Here in Cleveland, we’ve aced the art of rhetoric. Language certainly evolves regionally, and though we may not hear our accent (we are part of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, so we emphasize our vowels in a unique way. Our speech is littered with short a’s acquiring more of a nasally yeah sound, along with other oddly emphasized vowels), we have certainly noticed that a few of our words and phrases are uniquely our own. How many of these ten phrases have you found yourself using?
- The Jake
Elfboy / Flickr Though it is now operating under the name “Progressive Field,” many Clevelanders still affectionately refer to our lovely baseball stadium as “The Jake.”
- The Rapid
Wyliepoon / Flickr Our own light-rail tram system is known regionally as “The Rapids,” and we have all taken the rails to at least a sporting event or two.
- Scooch over
David Wilson / Flickr In Midwestern cities, we seem to have mashed the New England word “scooch,” which means to crouch, with “scoot.”
- Tree Lawn
John Watson / Flickr Our road verge, the strip of grass between the road and the sidewalk, is an area we affectionately refer to as our “tree lawn.” The closer you get to Akron, though, the more you start to hear “Devil strip” used to describe the space.
- Cuya-hoag-uh
David Fulmer / Flickr Interestingly, the pronunciation of “Cuyahoga” seems to differ depending on when the word is being used. When used alone, the word is often emphasized with the Cuya-hoag-uh pronunciation. When it is followed by another noun, such as in the case of Cuya-hawg-uh River or Cuya-hawg-uh Falls, a different enunciation becomes evident.
- “Prepared Fresh For You!”
Mr. Hero / Facebook Who else sang the catchy Mr. Hero jingle?! Outside of Northeast Ohio, few people know the wonders of this restaurant’s mouthwatering menu.
- Forest City
Erik Drost / Flickr Forest City is our nickname for Cleveland. The urban jungle of skyscrapers and industry that comprise downtown leaves out-of-towners wondering where we came up with this nickname, but in actuality it can be traced back to the 1830s when the city was noticeably more forested.
- Sweeties
Sweeties Candy / Facebook Sweeties is a colloquial Clevelander phrase which roughly translates to “the best frickin’ candy store on the planet.”
- The Best Location In The Nation
Jen Goellnitz / Flickr Noun. A term used to collectively refer to the Greater Cleveland Area.
- Burning River
Great Lakes Brewing Company / Facebook Though the Cuyahoga River Fire is seen nationally as a tragedy, it inspired the much-needed Clean Water Act of 1972. To celebrate, we Clevelanders adore a cold Burning River Pale Ale, the more delicious outcome of the heavily-publicized fire incident.
In Cleveland, we have our own way of communicating. Some of our words and expressions are unique to our region, and they have inevitably become a part of our everyday speech. How many of these phrases have you ever used?
Elfboy / Flickr
Though it is now operating under the name “Progressive Field,” many Clevelanders still affectionately refer to our lovely baseball stadium as “The Jake.”
Wyliepoon / Flickr
Our own light-rail tram system is known regionally as “The Rapids,” and we have all taken the rails to at least a sporting event or two.
David Wilson / Flickr
In Midwestern cities, we seem to have mashed the New England word “scooch,” which means to crouch, with “scoot.”
John Watson / Flickr
Our road verge, the strip of grass between the road and the sidewalk, is an area we affectionately refer to as our “tree lawn.” The closer you get to Akron, though, the more you start to hear “Devil strip” used to describe the space.
David Fulmer / Flickr
Interestingly, the pronunciation of “Cuyahoga” seems to differ depending on when the word is being used. When used alone, the word is often emphasized with the Cuya-hoag-uh pronunciation. When it is followed by another noun, such as in the case of Cuya-hawg-uh River or Cuya-hawg-uh Falls, a different enunciation becomes evident.
Mr. Hero / Facebook
Who else sang the catchy Mr. Hero jingle?! Outside of Northeast Ohio, few people know the wonders of this restaurant’s mouthwatering menu.
Erik Drost / Flickr
Forest City is our nickname for Cleveland. The urban jungle of skyscrapers and industry that comprise downtown leaves out-of-towners wondering where we came up with this nickname, but in actuality it can be traced back to the 1830s when the city was noticeably more forested.
Sweeties Candy / Facebook
Sweeties is a colloquial Clevelander phrase which roughly translates to “the best frickin’ candy store on the planet.”
Jen Goellnitz / Flickr
Noun. A term used to collectively refer to the Greater Cleveland Area.
Great Lakes Brewing Company / Facebook
Though the Cuyahoga River Fire is seen nationally as a tragedy, it inspired the much-needed Clean Water Act of 1972. To celebrate, we Clevelanders adore a cold Burning River Pale Ale, the more delicious outcome of the heavily-publicized fire incident.
For more weird words, check out these phrases you’ll only encounter in Ohio.
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