6 Words I've Picked Up Living in America's Midwest

[@spddiesel]

"Ope" is usually followed by "just gonna sneak past ya there." Other Midwest translations: "No, yeah" = yes "Yeah, no" = no "Yeah, no, definitely" = absolutely

[@kidscats3952]

I would be completely lost listening to that. Lol.

[@2NDS0N]

This is like second nature to me, and yet, actually seeing it written down it does seem quite odd.

[@PettankoXO]

I say these living in CA... lol

[@hannahnikole1211]

I feel so bad when I say anyone of those and people say “....what??”😂

[@spddiesel]

I like to think of them as conversational contractions of longer phrases, like "yeah, no" is short for "yes I understand what you are saying, and no, I do not agree with you." The last word spoken is what really matters, the rest is preamble; kinda like "well, we oughtta be getting down the road" meaning it's time for 30 minutes of goodbyes.

[@OhJodi69]

It's not a pitch-in in Illinois....it's a potluck. Pitch-in means to help out

[@deathbeforedecaf7755]

I agree. I call it potluck. Pitch in means to help out

[@lifeandtheuniverse42]

JODI L PETERSON same in Utah!

[@SonyaLCH]

In Indiana we mostly say we're having a "pitch in".

[@christelheadington1136]

@@SonyaLCH -Maybe in border towns with Indiana, other parts of Ohio, nope, it's pot luck.

[@pbrady696]

I'm from northwest Indiana and I have never heard of pitch-in only potluck. Also, I never heard of a vacuum being called a sweeper. But I am a big user of ope.

[@00Temporary00]

The one and only acceptable response to “Ope” is “Oh no, you’re fine!”

[@CrayolaCoffeeBean]

HAHAHA yes!

[@PixelatedTwix]

LOL! This is too true.

[@meebrbey]

I do that a lot, or "ope, sorry"

[@nickvaughn22]

Truth

[@MasterCrander]

Not a fan of "You're good" ?

[@rachelcagwin3709]

I didn’t even realize I said “ope” until this video lol

[@LukenUSee]

Ope! Me either!

[@Linda7647]

Same here, lol.

[@shutup5258]

Once I became conscious of it I always notice now whenever I say it

[@bigchungus9574]

Ope me too

[@janhoadley3110]

Me too lol

[@stephenkaczmar]

"Ope, scuse me." "You're fine!" Midwesterners, also know as Southern Canadians. We even have Timmies

[@gabrielfear2833]

I didn't know we had those. Finding one is my new mission.

[@stephenkaczmar]

@@gabrielfear2833 as of posting this I did do a quick google maps search. Bad news is it seems it's just a mid michigan thing.

[@gabrielfear2833]

@@stephenkaczmar I'm from northern Indiana so the search is still a go!

[@hannahjohnson4582]

I *wish* we had Timmie's in Iowa🤣🤣

[@stephenkaczmar]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sH63dnWDabeJg6M

[@velojayf]

As an Ohioan, I haven't heard of a "pitch-in" we call them a "pot luck"

[@joshelliott1826]

Same

[@Boo-pz7li]

60 years in Ohio. I don't believe I've ever heard the "Ope" term ever.

[@charlottewolery558]

Oh course you haven't. It's something akin to a gasp. Now you know, you'll hear it all the time. In my case though it comes out as closer to oh than open. But it's not quite oh

[@kirknay]

Missouri here. Same.

[@sarkaztik3228]

@@Boo-pz7li You've probably heard it countless times, but it's more of a noise than a word. I find myself saying it when I almost run into someone or someone startles me.

[@RandomRoger]

Lawrence, you don't have to say the whole phrase "vacuum cleaner", you could just say, "vacuum" lol. You could use it as a noun or a verb.

[@hannahnikole1211]

Right!!

[@captcephalopod2988]

Nah it's a sweeper. You use it to sweep

[@raistlarn]

I just vac the carpet here. No need to say vacuum or vacuum cleaner.

[@TiffanyAllen1784]

I always thought ‘sweeper’ referred to a carpet sweeper, which is kind of a low tech version of vacuum....

[@PaintedCavern]

@Kathleen Henson Just like in France they call refrigerators "Frigidaire" after the brand.

[@jadecoloredglasses5822]

As a midwesterner, "ope" is such a normalized part of my vocabulary that I didn't realize that it was at all regional or different from what anyone might say in that situation. To me it's not even a word, it's just a sound. So strange to view it from an outside perspective.

[@jeremyzurinski2235]

Completely agree , I had no idea it was just us 😂

[@drakethedragon3164]

I have lived in Ohio my whole life (38 years) and have never said or heard anyone else say "ope"

[@master106]

@@drakethedragon3164 Then you aren't in Ohio.

[@jasonsiebenaler8249]

Here in MN it's called PotLuck, Never heard "pitch-in" before ever

[@FadingSwordsman]

It's a potluck when you flip the state's letters, too -- I've never heard pitch-in in NM, either.

[@Peacefrogg]

In the netherlands we have the expression ‘american party’ which means that everybody brings food and/or drinks

[@jessica232]

Same in Ohio

[@boi_mayor]

Hoosier here. I think this is pretty specific to like one part of Indiana, and he just happened to live here. I call it a pitch-in. My family and coworkers call it a pitch-in, but none of my friends from more than an hour away call it that.

[@davesmilingcoyote]

Growing up in the eastern part of Texas, I've always heard it called a "pot luck"..

[@zman08]

As a midwesterner, I did not fully realize that "ope" was a distinct thing until I spent some time with people from the coasts. It's barely even a full syllable. Just an involuntary sound we make.

[@randombanana3771]

I honestly didn’t realize I said ope until last year lol

[@AbstrDistr]

Ope sorry bout dat

[@oldskatepunker]

Lived in midwest my whole life and I thought it was just a noise I made when I bumped into someone or something

[@RootsandWings_919]

I’m so glad to know that I’m not the only midwestern that didn’t realize that the involuntary sound ‘Ope’ was a thing or a word... just something that pops out of my mouth as a reaction sound

[@dianedeck9790]

Yeah I say and in Kentucky. So technically south but its a border state so maybe not all say it but I sure do.

[@laurad3497]

“Pitch-in” and “sweeper” not used in those ways here in Michigan. Pitch-in, means help out. And pot-luck is our bring a dish meals. “But-yeah” is a common filler phrase here 😂

[@dippst]

yup. a sweeper is one of those weird broom-dustpan hybrids often seen in movie theaters.

[@markwarner327]

We use those terms in Indiana to confuse the rest of the Midwest ... "Mwahaha" ..it's all part of our evil plan for the great hoosier takeover

[@dippst]

@@markwarner327 i blame the mennonite. silly car-driving amish.

[@mrshammer9293]

We do use the sweeper in Ohio 😂

[@Kikakowia]

It’s called a pitch-in because everybody pitches in to provide the food! But yeah we say potluck too. XD

[@dansmart3182]

"We call Carbonated beverages fizzy drinks" "I think American's let their children name all their foods." Glass houses...

[@llamasugar5478]

I wonder if Lawrence still distinguishes between “still” and “fizzy” lemonade?

[@DaddyKratosOfTheShire]

All fizzy type drinks are pops or sodas but mostly pop in Iowa

[@edwardmiessner6502]

@@DaddyKratosOfTheShire they used to be tonics in New England

[@concettaworkman5895]

Bwhahaha! Truly.....

