How to Speak Midwestern - Paperback

by Edward McClelland (Author)

"A dictionary wrapped in some serious dialectology inside a gift book trailing a serious whiff of Relevance" --The New York Times

In this book on Midwestern accents, and sayings, Edward McClelland explains what Midwesterners say and how and why they say it. He examines the causes of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift, explains the nasality of Minnesota speech, and details why Chicagoans talk more like people from Buffalo than their next-door neighbors in Wisconsin. He provides humorous definitions of jargon from the region, including:

-squeaky cheese -city chicken -shampoo banana -the Pittsburgh toilet -FIB -bubbler -Chevy in the Hole -jagoff

The book also includes detailed glossaries of slang from Buffalo, the Great Lakes, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Wisconsin slang and sayings.

This delightful romp through the region is the perfect gift for Midwesterners, and the perfect book for anyone wanting to learn more about the region's dialects.

Author Biography

Edward McClelland is a journalist. His writing has appeared in publications such as the Columbia Journalism Review, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Salon. He is the author of Nothin' But Blue Skies and Young Mr. Obama. He lives in Chicago.