Illinois People Try to Explain Michigan Sayings and Accent – They Can’t

Living in Michigan, you're bound to pick up some sayings that you only find in the Great Lakes State. And Michiganders do have an accent, and no, not just those from the Upper Peninsula.

These folks from Illinois, though it's just around Lake Michigan from us, and despite the fact so many people from Chicagoland enjoy our Lakeshore resort communities, they really are baffled when it comes to these Pure Michigan things.

It can't just be the way we speak, because, yes, you do speak with an accent, or dialect to be precise. Lower Michigan natives speak what's known as Inland Northern American English while those in Upper Peninsula speak a dialect found nowhere else in America known as Upper Peninsula English, which was largely influenced by the area's Finnish settlers.

Unique Michigan Phrases Explained

Check out these Land-of-Lincolners try to explain Fudgies, jeez-o-Pete, The Thumb, a Party Store, and Yoopers.

Spreading the Michigan Wide

Believe it or not, there are those who move away from Michigan. They certainly take their Michigan-ness with them. Here are where Michigan ex-pats move most: