When you travel away from home, do people ever point out your accent, or the way you use Iowa slang? You’re not alone! In some ways, our Iowa slang is like a completely different language. Check out some of the best examples of our dialect and common phrases below.
- Clear Over There
Flickr / Brad Covington We like to use this phrase when we’re talking about something far away “see that barn clear over there?” When you leave the Midwest and try talking about something clear over there, people might look at you funny.
- Parking Ramp
Flickr / Tony Webster To the rest of the country, this is a parking garage. In Iowa, though, you’ll want to find a parking ramp to store your car while you’re in the city.
- Squinnies
Flickr / Renee Grayson You might also call them grinnies, stripers, or chippers - but most people around here will never say “look at that cute little ground squirrel”.
- Warsh
Flickr / Thomas Hawk I’ve been staring at this sign for a few minutes now, trying to figure out why it doesn’t look quite right. Oh well, it seems pretty clear that it’s not the place for warshing your dirty clothes. On to the next.
- Got the Holler Tail
Flickr / Phil Roeder If someone’s in a terrible mood, they’ve got the holler tail. It’s an old farm phrase that’s worked its way into the vocabulary of many Iowans - particularly those who grew up in the rural counties.
- Padiddle!
Flickr / Carl Wycoff Does anyone still punch their fellow car passengers when they pass a car with one headlight out? No? Hmm, must not have grown up in Iowa.
- Going gravel
Flickr / Phil Roeder Iowans avoid traffic as much as possible, and that means going gravel whenever possible. Taking these dusty back roads is a way to avoid slowdowns and delays on the major roads.
- Crick
Flickr / Carl Wycoff Did your mom ever warn you to stay out of the crick? This one is a pretty common word in the rural areas of Iowa, but it’s also easy to find city slickers who still can’t pronounce “creek.”
Have you been caught confusing tourists or outsiders with everyday words? Let us know in the comments below!
Flickr / Brad Covington
We like to use this phrase when we’re talking about something far away “see that barn clear over there?” When you leave the Midwest and try talking about something clear over there, people might look at you funny.
Flickr / Tony Webster
To the rest of the country, this is a parking garage. In Iowa, though, you’ll want to find a parking ramp to store your car while you’re in the city.
Flickr / Renee Grayson
You might also call them grinnies, stripers, or chippers - but most people around here will never say “look at that cute little ground squirrel”.
Flickr / Thomas Hawk
I’ve been staring at this sign for a few minutes now, trying to figure out why it doesn’t look quite right. Oh well, it seems pretty clear that it’s not the place for warshing your dirty clothes. On to the next.
Flickr / Phil Roeder
If someone’s in a terrible mood, they’ve got the holler tail. It’s an old farm phrase that’s worked its way into the vocabulary of many Iowans - particularly those who grew up in the rural counties.
Flickr / Carl Wycoff
Does anyone still punch their fellow car passengers when they pass a car with one headlight out? No? Hmm, must not have grown up in Iowa.
Iowans avoid traffic as much as possible, and that means going gravel whenever possible. Taking these dusty back roads is a way to avoid slowdowns and delays on the major roads.
Did your mom ever warn you to stay out of the crick? This one is a pretty common word in the rural areas of Iowa, but it’s also easy to find city slickers who still can’t pronounce “creek.”
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