[@cc1k435]

@@llamasugar5478 Lemonade NEVER needs to be fizzy. Somebody TELL him. 🤣

[@timfancy5467]

Okay I’m an American from Ohio, and I’ve NEVER heard of a “pitch-in”. Pot luck is for sure what I’ve heard.

[@clasicradiolover]

Pot luck in North Carolina too.

[@sketchur]

Saaame. Maybe it's an Indianan thing and Indianans who live in Ohio?

[@boukiej899]

Lived in Indiana my whole life and have only heard “carry-in”/ “carry-in dinner”

[@microcolonel]

This one especially is a total mess. In Alberta these are definitely known as potluck, in Ontario I think so as well, and I think they're still potluck once you're in border-region Michigan, but once you're into Indiana, it's liable to change rapidly.

[@cherihane5812]

Saaame

[@johnpayne502]

Ope is the middle ground between a startled high pitch “oh” and “oops” to express being both surprised and sorry.

[@chancefosdick6991]

Nailed it! Lol

[@spicychinchin6597]

we call it a pot-luck here in michigan too

[@benbury4351]

Sorry is every Midwesterner's catch phrase lol, at least in Minnesota!

[@concettaworkman5895]

Yes, it's a contraction. It should be written like this. O'p'.

[@cacatr4495]

Not a word, but a vocalization of surprize, and a mistaken having happened.

[@cydrych]

Not “ope, excuse me”. “Ope, skuze me”.

[@RLR117]

Yes!!!

[@mandlerparr1]

Ope, almost gotcha there.

[@fishwithafez]

Generally here it is "Ope, let me sneak right past ya"

[@zackarynigbor7821]

Yup then followed by sorry and/or let me squeeze right past you

[@TheBeavadelic]

Lemmie just squeeze right past ya...

[@caelestis17]

I'm from Indiana and all of these are accurate. The "ope" one is weird though because someone pointed it out to me like last year that we all say it and I was like what??? I've never heard this before, you're making that up, etc. Then I paid attention and realized it was true and not only that, but I say it too lmao. It's just so unconscious and ingrained here that I never noticed it.

[@dhinds5927]

I am also from Indiana. Ope is Wisconsinese - Minnesotan - Yuper, not Hoosier.

[@SmellySoxMan]

I am also from Indiana. I was also not aware of how much we say ope until a few months ago when someone pointed it out.

[@Arait1991]

It almost ruins your life a bit. Lol The first time I heard that, I had the same reaction as you, and then I realized that I say it all day, every day...in many, many contexts. I am from Nebraska, and it is just as common here.

[@russell_kberg1]

one of us one of us one of.. oh hey mind if I squeeze past ya there bud

[@GludiusMaximus]

Hello brothers

[@sarachoate88]

"Ope! I am just going to sneak past ya there". The most Midwestern phrase you may ever say.

[@BMoney8600]

As a Midwesterner myself I just say “Scuse me, sorry”

[@sarachoate88]

@@BMoney8600 also right up there

[@BMoney8600]

@@sarachoate88 true

[@jimgreen5788]

sara choate, I've lived in northern IL all my life--about as Midwestern as you can get, but I never heard it until I heard it here.

[@LolliPopcicles]

As a born & raised Chicagoan, saying, "ope!" is my way of acknowledging the existence of another person and then apologizing for my own existence >_< I can't stop it!

[@jimgallagher5902]

Odd, I did as well Lolli....and I never used that word or even heard it. I grew up near North Ave. and Thatcher, and does that ring any bell food wise?

[@owdeezstrauz1268]

🤣

[@jeffstumpf9129]

Ope, that's wrong. But Chicagoans should apologize for their existence. Just joshing you.

[@owdeezstrauz1268]

@@jeffstumpf9129 Joshing, gaaaahd dats a good one too

[@bconsilio3764]

I lived in Chicago for 20 years and never heard ope! I never heard it before this video. I don’t even understand what it’s used for?

[@juliannjenkins]

"Ope excuse me. Let me just sneak past ya." Is about the most Midwestern sentence that could exist. I feel like I hear it almost every day of my life. Often from my own lips hahaha

[@TopOfAllWorlds]

WAIT I'VE HEARD THAT! wow the things you don't realize until its pointed out!

[@ashleejones1690]

Hullo-- native Georgian here. I've been saying this phrase my whole life and never thought about it. I also never knew until today that it's considered Midwestern! I honestly have no idea if it's a thing people around here say or if I picked it up somewhere else because it's so natural that I never noticed.... lol

[@MilwaukeeWoman]

"Would you come here a minute?" Is also regional.

[@nancylindsay4255]

@@MilwaukeeWoman real quick once

[@bombygriz]

Born and raised in New England yet still somehow learned this phrase growing up. Have never lived in or visited the Midwest.

[@nicksayer2750]

Can’t forget “Dirt Pudding” A dessert made with crushed up Oreos, cream cheese and whipped cream that is made to look like layers of dirt. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even throw in gummy worms to really capture that look.

[@squigglz97]

Cream cheese? I’ve only had it with chocolate pudding, crushed Oreos, whipped cream, and gummy worms

[@nicksayer2750]

@@squigglz97 yeah, margarine too

[@nicksayer2750]

@Potterhead, Directioner, Fantom, etc. Same here. I’m surprised I’m not any heavier than I currently am. My Mamaw makes me a giant dish of it at least once a year.

[@AngelaMastrodonato]

I never called that “dirt pudding” just “dirt”. I remember it seemed like a new trendy thing when I was a kid in the ‘80s. Not sure it it was newly invented in the ‘80s or was just new to me. I’ve had it with and without cream cheese. Occasionally I have seen “sand” which is a vanilla version of “dirt”. It used to have vanilla wafers and vanilla pudding in place of Oreos and chocolate pudding, but I suppose you could use the vanilla Oreos now. Love the summer parties with the “sand” with the teddy grams placed under the cocktail umbrellas and the blue jello with the Swedish fish suspended inside. I don’t even like jello but love the look of that.

[@daviddavid9837]

Worms and dirt here.

[@melissabradley2418]

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life and I’ve never heard the term “pitch-in” for this. Everyone I know uses potluck. Pitch-in means to help out with something as far as I know.

[@cosmoslady]

I live in IN. I've heard many people say Pitch-in instead of potluck.

[@jamesthorntoniii5112]

Yeah same in Ohio

[@ltdanu]

Whoa whoa whoa. I live in Lafayette and it was carry-in when I got there. Grew up in Ohio and it was always potluck. Pitch-in is a new one on me after 15 years here.

[@darwintea]

Pitch-in, I have also heard potluck. Anderson, Indiana

[@gilbertkathy]

Melissa Bradley The only term I’ve heard in south central Indiana (Bloomington, actually) is “pitch in.” In fact, I was on a Zoom call yesterday with a group of local women who bemoaned the fact that we couldn’t do our annual pitch in because if Covid. I grew up with “potluck” in Chicago , BTW. And I went to a few covered dish suppers (complete with several Jello salads) when I lived in Minnesota.

[@hopimom]

The other half of the “Ope!” Exchange is often, “I’m just gonna scootch right past ya...” with the look on Laurence’s face (I laughed and laughed). Mostly this occurs in grocery aisles or lines that have encroached upon the main part of an establishment. I miss the Midwest a lot. I’m losing my accent.

