# Milwaukee and/or Wisconsin-isms **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480 "2007-11-23T03:48:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/1 "2007-11-23T03:48:11Z")
Curiosity strikes me, mostly due to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9194893#post9194893) thread, about how words and mannerisms are different in my hometown than in other places in the country. (I’ve never really traveled far from here, so I really don’t have a firm grasp on how “bag” and “vague” do not rhyme, for example [I mean it, I cannot fathom it]) Here are a few that I can think of off the top of my head (things that I **believe** aren’t really used elsewhere): Bubbler for water fountain Tyme machine for ATM “Drove truck,” as in “He drove truck for Miller for a few years.” “Sout side” (No “th”, just a hard “t”). Similar to “Up Nort”, which doesn’t necessarily mean a location north of where you are. “Come here once” I know that there are only a few Milwaukee area/Wisconsin dopers here, I don’t mean to post an irrelevant thread that no one cares about, so I apologize if this is too geographically specific. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/2 "2007-11-23T05:34:56Z")
Uff-da, I’m not sure that’s a tough one. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/3 "2007-11-23T05:53:03Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] Curiosity strikes me, mostly due to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9194893#post9194893) thread, about how words and mannerisms are different in my hometown than in other places in the country. (I’ve never really traveled far from here, so I really don’t have a firm grasp on how “bag” and “vague” do not rhyme, for example [I mean it, I cannot fathom it]) Here are a few that I can think of off the top of my head (things that I **believe** aren’t really used elsewhere): Bubbler for water fountain [/QUOTE] “Bubbler” was the common term used for water fountains in Boston metro area in the 70’s and I never heard the term used in the 15 years that I lived in Madison (1984-1999). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/4 "2007-11-23T06:19:44Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] (things that I **believe** aren’t really used elsewhere): “Sout side” (No “th”, just a hard “t”). [/QUOTE] Dropping "th"s for "t"s or “d"s (depending on whether the “th” is voiced or not”) is common in Chicago accents, as well as a number of other urban accents. I say “Sout Side” and “Nort Side” when I start talking quickly in my native accent. I assume this would be common anywhere there has been historically a large non-English speaking immigrant population, as the “th” sound is not present in most languages. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/5 "2007-11-23T09:56:02Z")
I grew up in Northern Indiana and have lived in middle Tennessee for a number of years…both places have a lot of guys who “drove truck” for a living at some point of their careers. ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/6 "2007-11-23T15:18:37Z")
[QUOTE=Waterman] “Bubbler” was the common term used for water fountains in Boston metro area in the 70’s and I never heard the term used in the 15 years that I lived in Madison (1984-1999). [/QUOTE] I should have been more clear, “Bubbler” is pretty specific to the Milwaukee metro area. People from Madison do not call it that (but they do call soda “pop” sometimes.) I was vaguely aware that there was a pocket of MA that said “Bubbler” too, but I didn’t know that is was Boston! These have got to be the only two places in in country that say that.. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/7 "2007-11-23T15:21:22Z")
Aina-a-hey: Sort of the equivalent of “isn’t it?” As in “cold out dere in da tree stand dis mornin, ain-a-hey?” En-so: A statement closer, asking the listener for confirmation that the speaker is correct. “Awwwww, Brett, he’s da best Packer ever, en-so?” 'Sconsin: It’s the state we live in. Un-Thaw: Defrost, or melt. As in “I’ll un-thaw da brats” or “I gotta get my shack off da ice before da lake un-thaws”. Ya-hey: Yes. Mayn’t: A contraction of may not. “Da old lady said I mayn’t hang out at Serb Hall tonight, cuz I gotta put up da lights”. Borrow: Used in place of lend, or loan. “Could youse borrow me 5 bucks? I forgot my lunch and I wanna buy a sammich”. ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/8 "2007-11-23T15:24:47Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Un-Thaw: Defrost, or melt. [/QUOTE] Oh yes, and the “un” prefix is a homophone to the word “on”, pronounced “ahhhhn” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/9 "2007-11-23T15:40:52Z")
Budge: Cut in. As in “Don’t budge in line, wait your turn, I was here first.” Go by: Visit. “Let’s go by Art’s. He might have some beer”. Cripes (var. Criminy): G-rated curse word: “Cripes, Brett’s holding his leg after dat hit! He’s not getting up! Criminy, oh dis is bad!” Stop 'n go lights: Stop lights. “Cripes, Kewaskum is getting big. They put in a second stop 'n go light.” ---
