9 Words You'll Only Understand If You're From Milwaukee
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E Jamar
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If you walk down Milwaukee streets, your ears might perk up at a few strange words in our conversations. What’s a bubbler or a blinker? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered and will let you know what’s the deal with these nine words you’ll only hear in MKE.
Ope: an exclamation that's used when accidentally bumping into someone, or being startled by someone bumping into you. This Midwestern exclamation is absolutely uncontrollable.
This term is used in the expression of complete exasperation or frustration. "Oof-da! Today was a long day."
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Because saying "water fountain" just sounds weird.
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If you don't know what it means, you shouldn't probably shouldn't ask, but we definitely yell it at Illinois drivers.
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Most of the country says "turn signal," but Milwaukeeans must base words off of sounds.
Midwesterners tend to use a strong a, like in the word bagel.
Wisconsin's ATMs used to be owned by Tyme, which stands for "take your money everywhere." Now, whenever we see an ATM whether it be on its own or in a bank, it's a Tyme Machine— which sounds pretty cool.
We don't "go to" the
store...for some reason we "go by" it.
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Not twice, not thrice, just once. (Even though we don't always mean just once.)
There you have it, nine phrases you’ll only hear in Milwaukee. What words do you hear around here that make you tilt your head? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for more cool Milwaukee stuff? Check out these 10 Undeniable Habits That No Milwaukeean Can Ever Unlearn.
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