[@goosebump801]

Awww.... Where are you now? You can always come back, you know 😃💐

[@KaterinaDeAnnika]

I do both the "ope!" And "scooch past ya!" 😂

[@EricOehler01]

“Ope! Just gonna sneak by ya, here.” “Oh no, you’re fine!”

[@EricOehler01]

@@radio.computer Oh yeah. It takes FOREVER to leave a room around here.

[@EricOehler01]

@@radio.computer Holy crap yes. Small indeed!

[@peggystacho4976]

Yep, all the time, especially in the grocery store

[@SellLids]

"Oh no you're fine!", is my go to.

[@boricuamom87]

I say oh no you're fine all the time

[@MrLordKAT]

Never heard it as pitch=in, since here that is getting people to join a group chore. Here it is called potluck, here being Wisconsin.

[@cherrybomb1095]

we call them potlucks in illinois too, at least in my area

[@lixak6307]

Indiana it’s either/or, I use both

[@dontay1007]

I'm from Indianapolis, we use both

[@ChrisOsberg]

Minnesota too

[@Westpark16]

Ohio potluck for sure

[@amandawilkins2201]

Ope is often followed by skootch, as in “Ope, sorry, I’m just gonna skootch by...” especially in the grocery store isle. (Northern Illinois) 😉

[@lynnhettrick7588]

Yep. This exactly!

[@duxcalcifer1613]

or here in ohio we will say " oof/ope leh-me sqeeze on by you"

[@candiirabbit]

I feel so called out. xD

[@sallyphillips9175]

I've spent all my nearly 53 years in Georgia, yet somehow I feel like I'm really a Midwesterner!

[@sarahbuchholz8767]

Pitching in is helping out, up here in Minnesota we call that a pot luck.

[@jeromeshalom9250]

U bringing some hot dish and pop out to the lake?

[@TravisTLK]

Tater tot hot dish and green bean casserole are my favs here in MN!

[@brandontarabocchia756]

Travis K I love tater tot hotdish lol

[@mikesutliff9142]

If you are Minnesotan, ya gotta love tater tot hotdish. Numerous others too.

[@lindab3878]

Same in Missouri

[@phineas117]

yep...illinois it's a potluck and both me and the husband laughed over "ope". and we DO say that.

[@shilohauraable]

Potluck in Indiana, too!

[@JoeHegyiIII]

Potluck in Michigan as well.

[@fireandbombs12]

Iowa is also potluck.

[@kittenseven4269]

Not from the Midwest but Potluck in California too

[@joannemiddaugh122]

Potluck in MN too

[@quinnsack]

It's scientifically impossible for a Midwesterner to stop saying "ope" once it's in their vocabulary. And in Minnesota we call it potluck. I like that u added In variants for each word.

[@ariabritton9669]

yeah, though it's not really odd for people from other states i've found. me, I say "ope" because it's kinda from my brain taking the words/sounds "oh" and "whoops/oops" and combining them into a new word, "ope".

[@Perceptious37]

As a midwesterner i didnt even know what he ment when he put "ope" on screen till he described it, its so second nature.

[@aguy559]

I’m from the Midwest (Missouri), and we don’t say that.

[@koolmckool7039]

I say ope without even realizing it, and the last time I lived in the Midwest was when I was a 3 month old baby.

[@squall7734]

@@aguy559 I'm from Missouri (born and raised in mid missouri, live in southern missouri now) and I definitely say it, and have heard others say it. Just something that happened one day and went to say oops but was cut off but a second suprise and realized that, once I said it in a reflex, I've been unable to stop saying it now (and I'm 38) 🤣🤣 . It's actually a lot more common than you think, sometimes can be misheard as a somewhat odd sounding "oops" (like it was cut off a little too soon). The other common one here is Whoops, could be more common in southern missouri as that's where I ended up picking it up at.

[@wrob08]

From Ohio and I've never heard the term "pitch-in" used that way. We'd call it a potluck. When you had "pitch-in" I assumed it was going to be used as a term for helping with something, but I thought that was a little more universal so I was confused. Another funny thing is that I grew up around 10 miles from the Hoover Company and we'd never think to call a vacuum cleaner (usually shortened to just "vacuum") as a Hoover.

[@aprilsunflower7440]

I'm from Iowa and we just say potluck

[@carissakirksey6606]

Same. Ohio native all my several decades of life & never have I heard it called a pitch-in, only potluck. You can, of course, pitch in to help with the potluck!

[@SpencerSkotch]

I'm from Indiana. Pitch-in and potluck are interchangeable.

[@tamarawhiteurst8727]

I’m from Chicago and I’ve never heard of it either. Or of puppy chow.

[@Mscoloraturakae]

I live in Dayton, and they call it a carry-in. Coming from the south, we always called potluck.

[@amyfisher6380]

When I hear “sweeper” I think of “carpet sweeper”, which is a nonelectric type of broom with rollers that pick up dirt and dust. I had one for a while. They don’t work very well.

[@kidscats3952]

Or street sweeper maybe.

[@kaypowell7755]

I thought the non-electric broom is what he meant too--the kind used in restaurants so as not to disturb the other patrons eating.

[@ks9066]

A bissel

[@Mentalrose2]

I always thought that was actually where the term originated from - I remember my grandmother telling me once, in fact, that it used to be everyone had a carpet sweeper and when vacuums came around, they sometimes got called electric sweepers by people who bought them.

[@briannaball5164]

Right, this is what got me confused. Like there’s also the electric plug in, or ones you charge, then become cordless, which are basically the same, but slightly more powerful, without being obnoxious like a vacuum

[@MJHums]

In Oklahoma, we'd say "potluck." Pitch-in would mean to help out with something. But we do say ope here too!

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

@Roof Korean yes I second that.

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

I mean what could someone possibly say other than ope?

[@Ktulus3]

Missouri does the same as Oklahoma apparently.

[@Leslie58]

Yeah I live in Iowa & I’ve lived in Wisconsin & I’ve never heard pitch-in

[@Jayelsea]

Minnesota here and it's puppy chow you might bring as a dessert or a snack to a pot-luck. Pitch in is what we'd do after the pot-luck to clean... we'd all pitch in and clean 😅 🤣 oh and it's always pop here in MN too 😉

[@merrickdodge9760]

I’m a Kansan. Gotta say, I’ve never heard of a “pitch-in” until today (I call it a potluck). Nor have I called a vacuum a “sweeper”.

[@Terry-nr5qn]

Same. Always use fireflies and soda and pop are interchangable.

[@cronusciller2124]

yeah i think even inside of the midwest we must have some differences because if you said you were going to use your sweeper on your carpet stairs then you would be the biggest fool i’ve ever seen

[@lucasshaver7789]

Kansan here also. Never heard of a pot-luck called "pitch-in" or calling a vacuum a "sweeper" either.

[@Saspharuss]

Fellow Kansas here, been using pitch in since kindergarten, don’t hear it as much now though. Never used sweeper a day in my life. Been to many pot lucks in my childhood, not so much as an adult. Mostly for church functions.

