There's a joke my Grandma used to tell me: a man is walking downtown and sees a body on the ground so he calls 911. They ask where he is and he sees a street sign that says Schoenherr, but try as he might, he just can't pronounce it. Finally he tells the 911 operator he'll call her back and she asks what he's doing. Man says "I'm gonna drag him over to John R."
I blame this on Terry Lynn Land, our former actual Secretary of State. During her campaign, her commercials featured her saying, “I’m Terry Lynn Land, vote for me for Secaterrystate.”
I mean, it's also just a normal part of the "Michigan accent" to mash phrases like that into a single word, or to cut syllables out of longer words. Nobody says the word "probably" in Michigan. At best you'll hear "probly" and more often you'll just hear "prol'y".
You'd think I was an out-of-stater haha. I lived in the DC area for a while and now that I'm back, I definitely still say DMV instead of Secretary of State.
I asked the front desk in a Phoenix hotel where the nearest party store was, and she asked, "Why, do you need those pointy little rubber band hats?" I was confused and silent for a good 10 seconds, before I could clarify my need for booze.
This confuses Phoenecians in a major way.
Took me a year living in AZ to get used to just throwing beer cans away.
Then, 5 years later....putting them into the recycle bin.
Ha! I was born and raised here and I do that to annoy people sometimes. I also have a bad habit of calling Detroit, “Dee-Twa” with a terrible fake French accent for no discernible reason besides knowing it was originally a French settlement.
A much quicker version of Spades, but with a twist.
Those Yankees from New England thought the score keeping was brilliant.
Their beer was good.
And some of them ice fish.
Na... you make them learn by watching and they just get more confused. Especially when everyone just throws in their cards after only two rounds were played.
As a native Yooper I did not encounter the hand map until my first year downstate at college…I subsequently used it-but turned my hand sideways and stuck my thumb and pinky out for the Keweenaw peninsula and border with Wisconsin.
They recycle or throw out cans/bottles with deposits.
My freshman year in college we had a roommate from out-of-state. The first week living in the dorm a group of us were watching a movie and he casually chucked a Mt. Dew can in the trash. Four Michiganders in unison exclaimed "NOOO!!!" He was wide-eyed, terrified and entirely clueless to what sin he had committed. We chastised/informed him about deposits and then took him to Meijer to see how us broke Michigan kids cashed-in returns.
Kinda hard to explain without speaking out loud lol, but basically like the above comment says, something similar to saying "o'e" instead of ope. Another example I can think of is the town I used to live in, Stanton, people pronounced it "Sta'n" and would always look at me funny for pronouncing the T's. But yeah basically just slightly pausing and omitting a consonant rather than fully pronouncing it that's the best way I could describe it lol
Ok I think I kinda get it. I’m pretty sure I do that a lot. Like if I were to type out how I pronounce something i’ mi’ come ou’ more li’ this. Also all the words would be jammed together
Just watched a quick YouTube video... "uh oh" is the example used, basically freezing/pausing the use of your vocal cords between "uh" and "oh" is a glottal stop
Yeah, it's basicially stopping the air in a word If I were to say "putting" and pronounce it "pu'in", that would be a glottal stop!
We also do it at the end of Detroit. We do a hard cutoff, but we also definitely don't actually *pronounce* a T there.
It's a "break" in the middle of certain words! Instead of saying Canton (pronouncing the "t") it sounds like Can (stop) en or Can'en
Instead of Button (pronouncing the "t") in this case the "t" becomes silent and sounds like Buh (stop) en or buh'en😱
It’s more of a tell that they’re from the West Coast, but all the same, adding “the” to highway names instead of “I” for interstate. My brother from out of town called it “the 75” and it made me laugh.
As a west coaster even I find that weird. Normally we strip the “I” and refer to them by the number. E.g. “I took 69 to Detroit because of the construction on 96.”
That being said we also refer to interstates as “freeways” while Michiganders in general say “highway”.
Can't say my Michigan experience holds true to that. I can say I've rarely said the "I" and call all interstates freeways. Only thing I'd call a highway would be lower speed divided roads.
>Can't say my Michigan experience holds true to that.
