Michigan Phrases You Will Have to Translate to Out-of-Towners

You may have family coming in from out of state for the holidays and if they didn't grow up here, there may be a few phrases you will need to translate.

Holiday Out-of-Towners

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve all coming up, some of your family may be coming to Michigan for one of those holidays who lives out of state.

Maybe these family or friends didn't grow up in Michigan and then something gets said at the table that you may have to explain to those who are not official Michiganders. Below are some of the top translations you may have to make.

Top 10 Michigan Translations For Out-of-State Visitors

#10 Door Wall

If you tell your guests to come around to the "Door Wall" they may get confused because if they are not from Michigan they usually call it a sliding door.

#9 Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan

Your children may have married a spouse from another state or you migrated to Michigan years ago and the Upper and Lower Peninsulas come up in a conversation. Many Michiganders travel up north to a cabin to get away from the city and since most people when using their hand as a map of Michigan, there are sometimes questions about the Upper Peninsula or didn't even know it existed in the first place.

#8 Yoopers and Trolls

If the Upper Peninsula comes up in a conversation with out-of-town family members or friends, the terms "Yooper and Trolls" usually come up. Remind them that Yoopers live in the Upper Peninsula and they call everyone who lives below the Mackinac Bridge Trolls.

#7 It's Not Mack-I-Nack

The Mackinac Bridge is probably the most mispronounced word for out-of-towners who visit Michigan. Most visitors say it like it looks which turns out to be "Mack-I-Nack" instead of "Mack-I-Gnaw". Have fun explaining that one.

#6 Michigan Left

You might do a little local traveling with your visitors from out of state and they may notice there are many traffic lights you can't turn left at but if you drive by the light there will be a left turn lane which is called a Michigan left. This might baffle a few of your guests but Michigan is one of the only states that has this type of left turn.

#5 Michigan's Miracle Cure for Anything: Vernors

With holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve coming up there might be some drinking going on at the family event. If someone drinks too much and has a belly ache make sure you have some Vernors on hand. Vernors have been the cure-all for belly aches, and itchy throat, and has been a go-to remedy for Michiganders for years.

#4 Returnable Bottle and Cans

Most states do not have returnable cans and bottles. You may spend your entire visit with your out-of-state relatives pulling bottles and cans out of your trash since where they are from you either throw them away or recycle them. Many visitors to Michigan are surprised when they find out most bottles and cans are worth 10 cents each.

#3 Ohio State

Some families are okay with an f-bomb at the table but not all. There is one phrase that just doesn't need to come up from your out-of-state guests especially if they are from Ohio and that is Ohio State. Both Michigan and Michigan State fans cannot stand Ohio State and that is a phrase that could lead to a fight so hopefully your guests stay away from it.

#2 Using Your Hand as a Michigan Map

You might get in a conversation with someone who is not from Michigan and they ask where something is, then you whip out your trusty Michigan hand map and point to the location. It works great with the Lower Peninsula but is a little tougher if you are explaining where something in the Upper Peninsula is.

#1 Pop and Soda

If you have someone in your family visiting from out east and they want a pop they will say can I get a soda. Or, you might ask your out-of-state guest if they would like a pop and they go what? Calling a carbonated beverage a pop is definitely a Michigan thing you may have to explain.