[@lucasshaver7789]

@@Saspharuss Church Functions and big family gatherings like reunions have been my main experience with pot-lucks

[@KB_-_]

Michigander... Moves to Boston: relentlessly chided every time says “pop”, so tries saying “soda” Moves home: “soda” slips out ... EVERYONE stops and stares at me in disgust (internally considering disowning me) True story.

[@nancylindsay4255]

It is said that all the east-coasters who came to the University of Wisconsin in Madison (in about the 1960s-70s?) said soda instead of pop and it spread from there.

[@nancylindsay4255]

@@daradoe9415 Aaargh! Well, when I was a kid in Minnesota, I think we all said "soda pop." Maybe that's the best way, though it does sound a little childish. (Kind of like "bunny rabbit.") Or I guess we could avoid the problem by sticking to straight vodka.

[@jojospeechy4761]

KB, I totally relate. Moved from Iowa to L.A., first time I asked for a diet pop, I was looked at like I was speaking in tongues. Go back home and say soda, I'm looked at as a snob!

[@SirMarcutiotheCat]

Why . . . why do they care

[@brandonbouchez7195]

I moved to Arizona from chicago and I literally have to think in my head which I should say depending on who I'm with hahahah

[@jamielancaster01]

‘Pitch In’ means ‘to Contribute’ or ‘Vigorously join in to help’!

[@kathyreynolds7100]

I’m from Minnesota and your definition of “pitch-in” caught me by surprise because while we use the term here, it doesn’t mean that. Here it means to lend a hand to get the job done more quickly. For example, after a big “potluck” if everyone will “pitch-in” with the clean-up you will get the job done faster plus it will probably be more fun. My husband is from Terre Haute so I asked him if he’d ever heard that definition of “pitch-in”. Nope. His definition was the same as mine. Oh, by the way, “uff-da” is pronounced “oof-dah”. Imagine the sound you would make iif someone punched you in the stomach and that’s about right.

[@mikestruck2396]

My Minnesodian wife uses the phrase "hotdish" to describe a casserole. I had to have her explain it to me. And she taught our kids "duck, duck, gray duck" instead of duck, duck, goose.

[@joannemiddaugh122]

mike Struck that’s exactly right. I didn’t even know what a casserole was until I was an adult. It’s always hot dish. I’ve asked friends from surrounding states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota) and apparently only Minnesotans say duck, duck, grey duck. I don’t know about South Dakotans though.

[@siouxempirecoyote8174]

@@joannemiddaugh122 I‘ll have to ask my niece what they do here in South Dakota but I was raised in Minnesota and didn’t move to South Dakota till I was a teenager, so I know it as grey duck. East and West River might be different.

[@chatterbox11]

It is used more commonly in the Indianapolis area and in Southern Indiana. I grew up in Indianapolis, and we used "pitch-in," though it is probably more commonly used by someone with deep Hoosier roots. As people have moved to the city from other parts of the country, they have brought the more common word "potluck." And, yes, I certainly knew "potluck" growing up, but it was a word I would read in a book or see on a second-grade spelling test. Even though I have lived in California for many years now, where everyone says "potluck," the word "pitch-in" comes naturally to me, although I know I will have to explain I mean "potluck."

[@kathyreynolds7100]

mike Struck I use hot dish and casserole interchangeably even though I am a native Minnesotan. That’s probably because both my parents came from Iowa where they call it casserole. Also, of course it is Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. Duck, Duck, Goose just sounds silly, LOL! I was on a tour on Mackinac Island this week and wouldn’t you know that when the guide happened to ask the name of that game, everyone including the guide answered wrong except me! Silly people!

[@Brelinka128]

Ope is essentially "oops" but quicker to say... I am from Michigan and we love to talk fast, shorten our words, and most of us say Ope many many times throughout the day and dont even realize it. I'm proud of you for recognizing it and embracing it :D

[@joshuafrahm8778]

Your opening reminded me of a tee shirt I saw years ago. It had the Midwest states on it and said "Midwest, we ain't afraid of no coasts."

[@McMillenLibrary]

I was in my twenties when I realized that "ope" was not something everyone said. Then I realized it was a huge part of my vocabulary. I say it multiple times a day! Also, I'm from northeast Indiana and my family used the term carry-in or potluck.

[@carolcolon2250]

Down here in s southern Indiana ( Evansville), we also say carry-in supper 😉😁

[@LillibitOfHere]

“Ope” has to be the most used word in any Midwest grocery store.

[@thebitterapple11]

I never knew I said ope until someone pointed it out. I played roller derby and said it the whole time. Ya know, violence on skates roller derby.

[@pla1nswalk3r]

"In the south I learned that people might refer to any carbonated beverage, be it Sprite or Dr. Pepper, as 'coke' which could be confusing for a host of increasingly severe reasons" This coming from a Brit who probably would refer to any dessert, be it cake or actual pudding, as 'pudding'.

[@thevirtualtraveler]

Also a Brit who called all vacuums hoovers.

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

That "coke" thing is horrible, but I really hate the "pudding" one too.

[@suzanneyoung8011]

I grew up in a small town in North Texas. I remember going as a child to an old fashioned soda fountain inside a store downtown (which has long since been gone) and telling my mother that I wanted a coke. The waitress heard me and brought it to me, and I looked at her and said "but I wanted a Dr. Pepper." 😂 I think she took it away, perhaps a little annoyed, and brought me the Dr. Pepper. For years we referred to these drinks as "cokes". As an adult living in a large city, I don't use that word generically and instead usually say "soda" or "cold drink". But, I never refer to these drinks as "pop" as the midwesterners do. That's just too weird. 😂

[@agoogleuser4443]

This phenomenon always catches me off guard. I was born and raised in the south and don't know anyone who refers to all soft drinks as Coke.

[@jenniedarling3710]

@@ShizuruNakatsu why, pudding is a generic term.

[@kylebarton778]

Ope and that face. Exactly. I love the Mid-West. I'm happy to have you as part of our great country!

[@mandsrey]

"They will quietly exclaim surprise by saying ope!" How dare you know more about me than I know about myself.

[@gateauxq4604]

Right? I feel naked now.

[@historygeekslive8243]

@@gateauxq4604Yeah.. I really feel like I have been found out on this one. He is getting good ..

[@grumblefkitty]

It’s funny how few of us seem to know about this until someone points it out.

[@mannpeach5894]

Haha the "ope" thing really got me. I didn't even realize I said it until now.

[@stanleytipsword9560]

I like the term fizzy drinks

[@inthemoment875]

I think it's time for Lawrence to check out Charlie Berens's KZbin channel.

[@jojospeechy4761]

For sure! Check out Charlie Berens videos. They're hilarious and full of midwestern culture, dialogue, and vocabulary. He's absolutely brilliant!

[@MUrules2014]

YES!! The whole video on the 'school of Ope' showed up in the suggestions for me on this video! So much good content (and only a short ways away!)

[@deannschlatter1288]

I agree!

[@kim-jong-poon]

Charlie makes me proud to be a wisconsinite.

[@tthappyrock368]

Keep 'er movin'!

[@Erreis60510]

I have lived in Southern Indiana my entire life and was in my mid-twenties before I became aware of "ope"; my nephew kept sharing memes making fun of it and I couldn't understand where he was getting it from, then one day at work I turned and walked smack into the center of my big Bosnian manager's chest and the first thing to issue from my mouth was "Ope!" You start questioning your whole life after that; "have I been doing that the whole time?" Yes. Yes you have.

