Say What Now? A Guide to Milwaukee & Wisconsin Sayings
Submitted by: Anne L. Snieg
I moved to Milwaukee almost 25 years ago and can attest to the fact that Milwaukee and Wisconsin in general have a rich, quirky, and endearing local dialect that may catch you off guard. My husband was born here, and we ended up only 3 blocks from his childhood home. However, I came from Montana—in a city with few colloquialisms—so I noticed all of these odd little turns-of-phrase right off. I did ask my very Wisconsin teens (with a quick roundup from CoPilot) to help me get this list together.
Attending MLA ‘26 this May? Here’s our quick list of classic Wisconsinisms and Milwaukee-specific sayings, complete with definitions and usage examples I have lived through —many of which Charlie Berens has helped popularize through his comedy. Wisconsin English blends efficiency with a touch of humor. It’s also fun to say these out loud—especially with a thick accent.
- “Bubbler”
Definition: A drinking fountain.
Usage: “The bubbler’s over by the gym, just past the trophy case.”
Note: This one’s a true Wisconsin gem. Outsiders may look for bubbles, but locals just want a sip of water. - “TYME Machine”
Definition: An ATM. TYME stands for “Take Your Money Everywhere,” a regional banking network.
Usage: “I gotta stop at the TYME machine before we head up north.”
Note: Confuses out-of-staters who think you’re talking about time travel. As a transplant, this one threw me for a real loop on my first date with my husband—But I was willing to let it play out and see what happened. - “Going over by [someone’s] house”
Definition: Visiting someone.
Usage: “We’re going over by Grandma’s house for supper.”
Note: It’s not just “going to,” it’s “going over by.” It’s a whole vibe. (In the street? Next door? The front yard? This one confused me a lot more than it should have, and none of my in-laws even noticed that they said this until I pointed it out.) - “Getting a Bloody”
Definition: Ordering a Bloody Mary, usually with a beer chaser and enough garnishes to qualify as a meal.
Usage: “Let’s get a Bloody before the Packers game.”
Note: In Wisconsin, brunch isn’t brunch without a Bloody Mary topped with a beef stick, cheese curd, and maybe a whole fried chicken. Sobelman’s – just go to Sobelman’s. - “Up North”
Definition: A magical place of cabins, lakes, and relaxation—anywhere north of where you are.
Usage: “We’re heading up north this weekend to the lake house.”
Note: No GPS needed. Everyone just knows where “up north” is. For clarification, it is outside of the Madison-Milwaukee corridor, and not The Dells or Door County. Green Bay only counts if you are not going to the Packer Game. And I have even heard people referring to places southwest of my home as “Up North”.
Warning: This phrase WILL NOT help you find your friend’s cabin up north.
- “Stop and go lights”
Definition: Traffic lights.
Usage: “Take a left at the stop and go lights, then you’re there.”
Note: Because “traffic light” is just too fancy. I’ve only heard this one once or twice, but you’ll hear it more in the smaller towns, or Cudahy (Cud-Uh-Hey). - “Uff da”
Definition: An exclamation of surprise, exhaustion, or sympathy.
Usage: “Uff da, that snow ain’t gonna shovel itself.”
Note: Borrowed from Scandinavian roots, it’s the Swiss Army knife of expressions. I grew up with this one, so it’s definitely a Midwest thing, but Wisconsin likes to claim a lot of things as unique to them, so I am willing to leave this one in. - “Cripes” / “Cripes sake”
Definition: A mild expletive or expression of frustration.
Usage: “Cripes, would ya look at the size of that snowbank?”
Note: Often paired with “Jeepers” or “Oh for Pete’s sake.” - “Ya der hey”
Definition: A friendly affirmation or greeting.
Usage: “Ya der hey, how’s it goin’?”
Note: The more “der”s you add, the more Wisconsin you sound. - “Don’tcha know”
Definition: A conversational filler, often rhetorical.
Usage: “It’s gonna snow again tonight, don’tcha know.”
Note: Best delivered with a knowing nod and a cup of coffee. - “Supper” vs. “Dinner”
Definition: “Supper” is the evening meal; “dinner” is often lunch.
Usage: “We’re having fish fry for supper.”
Note: Speaking of which… - “Friday Fish Fry”
Definition: A sacred Wisconsin tradition, often involving perch, potato pancakes, and coleslaw.
Usage: “You coming to the fish fry at St. Al’s?”
Note: It’s not just a meal—it’s a weekly ritual. And it’s usually at a Supper Club or a Legion fundraiser. - “Ope!”
Definition: The universal Midwestern apology/excuse me.
Usage: “Ope! Just gonna sneak past ya there.”
Note: Often involuntary. It’s in our DNA. - “Couple-tree”
Definition: A vague quantity, somewhere between “a couple” and “a few.”
Usage: “I’ll be there in a couple-tree minutes.”
Note: It’s not math—it’s a feeling. Could mean 2, 3, or even 5. Context is everything.
Bonus: Sometimes extended to “couple-tree-four” for extra ambiguity. - “Yeah no, for sure”
Definition: “definitely”
Usage:” Are you coming over by me for the game?” “Yeah no, for sure.”
Usage:” Are you coming over by me for the game?” “Yeah no, for sure.”
Note: Most people in the Midwest wouldn’t have a hard time translating the baseline of this one, but Wisconsin can take it a few steps further. In a tongue-in-cheek video, Lucie Fink explains some of the variations pretty well, and honestly, my teens could make this list a lot longer!
Here’s a final note to help you understand this Midwest phrasing:
- No yeah = Sure
- No, Yeah no = No
- Yeah no = filler before agreement or disagreement
- Yeah no, I agree
- Yeah no, yer wrong
- Yeah yeah yeah (fast) = Yeah
- Yeah yeah yeah (slow) = Total BS.
Hope to see you all at MLA ’26 in Milwaukee!