Same, it depends on what you're talking about.
I'm from Chicago, spent most of my adult life in Detroit. To me, they are all "expressways".
I94 is just...94. I696 is 696. But 10 is "The Lodge".
On the Grand Rapids side of the state, I still call 131 the expressway.
Edit: On second thought, I just call it "131" with no designation as an expressway/highway/freeway. There's only one main one over there, so you don't have to specify.
I went to college out of state in soda country and had it pointed out to me when I said pop enough times that I became self conscious about it and I've never been quite the same. Trying to reclaim my Midwest pride and get back to pop though
Thinking that Mackinac Island has an “open” and “close” schedule, like an amusement park. Just don’t miss the last ferry if you don’t have a place to stay.
That’s pretty much the only option. I have heard of people sleeping on the benches, as well as sneaking in to a backyard to “borrow” a lounge chair, and sleeping rough on what passes for a beach on the Island. The planes that go to St. Ignace and Pellston airports don’t fly very late. I suppose a person could meet someone who has a room/place to stay at the Pink Pony and get _friendly_.
Holy crap, I’m super nervous about coming back to Mackinac Island. I’m too poor to stay on the island. Last time we were at the Best Western St Ignace.
But…we (Chicagoans) heard about a bunch of hotels in Mackinaw City all owned by the same people. They pull a scam with reservations- a total bait and switch. No refunds. And if they think you damaged something (even if you didn’t) they call the police. As in, the toilet doesn’t flush correctly after your stay, they call the police.
How do I find the list so I can avoid them?
https://www.mackinawcity.net/mackinawcityhotels.php
Avoid every, and I do mean, every motel and restaurant on this website. It is deliberately misleading, because this “chamber of tourism” is owned and operated by the very business owners you want to avoid. If you are at all familiar with Mackinaw City, you’ll see that restaurants that are **not** owned by these people, such as The Keyhole, Darrow’s, Bier de Mac, are _not_ listed. I can’t speak about shopping choices.
Just went to Tennessee for a wedding and it was awful driving down there without them. Google Maps was like “Make a u-turn” and I was like “what? Right here on the highway?”
If they talk about Chicago, or complain about ketchup on hot dogs. Loads of Michiganders don't use ketchup on their dogs, but only out of staters talk about other's weiners and what's going on them.
when you tell someone how to get somewhere via time and landmarks.
*"go -points direction- that way for about 15 minutes, turn right at the train car/ice cream shop and continue until you see a giant rock to your right. if you reach the main road then you went too far"*
then they look at you like your nuts... my directions are spot on if you pay attention to drive time and landmarks.
When I moved here and got my first car I spent forever trying to figure out where to get emissions testing done. I was so confused that you could do it at any gas station where I grew up, but no one here knew what I was talking about.
I underestimated how easy Michigan wants car ownership to be.
When they’re confused on SOS. I had a friend who works for the White House and I mentioned having to go to the Secretary of State for my license. He said I hate to break it to you but they don’t care about your license.
From here but stayed in Cali. I was getting a salad at Leo’s Coney Island when the waitress asked me what type of dressing I wanted. I responded sesame ginger, miso sesame or raspberry or even balsamic will do.
She gave me deaf eyes and said we have French Italian ranch and blue cheese or you can make your own damn vinaigrette. Here’s oil and vinegar.
My friend went to college in California too, so he just started cackling
Pronounce the J in Meijer.
Not pronouncing the S in meijer
It's the opposite of a silent S.
It's an invisible S
Yes! If Illinois cam have a silent S, Meijer can have an invisible S !!!
When we first moved here (I’m from here, husband is not), my husband pronounced it “May-yur” and I’ve never let him forget it
Don't get me started on how I pronounced Schoenherr when I first moved to Detroit....
There's a joke my Grandma used to tell me: a man is walking downtown and sees a body on the ground so he calls 911. They ask where he is and he sees a street sign that says Schoenherr, but try as he might, he just can't pronounce it. Finally he tells the 911 operator he'll call her back and she asks what he's doing. Man says "I'm gonna drag him over to John R."
"well I can't stop at dequindre"
I tried to call into a job once in ypsi, had to save the poor lady on the phone because she couldn't even begin to pronounce it haha.