[@__AbAbe]

the exact same thing with me my dad brought it to my attention and now every time i do it i’m like wow i really have been doing this my whole life

[@cacatr4495]

I think "Ope" is intended less as a word, and more as a vocalization, because people say it when they're caught by surprise. After all, it's not a word, but a combination of sounds that convey sudden realization and a mistake having happened.

[@Asiago9]

I said it without thinking about it years

[@Cincy32]

I'm from SW Ohio, same story.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Was gonna say I never heard of ope myself till high school

[@jokeassasin7733]

I picked up “ope, sorry” in Michigan. Didn’t notice it till I moved to PA.

[@Entertainzor]

I have lived in Chicago my entire life and never heard "pitch-in," unless in the context "we're pooling money to buy some brats and beers, you wanna pitch in?"

[@emilymangiaracina54]

I'm from Indiana and we use pitch-in.

[@samsam1720]

Same here

[@jerdiklan]

I’m in Missouri and we say potluck

[@mtaft00]

Yah, Wisconsin here, never heard it either... Always called it a potluck.

[@goosebump801]

MN (formerly WI and IL) here; “potluck” 100%

[@KidFury27]

I am 40 years old, and until this very day I had no idea I was an "OPE"er. But as soon as you explained it, I realized that is exactly what I say when I accidentally bump into someone. I didn't even know I was doing it!

[@jennybtx]

So funny.

[@dindixie]

So true

[@seththomas9105]

I'm 50 and I just realized it to. Shout out from Iowa.

[@kathleenjackson3838]

Michigander here, and yes, until recently I had no self awareness that I was saying "ope" usually followed by "Lemme just squeeze right past ya." Amazing.

[@wolfcat1998]

Same, and also forty. It's harder when you live in Kentucky, though. It's like the entire state is having an identity crisis and can't decide if we're midwestern or southern.

[@paulebailey]

I was always taught that a sweeper is a hand operated vacuum device that is mechanical rather than electric. If it's electric it's a vacuum. :)

[@faeriesmak]

Same here. You don't see those sweepers very often anymore. My grandparents used to have one.

[@antiquemacabre]

@@faeriesmak Same! They were also called "Hokies" or something like that, and they only worked on reeeeeeeally short carpet. 😂

[@faeriesmak]

@@antiquemacabre They were kind of fun to use as a kid! I think that my grandparents got a lot of free sweeping down for a few years until we all got older.

[@faeriesmak]

@@antiquemacabre They were kind of fun to use as a kid! I think that my grandparents got a lot of free sweeping down for a few years until we all got older.

[@InHimAlone]

Yes! My grandparents and parents had one. I loved that thing. It was best on the very low-pile carpet.

[@jojospeechy4761]

I love this! I'm originally from the midwest and have lived in L.A. for over 30 years. It warms my heart when I go home and my family asks me if I want a "pop". It's so cute!

[@celly589]

“Ope lemme just sneak right past ya real quick” is such a classic. I say ope so much but I love it and can’t stop. I have a shirt from the MN state fair that says “in sota we say pop” which I also love but for some reason I say soda more than pop despite living in MN

[@goosebump801]

I’m also in MN. I hear both “soda” and “pop” here. I think I hear “soda” slightly more frequently 🤷‍♀️

[@nancylindsay4255]

When I was a kid "soda pop" was commonly used.

[@stuartkynoch7289]

I love the Midwest "Uh Huh" for you're welcome.

[@yvonnepalmquist8676]

omg...true

[@lisasanchez3575]

I say this one!

[@ethynrs9139]

Wait lol that's a midwest thing? I've been saying that all my life and didn't even know it was a region thing

[@jojospeechy4761]

@@lisasanchez3575 Me too!

[@MrRedberd]

or "yep," Those never registered with me before, lol.

[@DeathSnacker]

I have been using “Ope” my whole life without being aware of it! Absolutely love that it has been pointed out! ♥️

[@kristagansebom5984]

Same here!

[@MayonnaiseVenusaur]

I think it was Rinella who said "if a creak has a tire in it, it's a crick".

[@simonw4683]

"Ope sorry let me reach around ya and grab the ranch" - anyone from the midwest probably

[@lugialover09]

"sneak right past ya"*

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

I realized in Michigan at least we always try to find ways to shorten words... probably because we talk so damn fast here. "Sectretaria-state" anyone? I never realized we talked that fast until I went to order a sandwich in Virginia & the people in the restaurant looked at me like I was on meth or something.... To me it felt like they were speaking in slow motion XD

[@TheNeilBlack]

I keep hearing all these "ope" examples in Charlie Berens's voice.

[@taylormuhlenkamp4970]

Yeah. I mean I think I talk normal speed. There's definitely people that talk faster than me, but it seems like if you go anywhere else everyone is talking in slow motion especially down south.

[@CrayolaCoffeeBean]

I never noticed how much we say “ope” until recently lol We also say “you guys” in Midwest/Chicagoland

[@goosebump801]

Who *doesn’t* say “you guys”? Except possibly those who would say “y’all”

[@Becky317girl]

In the Thumb area of Michigan they say "yous guys" to mean "all of you" like they're Joe Pesci 😂..and yes in Michigan we do refer to the area of the state that looks like the thumb of a mitten as the Thumb area!

[@mpetersen6]

@@Becky317girl Yuppers and Trolls

[@jo-vf8jx]

CrayolaCoffeeBean MN native here and we say “yous guys”. At least where I’m from there.

[@CrayolaCoffeeBean]

jo really?? Interesting! I always thought that was a New Yorker/Jersey thing lol

[@average13]

Born and raised in Indiana and I’ve never heard or used the term pitch-in! I would definitely say potluck.

[@redleader7988]

Here in central Indiana we say pitch-in.

[@brianbuchmeier]

Red Leader Makes sense since Lawrence lived in Anderson. I’m in the northeast and never heard it

[@DanTheManCalter]

I've lived in various spots south of Indy and I've heard both. Though with my family we dont even give it a name most times. When a relative tells the family about an event we all just say what we plan to bring automatically.

[@russellcalhoun9010]

In Michigan we say pot luck.

[@glorm3801]

I live in northern Indiana just south of the Michigan border and ive only ever heard of potluck, so pitchin must be a central and south Indiana thing

[@DaliwolfBacon]

I am in Milwaukee. We do not say "Pop", we say soda. We do say "Ope". We also say "yahyoubetchadontchaknow".

[@kathyastrom1315]

Four years at Marquette converted me from “pop” to “soda,” although I refused to say “bubbler.”

[@kathyg5227]

Grew up in Waukesha, I still say soda and bubbler when I see one.

[@baltoflyer7503]

"We also say, 'yahyoubetchdontchaknow." *LIAR!* We only say that to make fun of Canadians, Minnesotans, and people that think we actually talk like that.

[@kathyg5227]

I do remember saying "you betch ya" when I was younger. I wouldn't call people a LIAR that actually have experienced it. Times change and may not be that common anymore.

[@baltoflyer7503]

@@kathyg5227 I was mostly joking, (but this is the internet so tone doesn't come through, and is assumed aggressive. That's my bad.) That being said, "You betcha" maybe...? But I've never heard anyone from this part of Wisconsin (the main part I can speak for) say "don't cha know" outside of saying "We don't say 'don't cha know.' That's people from Minnesota."

