Maine is more than just lighthouses, lobster, and moose—it’s a rugged, salt-of-the-earth way of life with a dialect that sounds like a lobster trap and a wool sweater had a baby. Up here, directions are based on how far you are from “the coast,” and small talk usually involves the weather, ticks, or how your snowblower’s holding up. If you’ve ever described 40 degrees as “pretty warm,” you might just be a real Mainer.
1. “You can’t get they-ah from hee-ah.”
The roads, the routes, the terrain—it’s all complicated. And if you ask for directions, be prepared for a full family history.
2. “Wicked cold out today.”
“Wicked” means very. As in “wicked good,” “wicked bad,” and “wicked gonna lose a toe if you don’t wear better socks.”
3. “Lobstah’s down to $4.99 a pound.”
Said with the same excitement other people reserve for stock market tips.
4. “We’re headin’ up to camp.”
Doesn’t matter if it’s a mansion on a lake or a shed with bunk beds—if it’s in the woods, it’s “camp.”
5. “You see that guy? Ayuh.”
Ayuh: Maine’s universal word for “yes,” “uh-huh,” or “I acknowledge your presence with minimal effort.”
6. “Flatlander.”
Anyone from away. Especially if they drive slow, wear dress shoes in the mud, or can’t stack wood properly.
7. “It’s just a nor’eastah.”
Translation: Stock up on Moxie, get the generator ready, and hope the power lines hold.
8. “The blackflies’ll carry ya off.”
More dangerous than bears. And hungrier, too.
9. “She’s tougher’n a boiled owl.”
A high compliment in Maine. Basically means you could survive a winter with nothing but duct tape and determination.
10. “Don’t bothah plowin’ yet—it’ll melt by noon.”
Classic spring logic. Followed by three more inches of snow just to spite you.
11. “Put the wood in—feels like a two-stove night.”
Winter in Maine isn’t measured in degrees, it’s measured in how many stoves you need to light.
12. “He’s got lobstah traps in the yaahd, so you know he’s legit.”
Nothing says respect in Maine like salt-stained boots and buoys hanging from your shed.
If you’ve used these phrases unironically while shoveling snow with a Dunkin’ in hand, congrats—you’re a true Mainer. If not, spend a season in the woods, survive a nor’easter, and try not to complain about the cold. Just remember: ayuh goes a long way, and never order lobster with butter before asking what kind of roll they serve.
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