CURIOUS LINGO

What Is A Kattywampus? And 9 Other Unique Words Only Locals Will Get

Image: Joey Csunyo

Each state in the U.S. boasts its own distinct culture full of unique slang and expressions. From endearing monikers for their home state to cacophonous sounding words with no fixed meaning, there is no shortage of linguistic gems waiting to be discovered.

Below, we've compiled a collection of some of the most intriguing or whimsical words coined by Americans from various states, to their own delight and the confusion of their neighbors.

Image: Kathrine Coonjohn

Alaskans refer to long-time residents as "sourdoughs." This term comes from the extensive use of sourdough starter for baking bread in the state's early, isolated days. Frontiersmen would reportedly wear a pouch of starter around their neck to keep it from freezing. Now, it's a badge of honor denoting someone seasoned by the Alaskan lifestyle.

Image: Elijah Mears

"Welcome to Cackalacky!" might sound like a line straight out of Alice in Wonderland, but in North Carolina, it’s actually a playful nickname for the Tar Heel State. While some have claimed it is a derivative of a Cherokee word -as it often happens- its exact origin is unknown. In any case, it has long been embraced in music and popular culture, and it symbolizes local pride.

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Driving in New Jersey, you might encounter "jughandles," which are road configurations designed to make left turns by turning right first - seen from above as forming a shape akin to the handle of a jug. This peculiar traffic feature is ubiquitous in the Garden State but, for some reason, rare elsewhere.

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A multipurpose exclamation of Scandinavian origin, "Uff da" is used in North Dakota to express surprise, exhaustion, or dismay. The versatile phrase showcases the area's extensive Nordic heritage. Amusingly, it has even been used to name various places and events, including an airport and several festivals.

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In New Mexico, ordering food often involves the question, "Red or green?" However, there's a third possible answer: "Christmas." This refers to the type of chile sauce you prefer: red, green, or both (Christmas). Considered by many as the "official state question," the answer can even reveal whether you are from the northern or southern part of the state.

Image: Kitera Dent

Residents of northern Nevada might warn you about "pogonip," a dangerously thick and icy fog. If you were thinking of dismissing the warning of locals and braving this legendary - but very real - weather phenomenon, just know that the word comes from the Shoshone language and literally means "white death." We are not taking any chances, but you do you.

Image: Chris King

In Tennessee, a "meat and three" is a beloved meal consisting of one meat and three side dishes. The term is thought to have originated in a Nashville cafeteria in the 30s where they served a similar version of the modern dish: a choice of meat and vegetables, plus bread, for only 25 cents. If you are curious, you can try this Southern culinary staple in most diners and restaurants across the state.

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Oklahomans might ask, "J'eet?" when they want to know if you’ve eaten. This contraction of "Did you eat?" is common in casual conversation and reflects the region’s relaxed speech patterns. In a similar vein, "that skeeter ate you up" can be used to point out that a mosquito has made a feast out of you, biting you multiple times.

Image: Michael Denning

Contrary to what it suggests, in Rhode Island, the term "awful awful" refers to a delicious milkshake. The term is derived from "awful big and awful good," emphasizing the drink’s rich, creamy appeal. Though both the name and the beverage originated in New Jersey, the original trademark was bought by a local restaurant chain, and it soon became part of the local culture.

Image: Joshua Hubbard

If something is askew or out of order in South Dakota, it’s "kattywampus" (or alternatively "cattywampus"). This whimsical word can describe anything from a crooked picture frame to a disorganized room. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, this bizarre word is actually a variant of "catawampus," another slang word that traces back to the 19th century and can refer to an "imaginary fierce wild animal."

Corporate jargon rules

Do you speak office? Corporate buzzwords that are simpler than they sound

How well can you recognize office jargon? These words pop up in meetings, emails, and in business contexts. They are meant to make work conversations quicker, though sometimes, let's be honest, they make them sound more complicated than their actual meaning. Keep reading and see how familiar you are with office jargon.

What is your core competency? It is something you do particularly well at work. If you list customer service as a core competency on your resume, you are saying that it is one of your strongest skills and part of what makes you valuable to an employer.

A core competency often helps you stand out from others because it is difficult to replicate and contributes to a company’s success. It might help the business improve its performance, serve customers more effectively, or expand into new markets.

"Let’s touch base about this project tomorrow" usually means, "Let’s briefly discuss it." In business, people use this phrase when they want to reconnect, check in, or get an update on a specific topic.

The expression comes from baseball, where a player must literally touch a base to be safe or score a run. Over the years, people began using it as a metaphor for reconnecting. In the professional world, it often means sharing quick updates and making sure everyone is on the same page.

Imagine you bring up a problem during a work meeting, and your supervisor says, "Good point. We’ll circle back to this later." The meeting moves on, and the issue is not forgotten, even though it is not mentioned again.

In corporate language, "circle back" means returning to a topic at another time. It allows people to pause a discussion without dropping it entirely. The phrase comes from moving in a circle and returning to where you started, like completing a lap, becoming common in office jargon during the 1970s.

Imagine your team is stuck on the same old solution, and your manager says, "We need to think outside the box." What does he mean? He’s encouraging the team to look for a more creative or unexpected way to solve the problem. Sometimes, ordinary procedures don’t always yield the best results.

The phrase comes from the Nine-Dot Puzzle game, where you must connect all nine dots with four straight lines. The trick is to draw beyond the imaginary box around the dots instead of staying inside it.

Synergy happens when two people, teams, or organizations work together and achieve a better result than they could separately. It's usually represented as 1+1 = 3; in other words, the combined effect is greater than the sum of its parts. The word comes from the Greek synergia, meaning "working together." And, in business, it is often used to make teamwork sound more strategic.

When a company tries ten small ideas, but only one actually increases sales, that one idea "moves the needle." The phrase is a way of saying something made a real, noticeable difference, compared to the other ideas trying to cause a similar effect.

The expression comes from old measuring tools, like speedometers and fuel gauges, where the needle moves when the speed, fuel level, or another measurement changes. It entered office slang in the 80s as a corporate shorthand for actions that produce clear, effective results.

If a team wants quick wins, it may start with the "low-hanging fruit." These are the simple opportunities that require less effort and are usually the easiest tasks to finish first. A "low-hanging fruit" example could be calling back customers who already showed interest compared with finding brand-new customers. Before becoming an everyday term for the office, this expression referred to fruit growing on the lowest branches of a tree, which is the easiest to reach and pick without a ladder or much effort.

If a coworker says, "I don’t have the bandwidth for that," they are probably not talking about Wi-Fi. In office language, bandwidth means time, energy, or mental capacity. In other words, it’s a polite way of saying, "I’m already too busy; I won't handle that new task." This way, we compare the computer capacity to handle data as a metaphor for the mental capacity humans have.

The phrase is easy to guess once you hear it. If a manager asks for a "deep dive" into falling sales, they are asking for more than a glance. They want a detailed look at the numbers, causes, and possible solutions, a complete analysis of the situation. Such as diving, yes, but without the water fun part.

Ever heard someone say, "Let’s take it offline"? In a meeting, it usually means the topic should wait. The group can move on, and the issue can be discussed later, privately, or outside the main conversation. In computer science, "offline" is used for processing data or tasks separate from the main active network.