[@johndoll1511]

I went to an Arby's in Washington State and ordered a sandwich and was asked how many Arby sauce packets I would like. My reply was give me "couple three". The lady started laughing because she was from Montana and they say that as well. I was born and raised in Iowa and I always said that. It is lazy talk for asking for "two or three".

[@lottosal]

In WI, that would be "couple tree". 🙂

[@heidichalfant5643]

John Doll we say a couple five, in other words a small hand full. 😁

[@karlamackey4675]

I live in Ohio and they ask how many packets do you want or ask if you want any sauces, and sometimes both.

[@johndoll1511]

@@heidichalfant5643 too funny

[@noahspencer720]

How is that lazy talk. It’s the same amount of syllables.

[@danashade7029]

"Ope...let me just sneak by you." Is how an Iowan says "excuse me".

[@slg5135]

I never realized that was just a Midwestern thing. I say that constantly when I'm in the supermarket.

[@katherinenelson5905]

Same in Michigan

[@karrachr000]

So, some background to the "bubbler" here in Southeastern Wisconsin. The Bubbler was a specific model of drinking fountain sold by the Kohler Company. These were sold primarily in SE Wisconsin, where Kohler is based and in the Boston area, thus spreading the word there as well.

[@faeriesmak]

karrachr000 Yes! I was going to comment the same thing. But funny thing is..even though I was born and raised in Sheboygan and still live in Sheboygan County I have always called it a water fountain. I was also in the minority.

[@jjalt95]

In the old school house we had a Kohler bubbler. It it sprayed up from the bottom like a fountain and the only reason I remember it as a bubbler is there on the fixture it said 'Kohler Bubbler fountain'. So every time the school kids would go,out for a drink,of water there it was starring you in the face ....that name plate.

[@aviewtokill08]

Interesting! I went to college in Michigan and I asked a guy a where the bubbler was. He was so confused and sheepishly looked and me and said, "in my closet?" No.. no.. not a bong.

[@pashabvr]

Yep! I grew up in north central Wisconsin and “bubbler” was the norm. In my household anyway.

[@Susie4Jesus]

I grew up in Milwaukee and it will forever be called a bubbler!!

[@ryan55124]

Live in Minnesota and it’s always been called a potluck, to pitch-in is to help such as “Hey can you come pitch-in some money for this party” or “Hey go pitch-in at the shop so we can get done today”

[@MotherPanda22]

First time I’ve heard the word “adorable” used to describe us saying Ope but I love it thank you 🥰

[@SuperBizalz]

6:08 - All those names, and the only one I’ve ever heard, is, “Potluck.”

[@hbenny5752]

as a Hoosier, can confirm, we say "Pitch-in"

[@mamaumbridge2272]

I have heard people say “pitch-in” like for help pay for a meal, but never as a noun.

[@LukenUSee]

In the southwest I've only heard "potluck"

[@lisathaviu1154]

“Uff Da” is the Swedish way to say “oops.” That’s why it’s used particularly in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.

[@maidenminnesota1]

It also means, "wow", "oh, boy" or "holy cow".

[@whomeverwherever]

Uff da is Norwegian actually. :)

[@albanianantivirus6849]

@@whomeverwherever probably came from Norwegian immigrants considering that the northern midwest had a lot of Norwegian immigrants

[@busylivingnotdying]

@@whomeverwherever I also recognize it from Norway, but ... since the Scandinavian languages are really similar, it may be a phrase from either country (or both) And the midwest is full of both (former) Swedes AND Norwegians :)

[@ljwalsh11]

Add North Dakota to that list. We're lousy with uff dahs.

[@minnesotapinkdrink9885]

Love that you added the face that goes with “ope”. 🤣 Spot on Minnesota.

[@donmatheney300]

Lmao I never realized I did the „ope“ thing. Also a creek and crick are a little different. A crick is a smaller creek.

[@epowell4211]

A crick is what you get in your neck from sleeping wrong - TN lol

[@fightlikeaboxer]

Thank you!!! Lol me and my husband fight about this all the time and we are both from WI lol.

[@keithwoods266]

PNW here originally from Nj. Crick and creek are thing in Oregon. Crick in the neck was my Grandparents from Jersey City, NJ. They also said Earl and Fearl for oil and foil. We can agree that American English is so damn unique.

[@ANGeLEk1_89]

@@epowell4211 i live in NE OH and we say "i got a crick in my neck" lol

[@ImNotaRussianBot]

Midwesterners also say "I'm sorry" instead of "Come again" when they didn't catch what the other person is saying. Most other Americans say "Excuse me".

[@candiirabbit]

All the time! Since I don't live in the Midwest anymore, it's so weird being one of the only people who does it.

[@SchmaltzyCraftsy]

Cka 3ka cincinnati says pardon

[@ck6136]

We say "I'm sorry" for that in Texas too

[@IsisNiko]

excuse me always sounds rude to me, so ive always just said sorry. i associate excuse me with needing to move past someone. saying it in response to not hearing someone sounds like you're taken aback or offended

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

A LOT of veterans around here (East TN) and I grew up with a lot of "Say again?" In the Navy, I got it. It's from the use of electronic com's. "Say again" as opposed to any/all apologies is just more efficient to state "I didn't catch all that you just said"... "I beg your pardon" is a bit nuanced, but is a polite enough way to admit (I) might have misunderstood, but "at risk of offending me, how do you mean that?" SO it's not a direct request to repeat, but to restate whatever you meant as opposed to whatever came out literally. ;o)

[@SonyaLCH]

I didn't realize that I say "Ope" until recently. It just happens organically when I almost bump into someone.

[@markhh]

Say it all the time, but it’s more like “up!” than ope. Or kind of like whoops with the wh and the s removed. More of a sound than a word, really.

[@ryacus]

@@markhh Yeah mines more like Oop, Oops without the s or sometimes some other guttural noise I can't even type.

[@stephanier2690]

When my child falls down... Me: “Ope, you okay?”

[@BMoney8600]

Do you say that before or after you laugh at them?

[@TripedalTroductions]

Them: "Ope, nope."

[@brennancleveland8575]

@@BMoney8600 I thought about this and I would do this: I add a 'there' at the end, and start laughing as I say 'you ok there?', then laugh some more. "Ope, you okay there?"

[@BMoney8600]

@@brennancleveland8575 nice!

[@HAlC-up4hm]

To be a bit pedantic...where I'm from in the midwest, puppy chow is made with crispix (corn/rice combo cereal) and muddy buddies are exclusive to chex (rice OR corn based). Regardless of which you chose, homemade is always best, and I recommend sticking it in the freezer. :)

[@andrealenze8161]

Kind of like how “Kleenex” now refers to all tissue.

[@No_Budget_No_Problem]

Marketing 101

[@ninaporter5476]

Literally so true

[@Peglegkickboxer]

Same with febreeze, kraft dinner, google, clorox, lysol, jet ski, bubble wrap, croc lot, jacuzzi, zamboni, Q-tips, popsicle, scotch tape, sharpie, and band aids.

[@valdranne]

@@Peglegkickboxer good ole semi-generic names, channel-lock is another

[@quillclock]

band-aid for adhesive bandages

[@nycruthless1085]

Being a Texan i can approve we say "Coke". Jose: "Hey Jimmy want a coke from the store?" Jimmy: "Yeah bring me a Dr. Pepper".