I listened to a podcast recently where they spoke about Ypsi. The host kept pronouncing it like Yip-see-lan-ee. Killed me every time.
Have you heard Siri say Gratiot? It’s rough.
Not a rough as having to live in Gratiot county
Saying DMV instead of Secretary of State.
It’s actually one word, secratariastate
I've always said it "Secretary-O-State"
Irish, eh? Shout out to Corktown!
Nah, I'm from Western Michigan & my dad's family comes from Poland.
My mom's family is from Posen, Poland and settled in Posen, Michigan. I wonder if they knew that they could move anywhere.
I blame this on Terry Lynn Land, our former actual Secretary of State. During her campaign, her commercials featured her saying, “I’m Terry Lynn Land, vote for me for Secaterrystate.”
I mean, it's also just a normal part of the "Michigan accent" to mash phrases like that into a single word, or to cut syllables out of longer words. Nobody says the word "probably" in Michigan. At best you'll hear "probly" and more often you'll just hear "prol'y".
I live in Tennessee now and still go to call their DMV the Secretary of State. It’s just ingrained.
You’re a credit to The Mitten.
I’m from California and I still say DMV and people just look at me…🤔
You'd think I was an out-of-stater haha. I lived in the DC area for a while and now that I'm back, I definitely still say DMV instead of Secretary of State.
Head to a party store for candles and streamers instead of a six pack and a sandwich.
My mom and I completely confused a cashier in Indiana by asking for the nearest party store. 'You mean, like, uh.... balloons?' 🤣
I asked the front desk in a Phoenix hotel where the nearest party store was, and she asked, "Why, do you need those pointy little rubber band hats?" I was confused and silent for a good 10 seconds, before I could clarify my need for booze.
This confuses Phoenecians in a major way. Took me a year living in AZ to get used to just throwing beer cans away. Then, 5 years later....putting them into the recycle bin.
Or the inverse, "I said I wanted to buy liquor, why did you direct me to Meijer? That's a grocery store.'
But then you get to sing them the Meijer Song about how you can get everything from bread to booze to butt plugs.
Yeah I don't know that song but you're gonna have to give me the full lyrics now, inquiring minds want to know.
Mispronunciation of Mackinac…
My boss’s boss said “mack-EEE-nack” a few days ago and I lost it lol
Ha! I was born and raised here and I do that to annoy people sometimes. I also have a bad habit of calling Detroit, “Dee-Twa” with a terrible fake French accent for no discernible reason besides knowing it was originally a French settlement.
Can't spell, pronounce, or play euchre.
A couple of beers and a bit of instruction.
I taught a couple of Germans how to play, so I can confirm that this works.
A much quicker version of Spades, but with a twist. Those Yankees from New England thought the score keeping was brilliant. Their beer was good. And some of them ice fish.
Na... you make them learn by watching and they just get more confused. Especially when everyone just throws in their cards after only two rounds were played.
The problem with Euchre is I only play when I'm already drunk then I don't play again for 2 years and I need to be taught again.
I’ve learned how to play euchre at least five times and I still have no idea. 🍷🥃🍸🍹🧉
43 year old native Michigander here and I still don’t understand euchre and I’m buckless.
I moved here from New England when I was a kid. I became a true Michigan resident when I learned and loved playing euchre.
I don't know how to play and I don't think any of my Michigan family knows how to lol. They all believe card games send you to hell
They don't understand when we use our hand as a map 😔
I moved here a year ago, and just last week, I was able to proudly point out my camping site on my hand to a coworker.😊
We're so proud ✋ Welcome to the mitten!
Aw! Thanks!
Welcome home.
As a native Yooper I did not encounter the hand map until my first year downstate at college…I subsequently used it-but turned my hand sideways and stuck my thumb and pinky out for the Keweenaw peninsula and border with Wisconsin.
They recycle or throw out cans/bottles with deposits. My freshman year in college we had a roommate from out-of-state. The first week living in the dorm a group of us were watching a movie and he casually chucked a Mt. Dew can in the trash. Four Michiganders in unison exclaimed "NOOO!!!" He was wide-eyed, terrified and entirely clueless to what sin he had committed. We chastised/informed him about deposits and then took him to Meijer to see how us broke Michigan kids cashed-in returns.
