There’s a lot to get adjusted to, even if you have seen “Fargo.”
By: Alex Steil
If you’re not from Minnesota, eavesdropping on conversations around you will require some training to understand what exactly we’re trying to say.
In Minnesota, 10,000 and hot dish are not the only cliches you’ll have to learn about. The state is home to some key colloquialisms — you know, phrases or ways of speaking — that require some translation for the newly arrived.
Or maybe you’ve already seen “Fargo.” But that only gives you so much.
“Films like Fargo, which of course everybody knows, are an exaggeration that deals in stereotypes,” said Dr. Alice Lovejoy, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature. “But, I think for a lot of people that is a first introduction to Minnesota.”
Here’s some practical advice for how to talk Minnesotan.
“Oofda”
When you hear this phrase, it’s usually after something inconvenient or shocking happened. You tell your new Minnesotan friend a wild college story and, because they aren’t sure how to respond, “Oofda” is a quick way to buy some time.
“…ooo…”
Yes, the elongated “o’s” you hear in Fargo and conjure in your head do exist here. At this point, there is no shame in hiding it. You might even find yourself adopting it in a few years.
“Ope”
Similar to a startled “Oh!”, “Ope” simply takes the place of a startled phrase. Almost bump into someone at the store? We’ll usually exclaim “Ope” followed by “Let me squeeze right past ya.”
“Teeter-totter”/“Duck Duck Gray Duck”
Just in case you end up talking about childhood memories, here in Minnesota we don’t use a seesaw — it’s a teeter-totter. In the same vein, we don’t play Duck, Duck, Goose — it’s Duck, Duck, Gray Duck.
Goodbye
Not so much a phrase, but instead a cultural warning: goodbyes are not quick. The Minnesota Goodbye will take a while. If you’re on a schedule, plan at least ten minutes for your goodbye, alone (and that’s probably for colleagues, not friends or family).
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