[@soniarivera1334]

As a Texan, I can confirm 🤠

[@w1nterdays]

I’m a Texan and I cannot confirm. I’ve only ever heard it called soda

[@lorenzoboyd6889]

There is no '.' in Dr Pepper, but nobody notices.

[@jamesb5764]

Server: What kind of Coke do you want? Me: Pepsi Server: No problem

[@DukeCityAbeyta]

Being from New Mexico, we do the same thing. “Wanna Coke? What kind of Coke you want?”

[@robertandersen4164]

The "ope" face was hilarious...definitely have seen that one before.

[@katannep7798]

From Michigan: - I never thought I said “Ope” until I said it the other day...but it wasn’t in the context of running into someone. “Ope! I forgot to put that back.” - I’ve always said vacuum cleaner, but when I went to college and met people from rural parts of the state, they said sweeper. - Why, oh why, would throw puppy chow on the floor?! 😱 It’s like gold!!

[@boriscat1999]

I'm from Michigan and we would say hoover as a verb to mean "suck something up", but usually ironically. like "my dog hoovers up whatever you put in front of him"

[@Becky317girl]

I'm from Michigan and we call it a vacuum. It's also used as a verb, as in "I vacuumed my room"

[@kaldogorath]

@puppy chow Maybe his dog will eat it

[@randyyy2609]

In the Netherlands, we call those pitch-ins, literally translated, "American parties".

[@jessicafain6630]

Do you mean you have events that you call American parties? Or when you talk about American parties, you call them pitch-in's!

[@NelBrandybuck]

My midwestern husband is trying to teach my son to call soda “pop” even though we live in the south and pop is what I call my grandfather.

[@MargaritaOnTheRox]

It is most definitely not pop. 😆 Soda just sounds nicer. Midwesterners even say pop with a nasal sound.

[@virginiastirnweis5214]

One cooks with soda and drinks pop 🙂

[@MargaritaOnTheRox]

@@virginiastirnweis5214 No, one cooks with baking soda and pop is what a bubblegum does and one drinks soda. Pop is always said so nasally by people who use that word for soda that it is grating on the ears. 😖 It's like nails on a chalkboard for me.

[@aleccope1320]

Its one of those things where your husband using the word frequently will be picked up; or wont. Not knowing where the cards will land is part of the fun isnt it?!

[@aceundead4750]

@@MargaritaOnTheRox chicka chicka Slim Shady. Did someone say nasally?

[@iketheelk2323]

I live in the midwest and when I heard you say ope I was like what but then you added context to it and I realize I actually use that word a lot, LOL!

[@MidnightBlue105]

“Pitch in” isn’t a noun. We don’t say “do a pitch in” or “go to a pitch in”. We call those “potlucks”. “Pitch in” is used more like a verb - it means exactly the same as “contribute”.

[@emilymangiaracina54]

Actually in the part of Indiana that I live in we do say "let's do a pitch-in."

[@emilymangiaracina54]

We don't say "potluck" from where I live but I'm sure other parts of Indiana may.

[@MidnightBlue105]

Emily Mangiaracina wow! I grew up in the Midwest and I never heard that. I guess some small place might say it though!

[@goosebump801]

MidnightBlue105 I agree! I’ve lived in IA, IL, WI, and MN, and had never heard this till now. However, as Laurence pointed out that it’s confined to OH/IN, I guess it makes sense 🤷‍♀️

[@eclipsehorse8693]

@@emilymangiaracina54 native Hoosier here, we just call it a carry in or a pot luck dinner- to pitch in means to help or assist, usually with setup, cleanup, serving, or watching that whole hog roast :)

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” - Mark Twain The Hungarian word for "vacuum cleaner" is "porszívó", which literally translates to "dust sucker."

[@SketchyTigers]

Similar in polish. 'Odkurzacz' means deduster/unduster. Can also be use also used as a verb eg "Musimy potem _odkurzyć_ dom późnej"

[@lu_shulmu]

Same in German. 'Staubsauger', literal translation 'dust (Staub) sucker (Sauger)'

[@LilithsOwn303]

Same in Flemish in Belgiu "stofzuiger" = dust sucker

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

@@LilithsOwn303 It's the same in Scandinavia as well. The Norwegian Bokmål/Danish word "støvsuger"* , the Norwegian Nynorsk "støvsugar" and the Swedish word "dammsugare" all literally translates to "dust sucker". (* it's written the same, pronunced quite differently like most Danish/Norwegian words. )

[@I0waG1rl]

Bonus eww is that little kids are taught (at least I know in Iowa) is to pull that lighted tail, and smear it around the wrist. I know I know, we killed the bug in humanely but for a kid having a light up bracelet was cool.

[@tosawalkers4218]

Thank you so much for making this video! As a Midwesterner, I truly enjoy it

[@DustyTheDog]

I'm a Hoosier, a person born in Indiana, and I say ope ALL. THE. TIME. I moved out to Colorado in 2016 and there is indeed a culture change. When I say pop I get corrected to soda. I miss lightning bugs, and I did indeed grow up calling them that. My grandma still has my little wooden cage with a screen surrounding it that was specifically designed for catching and observing them. Puppy chow was something I once took into a work luncheon(pitch-in) for dessert and it got eyeballed. I got praised, but not many of them here had heard of it and thought it looked bad. This surprises me since the recipe is on the box. I call a vacuum a sweeper, haha. My grandma called it this, and I spent a lot of time with her. Good video. I enjoyed seeing an Englishman observe my culture. I hope things are going well for you. There is something called the "midwestern hospitality" I hope you've been able to experience.

[@cacatr4495]

Hospitality has gone by the wayside in recent decades: it was wonderful; I grew up with it, was taught it, in "a Midwestern town in the desert," that is, a Southwestern city that was greatly settled by Midwesterners in the early twentieth century.

[@debsissons6841]

I’m a Hoosier & you were spot on with all your words. You are a true Midwesterner now 😊

[@loglemz2070]

"Ope didnt see ya there" is also very popular

[@squirrelchaser2651]

I’m Minnesotan by marriage, so after 30 years, I can officially say it’s pronounced “oooff-duh”. Also “A.C” and “hot dish” and “buns” for dinner rolls. Being raised on the west coast, I’ve always said “soda pop” because why not REALLY describe the drink?

[@DaddyKratosOfTheShire]

See I live in Iowa and I'll say either soda or pop but not usually both

[@odayakanakonton]

I was lookin' to see if anyone corrected his pronunciation, and you did. So thanks! And yeah I like to say "soda pop"a lot too.

[@Funkychipmunk]

As a St Cloud State graduate, I came to the comments to see if anybody corrected that pronunciation. Thank you.

[@justinedse8435]

Hot dish? Lmao

[@melissawalsh8760]

After someone apologizes for bumping into you: "No, you're okay."

[@hydrangeadays]

Or, " You're fine. "

[@clarkkent1523]

Or, “you’re good”

[@cjboger6481]

Or, "no worries"

[@richstanton8545]

Any of the above or "No problem" or "No sweat" (maybe kinda dated '60s or 70s)

[@ShizuruNakatsu]

In Ireland that would usually be "you're grand". Doesn't seem like that word gets much use anywhere else, but it's so common here.

