w=720)
All of these wicked-sounding names have been assigned to the utterly harmless dragonfly.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/duck-bumps.jpg?w=720)
We know them as goosebumps.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/fence-lifter.jpg?w=720)
We tend to call heavy rain a downpour.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/grinder.jpg?w=720)
This is a mostly Northeastern term; we call them submarine sandwiches, or just subs for short.
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![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/johnny-house.jpg?w=720)
We call them outhouses here.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/pitch-in-dinner.jpg?w=720)
We refer to them as potlucks.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/rolling.jpg?w=720)
This is what we know as TPing.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/creek.jpg?w=720)
In Nebraska, it's called a creek or a crick, depending on which part of the state you're in.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/shopping-buggy.jpg?w=720)
These handy contraptions are called shopping carts here.
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![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/spicket.jpg?w=720)
Nebraskans call these spigots, though people as close as Iowa and Missouri use the work "spickets."
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/standing-on-line.jpg?w=720)
We're more familiar with standing IN line.
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/yinz.jpg?w=720)
This is the plural form of "you;" here we typically say "you guys" or "you all."
![](https://oiys-develop.go-vip.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/nat.jpg?w=720)
N'at, like yinz, is mostly a Pittsburgh term, but it's also used in parts of the Appalachians. It's a shortened form of "and that." We might say "and stuff."
Have you heard any other regional terms from elsewhere in the county that we usually don’t hear here in Nebraska? Let us know in the comments.
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