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I’m a Minnesotan, born and bred.

More than that, I’m a word-loving nerd which makes me (somewhat) qualified to help educate on some common words and phrases that we might, just might, hear out of the mouth of our newly chosen Democratic VP pick, Governor Tim Walz.

He’s been described as having Midwestern BigDadEnergy, as being happy-go-lucky, folksy, joyful, and even cuddly. He might be all of those things. But one thing I love most about him is the way he speaks. It’s honest. It’s genuine. He can be serious, but also funny.

He’s got the approachable, comforting Midwest accent and, more importantly, he has the tones down. See, in Minnesota, it’s not always what you say but how you say it.

My parents moved here, away from family, so I grew up visiting cousins in other parts of the Midwest or on the West Coast telling me that my “accent” was funny. Meanwhile, I’m wondering, what accent? Yeah, I know. I finally realized that yes, there is a Midwest accent. And yes, I have one.

While Governor Walz isn’t originally from Minnesota, he has a Midwest accent. For sure.

The Minnesota accent is actually described by this accent coach as “niche.”

So, without further ado, here are 16 words or phases that you might hear in the coming days, weeks, months, and even years, from Tim Walz.

I was inspired by this post on Threads which had me nodding along and cracking up, and led me down an inspired rabbit hole to gather more.

1. “The Cities” – This refers specifically to The Twin Cities, namely, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Yes, we realize there are more cities. But we’re pretty partial to ours and think they’re kinda unparalleled.

2. Similarly, outside The Cities is referred to as “Outstate.” We do realize that’s inside the state. But, to sound like a local, just remember that this generally refers to any portion of the state that’s not inside the greater metropolitan area or top tier suburbs nearby.

3. One more directional note – “Up North” is actually where all the lakes and cabins are, no matter where you currently are when you’re saying it. It doesn’t matter the actual direction. And if you’re invited to someone’s cabin? Have no expections. This could be a literal shack in the woods, cabin made out of logs, or fully-fledged second home. They’re all cabins. And they’re all dearly loved. As are you if you are invited.

4. The word “ope” is actually not a typo and is incredibly useful in its variations. Usually it means “pardon me” or “excuse me” in passing, but it means “oops” when used in conversation. I was way too old when I realized this was not a common phrase used outside the state of Minnesota.

5. “Uff da” is a real thing we say. I know. It seems like something from a children’s storybook, and maybe it is, but we use it as a phrase of disbelief or exasperation.

6. As explained in that Threads post – Southerners say “Bless Your Heart.” right? Well, in Minnesota we say, “Well, isn’t that interesting.” It’s an all-purpose response that could mean we have no idea what you’re talking about, that we do know what you’re talking about but don’t want to know more, or that we don’t like what you’re talking about. It’s simple, really. And it’s all about the tone. It’s also common to say, “Well, that’s different.” in the same scenario.

7. Ask anyone and they’ll agree. Minnesota Nice is a real thing. I’ve rarely come across such wonderfully nice people as I have in Minnesota. However, I have to say that I appreciate the definition written by The Star Tribune: “Minnesota Nice: A complex term. It’s a spirit of genuine goodwill, i.e., having jumper cables in the trunk so you’ll always be able to help. But it’s also an emotional reserve that, while unfailingly polite, keeps folks at a distance. Some equate this with passive-aggressiveness, which just goes to show you can’t please everyone, right?”

8. Hot dish – This is very, very important in Minnesota and cannot be left off the list. Elsewhere in the country this is what’s known as a casserole. Here? We’ve been calling it a hot dish since at least 1930 when it debuted in a church ladies cookbook from Mankato, Minnesota. Usually these are either noodle or tater tot-based, often involve a can-of-something-soup, and a lot of meat. It also might be considered fake news if it doesn’t have cheese, but that’s a fine line. We’re not Wisconsin.

9. Bars – No, not the drinking type, although we have plenty of those in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. When folks around here ask you to bring bars, they’re talking about a baked good made in a 9 x 13 inch pan that can be cut into smaller pieces and eaten with your hands without making too much of a mess. Think rice crispy bars. As The Star Tribune says, “Bars are the Midwestern way to say ‘I love you.’”

10. It’s not “duck, duck, goose” it’s “duck, duck, gray duck.” There’s a lot of lore around why this is, and I’m not sure we’ll ever know, but the theory is that there are multiple versions of this game played around the world, but that there are slightly different names and the Swedes who translated the game’s name to include “duck” are the ones who made it to Minnesota. Who knows. But, Minnesota is the only state in the country to use this version of the game. And we’re very serious about the name.

11. Pop – We don’t drink “soda” or “soda pop” or “coke.” Here in Minnesota it’s most commonly referred to as pop, unless you moved here…in which case, we see you. We totally welcome you! We just see you.

12. “Oh for ___!” is used with a fill-in-the-blank word as an expression of excitement or, in some cases, acknowledgement or exasperation. Examples: “Oh for sure!” or “Oh for the love!” … notice that tone might be important here.

13. “Holy buckets!” is a phrase used to share a note of excitement. And it’s got BigDadEnergy written all over it, so just wait for this to be a Walz phrase like his recent, “Holy hell” comment.

14. I didn’t want to include this one. I really didn’t. But, some stereotypes and cliches are true. The phrase “dontcha know” is still heard amongst the population of this great state, as much as we may try to run from it. It’s used more as a statement than a question, however.

15. Minnesotans are serious about their football. The phrase “Skol” is used as a cheer during Viking games, or a greeting to fellow fans/Minnesotans. It’s derived from the old Norse word “sköl,” meaning “cheers.”

16. And, finally, while this isn’t a word or phrase you might hear, we need to discuss the “Minnesota Goodbye” as it’s nearly assured that you’ll see it on the campaign trail. See, in Minnesota we stay true to that “Minnesota Nice” all throughout a visit. We can’t make a goodbye short in fear of offending someone, or making them feel as if we didn’t enjoy ourselves. And so the goodbye is a long and lingering event that can last minutes to hours after the initial start.

For a real lesson, check out this PBS series on “How To Talk Minnesotan” that covers all of this and more, and it’s good for a few chuckles!