[@dashlaru2]

As a Midwesterner living in New York, I love this channel even more after this episode.

[@WendyHopper]

I've actually rewatched just to see him do the face that should accompany "ope". The face is essential. :)

[@instylebyjt]

As a Midwesterner living in Cali, i am loving this so much! I can’t believe all things that I still do but don’t even realize that it’s different HAHA

[@ronidixon]

My husband is from the south, so when he wants a "coke" I ask "what flavor" him "a 7-up" :)

[@Devila103]

Roni Dixon - A common conversation in the South: “Want a Coke?” “Yes, please.” “What kind?” “Dr Pepper”

[@MargaritaOnTheRox]

I'm in New Mexico. It's a toss up if you'll get asked for a "Coke" or "soda." I used to work at a pizza place, and people would ask for Coke, and I'd have to ask "is Pepsi ok?" Some would give me a weird look and say, "yeah," like that's what I they'd said. But I had to ask because others would become horrified and ask for something else. However, you will also hear "soda."

[@karlamackey4675]

My mom's family lived in the south and they would say soda pop. Coke is coca-cola.

[@karlamackey4675]

@@MargaritaOnTheRox in Ohio they also ask if Pepsi is ok.

[@mog7501]

I'm from the north and didn't realize this Coke thing was a thing so the waitress would ask "Would you like a coke?" And I'd be like "Um, no a Sprite please." And then I'd think how it was a little rude to assume my drink for me. 🤦‍♂️

[@shaneanigans440]

In Michigan "pop", "ope", and "lightning bugs" is proper vernacular. The others I've never used a day in my life.

[@webx135]

I was talking about "Ope" with my dad. My uncle got between us and said "Ope, lemme just sneak on by you and steal some of this ranch dressing". Never heard them all at once like that. It happened at what we called a "Potluck", rather than a "Pitch-In", which is one I hear a lot more up here in Indy.

[@jessicaajarrett]

Ohioan here! I've been married to my non-midwestern husband for 11 years. A few months ago I asked him to "run the sweeper" and he looked at me like I'd grown another head. After more than a decade are still finding little midwesternisms that he's never heard and that I've been unaware weren't universally known 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@cc1k435]

Same here. I think I became aware of it when we left the region and now I get that look from time to time. I've made collecting various words for the same thing a kind of hobby.

[@cacatr4495]

🤣 That's SO funny! I'm an Arizonan and I would have known precisely what you meant, but most of the Caucasian population that settled here in the twentieth century was from the Midwest, so I carry many Midwestern speech-patterns and the Iowa accent, as most have here. Your retelling was hilarious. 😂

[@buckeyecyclist]

I learned later on from my wife that my mom's use of sweeper (b/c she's from Valparaiso), is not a common term for vacuum in Ohio, even though I'm from Cbus.

[@stormwatcher1299]

My mom used to tell us “run the sweeper” when we needed to vacuum.

[@Dingghis_Khaan]

"Pitch-in" is used elsewhere in the Midwest (and maybe other places in the U.S., but I'm not from those places so I don't know) as another way of saying "to contribute something", whether it's money, labor, or materials.

[@TheSuzberry]

The US has many local cultures and languages and accents. I’m always amazed amused when I see an episode of QI where Stephen Fry opines that something is popular in the US that I’ve never heard of.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Yeah; the US is roughly twelve primary regions, and an indeterminate number of small special regions.

[@SBCBears]

There's a lot of... I'll be delicate... questionable "facts" on QI.

[@ryacus]

Stephen Fry in America was a pretty cool show, I'd also suggest Martin Clunes' Islands of America.

[@nicholasstathopoulos4731]

I'm from Columbus Ohio, and I've only ever heard the term "potluck", never "pitch-in" or any of the others.

[@mattmattix2598]

Same

[@melteddali8000]

Originally from Dayton living in Cbus. Always said Potluck as well

[@timcsmedic2162]

Same up in Cleveland. 👍

[@rjlee8420]

Same in Toledo

[@Cancer_Rising_Tarot__1]

Having lived in Ohio since birth (52 yrs) I can honestly say I've never heard of a pitch-in. I've always known it as a pot luck.

[@Ozark-nq9uu]

I'm glad you know padiddle. The only part you didn't mention is you have to hit the ceiling as you do it and the last person to do it has to take off an article of clothing.

[@bofkaycee1970]

I thinks it’s spelled PRNDL2L1

[@cageybee7221]

who else just now realised they'be been saying "ope" all their lives?

[@kristyjohnston1421]

It's the face he made that got me. I know that expression! Never realized it was regional.

[@gj8683]

I grew up in southeastern Indiana and this "ope" the gentleman refers to is for expressing sudden surprise in the kinds of scenarios he described. I think it's a formal variant of "oops,' which expresses surprise at one's own clumsiness the moment one is clumsy. However, I would find it hard to settle on a spelling for "ope," and I don't pronounce it the way he does. Instead, it begins with a schwa vowel and ends with an unreleased "p," making it a very short interjection. Maybe "uhp!" would do the job, but I'm still not completely convinced.

[@historygeekslive8243]

yep .. I never even thought about it until now.. but I say it all the time.

[@meme0218]

Wisconsinite here 😭🙋🏽‍♀️

[@gingerelainefrodsham831]

I grew up in Alaska and the suburbs of Seattle, and have lived on the Oregon coast now for 20 years, so I'm not sure how I ended up using it, but I do. 🤔

[@BethCooper07]

Also, I love lightning bugs!! 😍😍

[@lairdcummings9092]

This year, the lightning bugs are doing much better than last; still not like they were when I was younger.

[@thBrilliantFool]

Honestly though who doesn't? 👍😃

[@Aetius_of_Astora]

@@lairdcummings9092 Hopefully they return to their full glory in a couple more years, they just returned in large numbers where i live. They all but vanished a couple years ago after being thicker than clouds, no idea what killed them off or if it's some kind of lull in their cycle.

[@Redwing2Beef]

With my mixture of Michigan (Detroit) and Missouri (Kansas City) my "ope" comes out as "uhp". Also another weird one is with my Michigan roots I say "kittycorner" while people around me in KCMO say "kattycorner" for something diagonal from another thing, e.g. a. Building on an opposite corner of an intersection

[@kathleenjackson3838]

Yes, Michiganders say kittycorner, not kattycorner!

[@tonia.5861]

We say Kattycorner in the south as well.

[@martialbodiestv5041]

Growing up in Northwest Ohio (Toledo and all around there), "kittycorner" and "kattycorner" seem to be used equally.

[@iluvmusicals21]

Michigander, and yes, kitty corner 100%.

[@48Brittania]

I'm in Alabama, and remember my mom saying "kitty-corner". She was born in 1927.

[@jojospeechy4761]

How about supper? Growing up in Iowa, the last meal of the day was supper. Here in California, it's dinner.

[@timnewman1172]

This. Dinner is what you had at noon, and a lunch box was called a "dinner bucket" or "dinner pail". Lunch is what you had at the mid-afternoon on the farm...

[@l_burn]

Damn, I'm from Cincinnati and those were all spot on, except that I've never heard pitch-in before. It's always been a potluck.

[@jeffreyhueseman7061]

Pitch-in starts at the Indiana State line.