Who is a Yooper?

The folks who live in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, or U.P., are affectionately known as Yoopers (derived from “U.P.-ers”).

If you’re looking for a Yooper, use your ears. Many U.P. residents speak in a distinctive dialect that’s native to this part of the state. Here are a handful of common Yooper terms you’ll hear up here.

Yooperisms

Ya – The U.P. way to say yes.

Pasty (pronounced pass-tee) – A meat or vegetable turnover originally introduced to the U.P. by Cornish miners. Which shop sells the best pasties inspires fierce debate among locals.

Eh (rhymes with “day”) – Ubiquitous term used at the end of sentences to add emphasis or solicit agreement. Example: “That place on the corner makes the best pasties, eh?”

Troll – A person who lives in the Lower Peninsula, or L.P., the portion of Michigan below the Mackinac Bridge. The Mackinac connects the L.P. and the U.P., and, as the saying goes, “Only trolls live under the bridge.”

Choppers – Long-sleeved mittens, sometimes with removable finger flaps. During U.P. winters, mittens are worn by adults as well as by children.

Chook – A knit winter hat, perhaps the only cold-weather accessory more essential than your choppers.