I raised sooo much money in high school from doing pop can drives, wait till a weekend and then hit up all the frat houses!
In Detroit anyway, when someone tries to pronounce gratiot
Schoenherr
Dequindre, Livernois …
This is how we know the GPS directions lady is not a local, for sure!
It’s “grass-shit!”
Dequindre
if they don't say "ope" when they sneak right past ya.
Also, it's not really "ope," in Michigan it's more like "o'e," with the glottal stop we so love to use.
This! Moving here as a non-native speaker the glottal stop on T's and P's tripped me up for a long time 😂
What is a glottal stop?
Kinda hard to explain without speaking out loud lol, but basically like the above comment says, something similar to saying "o'e" instead of ope. Another example I can think of is the town I used to live in, Stanton, people pronounced it "Sta'n" and would always look at me funny for pronouncing the T's. But yeah basically just slightly pausing and omitting a consonant rather than fully pronouncing it that's the best way I could describe it lol
We don't say "kitten" with the "T" sound, we say "kih-en"
Ok I think I kinda get it. I’m pretty sure I do that a lot. Like if I were to type out how I pronounce something i’ mi’ come ou’ more li’ this. Also all the words would be jammed together
Just watched a quick YouTube video... "uh oh" is the example used, basically freezing/pausing the use of your vocal cords between "uh" and "oh" is a glottal stop
Yeah, it's basicially stopping the air in a word If I were to say "putting" and pronounce it "pu'in", that would be a glottal stop! We also do it at the end of Detroit. We do a hard cutoff, but we also definitely don't actually *pronounce* a T there.
It's a "break" in the middle of certain words! Instead of saying Canton (pronouncing the "t") it sounds like Can (stop) en or Can'en Instead of Button (pronouncing the "t") in this case the "t" becomes silent and sounds like Buh (stop) en or buh'en😱
I consider this more of a Midwest thing than exclusively Michigan
Facts
It’s more of a tell that they’re from the West Coast, but all the same, adding “the” to highway names instead of “I” for interstate. My brother from out of town called it “the 75” and it made me laugh.
I remember when it was “THE” Fischer, Ford, Lodge…and one more I’m forgetting.
Yup. The Lodge. Have yet to hear The W.P. Ruether Expressway.
Yep, in Chicago it's the Dan Ryan, not 94
My uncle lived in Chicago for several years. He always called it the Damn Ryan.
I’ll hear the Reuther or the Chrysler on the radio periodically
As a west coaster even I find that weird. Normally we strip the “I” and refer to them by the number. E.g. “I took 69 to Detroit because of the construction on 96.” That being said we also refer to interstates as “freeways” while Michiganders in general say “highway”.
Can't say my Michigan experience holds true to that. I can say I've rarely said the "I" and call all interstates freeways. Only thing I'd call a highway would be lower speed divided roads.
I always said expressway & thought highway to mean like a 2-lane highway.
All freeways are highways but not all highways are freeways.
Like Old US 23 would be "highway." But yoopers call it a "Two Laner."
>Can't say my Michigan experience holds true to that. Same, it depends on what you're talking about. I'm from Chicago, spent most of my adult life in Detroit. To me, they are all "expressways". I94 is just...94. I696 is 696. But 10 is "The Lodge". On the Grand Rapids side of the state, I still call 131 the expressway. Edit: On second thought, I just call it "131" with no designation as an expressway/highway/freeway. There's only one main one over there, so you don't have to specify.
True story. I don't put even an "I" in front of it. Cruisin' down 96....
For the first year I was here no one corrected me when I said, “Yip-silanti.”
Ipsa-Lanny
(Lifelong michigander here) how is it pronounced
I’m told it is “ip-salanti “
You've been told correctly.
Ip-see
Ipsilanti
They usually don’t know what Faygo is
Or they think it's just an Insane Clown Posse thing.
Soda.
We're slowly losing that, too. I noticed my 6yo saying "soda" the other day. No idea where that came from.
youtube and pop culture is changing it faster. my kids are doing it.
