Posted in Minnesota Fun Facts, State Pride December 30, 2022 by

13 Extremely Weird Things Only People From Minnesota Do

Minnesota is known for its funny words, Fargo accents (not true, people!), and cold weather. Along with our classic Minnesotan characteristics, we do some classic Minnesota things that everyone else seems to think are strange for some reason. We love being a unique and fun state, and try and give everyone the MN experience when they visit. Here are the weird Minnesota things that only people in MN actually do:

1. We go outside when it's like this.
Nic McPhee/Flickr
Although to be fair, in MN this is just another Monday.
2. We eat hotdish.
Flickr/moleofproduction
It's amazing, truly the ultimate comfort food, and the rest of the world is clearly missing out.
3. Also, we call these tots.
Pattie/Flickr
They go with absolutely everything. Sure we like french fries, but tots are the best. Every. Time.
4. We get our coffee at Caribou.
Flickr/Mack Male
You can almost hear the collective gasp from Starbucks customers in the other 49 states (and worldwide).
5. We play our favorite sport outside in negative-degree weather.
Robin Davies/Flickr
That's why we love it so much! This is the State of Hockey.
6. We leave our cars running or take breaks to start them in the middle of the day.
Pete Markham/Flickr
Because nobody wants to be the person stuck at the end of the day. Seriously, it happens here.
7. We go to bars and raffle off meat.
deepwarren/Flickr
Okay, so some people might think this is in fact the most unique, weird behavior. But there should be meat raffles everywhere, it's so much fun, and it's a great excuse to day drink.
8. We speak Minnesotan.
Wikimedia/Staff Sgt. Kyle Richardson
Sure other states have their own languages, but ours is especially unique. Nobody else has words like uff-da, you betcha, oh fer, and skol among others.
9. We carve busts out of butter, then photograph them. It's the ultimate honor.
Cathy Stanley-Erickson/Flickr
Alright, so a few other states do this at their state fairs also, but regardless, it's a pretty weird tradition.
10. We drive, bike, walk, and fish on frozen water.
Dave Fischer/Flickr
Most people only think it's crazy because they don't realize just how frozen our lakes are in the winter. What's happening in this photo is perfectly safe.
11. We play Duck, Duck, Gray Duck.
Wikimedia/Ragesoss
Whether or not the entire state does (yes, I'm aware not the whole state calls it this) it still happens in parts of MN and everyone thinks it's pretty weird. It's actually pretty realistic.
12. We use nature's cooler for our beverages.
Sergei F/Flickr
Snow is the best cooler, and it's perfectly normal to have beer randomly stuck in it next to your house.
13. We dress like this for 40-degree weather.
Lisa Moffatt/Flickr
Summer is too short so we get awfully used to celebrating moderate weather. That's one of the funny things about Minnesota - 40 feels like heaven after a long cold winter. The cold doesn't bother us anyway, just sayin'.

Is there anything else that you think we do in Minnesota that other people might find a bit (or really) odd? Share the weird Minnesota things we missed on the Only In Minnesota Facebook Page!

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More things only Minnesotans do

January 04, 2023
Chris Muras

Why do Minnesotans talk funny?

Well, that's not a very "Minnesota nice" thing to ask. Just like any region of the US, Minnesotans have speech patterns that are unique. 67 percent of Minnesotans have Swedish, Norwegian, or German heritage so some of the Minnesota lingo is passed down from generation to generation based on where your ancestors were from. If you think Minnesotans talk funny you should hear how different those from up-north sound compared to those in central or southern Minnesota, dontcha know.

Do Minnesotans say dontcha know?

Nope. Okay fine, sometimes. Because, well, it's pretty fun to say. You should really let a good 'ole dontcha know fly now and then. It's good for the soul. If you want to know why is Minnesota so weird you'd better get a feel for some of the unique lingo. Here is a list of some doozies:

1. Uff da
2. You betcha
3. Interesting
4. Up North
5. Nice
6. That's a doozy
7. Dontcha know
8. Ope
9. The Cities
10. "Oh for ___!" As in, Oh for heaven's sake, or Oh for sure.

Read the whole list of funny things Minnesotans say and see if you can figure out what they all mean without taking a peek at the description.

What language do they speak in Minnesota?

Okay, really? This was an actual question that popped up in a "questions also asked list." Oh for heaven's sake! If you don't know what language we speak in Minnesota it's high time you get off your duff and head to The Cities, because that's a doozy of a question to ask. Dontcha know? Uff da, now if you head up north things will get interesting, because we don't really know what language they speak up der. Before you do check out this list of silly sayings Minnesotans use.