My Native Tongue

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 makes it more credible; as in, "really!"

Borrow: used in place of "lend," as in, "could youse borrow me a couple two-tree bucks?" (This one always drove me nuts growing up. Whenever I would correct people they would insist that I was wrong)

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.

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.

Cry-yiy!: a bit stronger expletive.

Cry-yiy-yiy!: a much stronger 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."

Da OR Dah: used in place of "the", almost the same rules as D.

Fish fry: a Friday night dining ritual in Wisconsin.

Farm & Fleet: a Cheddarhead's answer to Bloomingdales.

Frozen tundra: Lambeau Field.

Geeez!: Another Wisconsin expletive.

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?"

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

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

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

Sconsin: the state where Cheeseheads are from.

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

Smelt: used in place of "smelled", also a fish that you catch in nets.

Start wit me last: to forfeit your turn, "go ahead of me", or "you go first".

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

Tirdy: same as "thirty", and used on all numbers from 30 thru 39. Exception to the "D"rule, similar to "tink" and "tousand"..

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

Un-thaw: to defrost.

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

Upnort: where Wisconsinites go on vacation.



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

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