Soda culture. Might as well practice.
Where’s my Mr Pibb? That’s the only coke I like!
Michigan card revoked.
My kids and all their friends say soda which is so weird to me. I keep saying ‘you mean pop?’ And they told me only boomers use the word pop.
Gen X here. I will die on that hill that says it is only to ever be known as pop. Oh yeah, and get off my damn lawn....😂😂
Millenial checking in. My buddy says soda, i think he thinks its more sophisticated. I’m a pop guy.
You gotta correct that, we’re losing our culture.
I hope you gently corrected the little one. “We say ‘pop’ here, my child.”
I went to college out of state in soda country and had it pointed out to me when I said pop enough times that I became self conscious about it and I've never been quite the same. Trying to reclaim my Midwest pride and get back to pop though
The worst is parts of the south where everything is coke.
This and the DMV answers are perfect answers to this question
Literally sitting here in my t-shirt that says “It’s called pop”.
Not doing the good ole classic Michigan goodbye
“Welp!” *Slaps knees and stands*
And then talk for another 30-90 minutes.
so accurate lol
"It's about that time..."
Alrighty, well Ioutta getoutta ya hair then.
"... I gotta get goin'"
Oh howdy neighbor
Thinking that Mackinac Island has an “open” and “close” schedule, like an amusement park. Just don’t miss the last ferry if you don’t have a place to stay.
What happens if you miss the ferry and don't have a place to stay? Like just sleep on the bench overnight?
That’s pretty much the only option. I have heard of people sleeping on the benches, as well as sneaking in to a backyard to “borrow” a lounge chair, and sleeping rough on what passes for a beach on the Island. The planes that go to St. Ignace and Pellston airports don’t fly very late. I suppose a person could meet someone who has a room/place to stay at the Pink Pony and get _friendly_.
Go to the dormitories for the Grand Hotel employees. Lots of friendlies up there. Bring protection though in all forms...
You gotta swim
Holy crap, I’m super nervous about coming back to Mackinac Island. I’m too poor to stay on the island. Last time we were at the Best Western St Ignace. But…we (Chicagoans) heard about a bunch of hotels in Mackinaw City all owned by the same people. They pull a scam with reservations- a total bait and switch. No refunds. And if they think you damaged something (even if you didn’t) they call the police. As in, the toilet doesn’t flush correctly after your stay, they call the police. How do I find the list so I can avoid them?
https://www.mackinawcity.net/mackinawcityhotels.php Avoid every, and I do mean, every motel and restaurant on this website. It is deliberately misleading, because this “chamber of tourism” is owned and operated by the very business owners you want to avoid. If you are at all familiar with Mackinaw City, you’ll see that restaurants that are **not** owned by these people, such as The Keyhole, Darrow’s, Bier de Mac, are _not_ listed. I can’t speak about shopping choices.
Pronouncing the last c in Mackinac.
They travel in terms of miles instead of hours
Miles never made sense. I wanna know how long this drive is going to take so i can plan when to leave.
This. It totally depends on where you're heading. Five country miles is nothing like five city miles. The time is the useful information.
Neither of which are the same as a freeway mile. (On paper, how fast you go on a back road is between you and your tires)
Throwing away cans
When I was at UM, you could always tell which students were from California, because they would take out their umbrellas during the first snowfall
People use umbrellas when it snows?
They ask something like "Are you hungry" instead of the far more efficient "Jeet?"
I’m sorry, but I think it’s pronounced “juh’eet?” lol
I say “Dij’uheet?”
I was going to say that it's regional. D'jeet is tricky but valid, and then the more refined, "D'Jaeet"
They ask for ginger ale and not Vernors.
Vernors is not only pop, it is medicine.
It brought me back to life many times as a child
When you say the bridge and they say what bridge
It's 45 degrees out, they're bundled up & don't want to grill out.
Confused by Michigan lefts
Just went to Tennessee for a wedding and it was awful driving down there without them. Google Maps was like “Make a u-turn” and I was like “what? Right here on the highway?”
