Your Stories: The Michigan accent

January 30
8 mins

Episode Description

In the last episode of On Hand, we dug into why people in Michigan say “ope.” And we found that “ope” likely traces back to European immigrants who settled in the Midwest—long before Midwesternisms were ever a thing.

Since then, we’ve heard from a few of you who say our Michigan way of speaking is about much more than just “ope". Today, we’re diving into the Michigan accent, in all its glory.

GUESTS:

  • Sue Merritt, a Michigander-turned-Californian-turned-Michigander again

  • Laurie Van Ark lives in Holland, and her family’s roots in Michigan go back to 1866

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

Online Submission Form

Call us: 734-764-7840

Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See all episodes

Never lose your place, on any device

Create a free account to sync, back up, and get personal recommendations.