lexicon

Author Unknown

If you think you can deck yourself out in green and gold and walk around occasionally bellowing "Go-Pack-Go!" and qualify as a Wisconsin native… you’re dead wrong. Youse gotta know the lingo too, ya-know, hey. For your enjoyment, here’s an updated list of Wisconsinisms. This stuff drives a spell checker crazy.

Ain-a-hey:
placed at the end of a profound statement; as in "isn’t It?"

Bart:
a Green Bay institution who doesn’t need a last name; (see "Vince").

Believe-you-me:
attached to the beginning or end a statement make it more credible; as in, "really!"

Blaze orange:
what deer hunters and cold-weather Packers fans wear at Lambeau.

Born in a barn?:
a sarcastic question which usually means you left the door open.

Borrow:
used in place of "lend," as in, "could youse borrow me a couple two-tree bucks?"

Brat:
a sausage; a Wisconsin tailgate favorite; doesn’t have anything to do with a spoiled kid.

Bubbler:
to the rest of the world outside Wisconsin’s borders, it is known as a drinking fountain.

Budge:
to merge without permission; cut in; as in "Don’t you budge in line for a brat, I was here first!"

By:
to or near; as in "Let’s go by One Eyed Jack’s,"or "She’ll come by Froggers tonight." It has nothing to do with a purchase.

Cheddarhead:
someone from Wisconsin; see, "Cheesehead."

Cheesehead:
someone from Wisconsin; see, "Cheddarhead."

Cheese curd:
small pieces of fresh cheese that squeak when you bite into them; a parish picnic favorite when deep fried.

Come-here-once:
a beckoning call to another Cheddarhead.

Couple-two-tree:
more than one; as in "Delmer and I drank a couple-two-tree beers."

Cripes:
a Wisconsin expletive. Cripes-sake: a mild Wisconsin expletive.

Crymany-cripes-sake:
a wild Wisconsin expletive.

D:
a substitute for words beginning with "TH;" as in"Dat guy over dere in dah Bears shirt is a FIB."

Davenport:
what your mom called the sofa; a couch.

Fair-to-midlin:
not bad or great, just "O.K."

FIB:
an acronym; (F***in’ Illinois Bastard)

Fish fry:
a Friday night dining ritual in Wisconsin.

Fleet Farm:
a Cheddarhead’s answer to Bloomingdales.

Frozen tundra:
Lambeau Field.

Geeez!:
Another Wisconsin expletive.

Go ahead:
proceed; as in, "go ahead and back up your car."

Gots:
used in place of "have;" as in, "I gots my tickets to watch da Packers play on da Frozen Tundra."

Guldarn:
another Wisconsin expletive.

Hey:
placed at the beginning or end of phrases for emphasis, as in "Hey, how ’bout them Packers?" or "How ’bout them Packers, hey?"

Holy-cry-yiy!:
as in, "wow!"

How’s-by-you?:
a greeting; the same as, "How’s everything?"

Humdinger:
a beauty; as in "dat crappy youse caughtup-nort is a real humdinger."

John Deere:
a Cheddarhead’s other vehicle.

M’wakee:
Wisconsin’s largest city; located just down the lake from Trivers and Mantwoc.

N-so?:
a word inserted at the end of a statement; used as a substitute for "right?" or "correct?"

Oh, yah:
depending on emphasis, it’s either used as acknowledgment (as"That’s correct") or skepticism (That’s bull!).

Parish picnics:
social events of the summer up-nort.

Pert-neer:
near; in close proximity; just about.

Polka:
what you do at parish picnics.

Pop:
a non-alcoholic drink.

Rubbers:
protection for your shoes; also known as "galoshes."

Scansin:
the state where Cheeseheads are from.

Schmear:
a card game; also a term used when someone gets beat in a game of Sheepshead

Sheepshead:
another card game.

Side-by-each:
used instead of, "next to each other."

Skeeter:
Wisconsin state bird.

Start wit me last:
to forfeit your turn.

Stop-and-go lights:
what everyone else refers to as traffic signals.

Uff-dah:
affirmative; as in "that’s right!"

Un-thaw:
to defrost.

Where-abouts:
locality; proximity; as in, "where-abouts are youse guys from?"

Up nort:
where Wisconsinites go on vacation.

Up-side right:
right side up.

Vince:
the other Green Bay icon who doesn’t need a last name for recognition; (see "Bart").

Yah-hey:
affirmative; as in "uff-dah."

You-betcha:
affirmative; as in "Yah-hey."

Youse:
pronounced "YOOS;" it means "you" as in "are youse guys goin’ up nort?"

Youper:
someone from ever further up-nort than you.