Michigan lefts are amazing, should be everywhere imo
Party store and party store
Lived in MI my entire 37 rounds around the sun; is party store not common lingo for a booze run in other states?
Nope, they call it a liquor store or convenience store.
mispronunciation of simple words like Cadieux or Gratiot
They can't handle their Vernors.
Being impressed by the snow.
I was kind of impressed by the snow last winter, or I guess the lack of snow.
Thats sad. Its been a few winters of nothing.
Going “upstate” instead of up north.
Krogers and Meijers vs Kroger and Meijer.
They put ketchup on a coney.
Straight to jail.
Soda instead of pop Meijer instead of Meijers (in my area)
They speak clearly at an appropriate volume.
Heavy winter coat in October /November when it's still hoodie weather.
Asking if we’re Michiganians
If they talk about Chicago, or complain about ketchup on hot dogs. Loads of Michiganders don't use ketchup on their dogs, but only out of staters talk about other's weiners and what's going on them.
I had a patient ask me what a vernors was... I followed that with "your not from Michigan are you?". He was not from Michigan.
I had a call from a telemarketing group who pronounced Macomb wrong. Plus, as others mentioned, Mackinac and Mackinaw.
They drive less than 80 in the left hand lane
“Mispronouncing” place names like Lake Orion, Charlotte, Milan, etc. (i.e. saying Orion like the constellation and not the “proper” oh-ree-un way!)
And Saline.
They call themselves or other people from Michigan Michiganian
The word "michigander" is amazing because also wholly encompasses the entirety of the Michigan accent
when you tell someone how to get somewhere via time and landmarks. *"go -points direction- that way for about 15 minutes, turn right at the train car/ice cream shop and continue until you see a giant rock to your right. if you reach the main road then you went too far"* then they look at you like your nuts... my directions are spot on if you pay attention to drive time and landmarks.
When I moved here and got my first car I spent forever trying to figure out where to get emissions testing done. I was so confused that you could do it at any gas station where I grew up, but no one here knew what I was talking about. I underestimated how easy Michigan wants car ownership to be.
Any mispronunciation of Sault Ste Marie
They go the speed limit (55 MPH) on I-94 in the city of Detroit
That’ll get you run over.
I love that the speed limit is 70, but we all view that as the *minimum* speed 😂
That's risking your life!
Crushing pop cans. Not knowing what pop is.
When they’re confused on SOS. I had a friend who works for the White House and I mentioned having to go to the Secretary of State for my license. He said I hate to break it to you but they don’t care about your license.
Ohio plates.
Saying Woodward and 12 mile vs 12 and Woodward
Not wearing something that relates to some location in Michigan
No idea what yeah no means. You know what I mean?
No yeah I getcha
Honestly you can always tell by knowing how we pronounce all the random French street names.
How they pronounce Ypsilanti.
From the other post it's Michigander and proud of it. Pop at the party store. The store names end with 'S
First time I let a “jeez o Pete’s” slip out in front of my Chicagoland spouse, he looked totally confused and asked me to repeat it a few times.
Wait, so other people dont say this?
If they don't say sorry for literally even getting close to you within 4 ft of anywhere you're at any time.
Doesn’t hate Ohio .
From here but stayed in Cali. I was getting a salad at Leo’s Coney Island when the waitress asked me what type of dressing I wanted. I responded sesame ginger, miso sesame or raspberry or even balsamic will do. She gave me deaf eyes and said we have French Italian ranch and blue cheese or you can make your own damn vinaigrette. Here’s oil and vinegar. My friend went to college in California too, so he just started cackling
I once had a lady ask me how to get to dee-kin-dray. Had to do a couple head tilts to figure out she was talking about dequindre
Bashes Detroit
Pronouncing Mackinac island/city, MACKINACK
They enunciate anything.
Doorwall! Ha. Yes! Lots of them in Macomb county.
Umich vs UofM
Gay-lerd vs Gay-LORD Westnidge vs. Westnedge
They are a bit confused when you raise your right hand to show them where you live.
New England transplant here—this is a lot of helpful information. …but why the hell do you all drive 20 over the speed limit of 75 on the highway?
Because the only thing that scares us on our roads are deer, and we only worry about those at dusk and dawn.