**Author:** ![furlibusea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/10 "2007-11-23T15:52:06Z")
went by- for went to- (I see I got beat by seconds) "I went by my ma’s house to have dinner. " ---
**Author:** ![InLucemEdita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@InLucemEdita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InLucemEdita)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/11 "2007-11-23T15:59:45Z")
From my Wisconsin youth I remember that a number of single syllable words were transformed into multiple syllables when pronounced: Co-wall-ed = Cold Schoo-wall = School I’ve also only heard the expression “to whale on” something meaning to abuse something in Wisconsin. Of course we all know that Milwaukee is actually pronounced…Mwakee. The one that burned my Mom’s butt was “to go with”, as in “We’re goin to da House-o-Cheese, do you wanna go with?” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/12 "2007-11-23T16:02:09Z")
Heard by me from my grandma (who was born in The Netherlands): “Ja, we need our huis gepainted again.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/13 "2007-11-23T16:41:33Z")
“There ya go.” “Sure, ya bet.” ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/14 "2007-11-23T17:02:11Z")
Highway 100 = Highway **A-hunnerd** ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/15 "2007-11-23T17:03:53Z")
[QUOTE=Brad Serum] Highway 100 = Highway **A-hunnerd** [/QUOTE] = The Old Bypass ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/16 "2007-11-23T18:05:11Z")
[QUOTE=InLucemEdita] The one that burned my Mom’s butt was “to go with”, as in “We’re goin to da House-o-Cheese, do you wanna go with?” [/QUOTE] In SW WI we used “you wannna come with?” Exclusivley in the hills where I grew up (the Madisonians only 40 miles away thought it was weird) was “wadder” for water, and having no “t” at the end of words; just a breathless, cough-like “eh!” with my name “what” pronunced “whuh-(eh!)” Even though we lived “way out in the sticks,” we could point to people who by our reconning _really_ lived out in the sticks, who’d use words like “pert-near” for “almost” or “shicken” for chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/17 "2007-11-23T18:41:00Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] (I’ve never really traveled far from here, so I really don’t have a firm grasp on how “bag” and “vague” do not rhyme, for example [I mean it, I cannot fathom it]) [/QUOTE] This puzzles me. The **a** in “bag” rhymes with the **a** in “had,” “sat,” and “back.” The **a** in “vague” rhymes with the **a** in “bake,” “made,” and “hate.” How is this not fathomable? Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/18 "2007-11-23T19:38:48Z")
[QUOTE=Gary T] This puzzles me. The **a** in “bag” rhymes with the **a** in “had,” “sat,” and “back.” The **a** in “vague” rhymes with the **a** in “bake,” “made,” and “hate.” How is this not fathomable? Am I missing something? [/QUOTE] I’m just as puzzled, Gary. Although I can tell you that it is hard for me to pronounce “bag” with the same sounding “a” in “had, sat and back”. It sounds weird, almost British or something (Same as “Back”?). It sounds like we say “vague” the same way, though. Try saying “Baaag”, with a hard “a”, and hold the “a” sound a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/19 "2007-11-23T21:25:17Z")
[QUOTE=hekk] I’m just as puzzled, Gary. Although I can tell you that it is hard for me to pronounce “bag” with the same sounding “a” in “had, sat and back”. It sounds weird, almost British or something (Same as “Back”?). It sounds like we say “vague” the same way, though. Try saying “Baaag”, with a hard “a”, and hold the “a” sound a bit. [/QUOTE] Okay, I think I follow. The problem is you folks don’t pronuncicate corrinctly. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AuntPam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@AuntPam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntPam)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480/20 "2007-11-23T21:39:36Z")
You left out “umfusser” for potholder. “Go by her house” is a straight lift from German “bei dem Haus” and way, WAY back when Milwaukee had a trolley system, one heard: “…down by where the streetcar bends the corner round.” Let’s not forget the pronunciation of “Teutonia” as “TIE-TONE-YA.” I was a Milwaukee school kid on a class trip to the Field Museum in Chicago and asked a museum guard where there wasa bubbler. Because I was thirsty. After a brief period of mutual incomprehension, he said “Wait–you want a water fountain?” “Yeah, I SUPPOSE you could call it that…” I answered. Also “sweet roll”–known in the rest of the world as a “Danish.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milwaukee-and-or-wisconsin-isms/427480.md?page=2)