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Spawned from this bad boy right over here for the edification of the three or four people who might care!
Snowmachine- No matter that the rest of the English-speaking world refers to them as "Snowmobiles." We're right and literally everyone else is wrong! Acceptable alternatives include "sled," "rig," "ride," and "Snow-go."
Sourdough- Our word for a long-time Alaskan who is not of strongly announced Alaska Native ethnicity. Used more in the names of companies than in actual conversation these days.
Cheechako- Greenhorn. Tenderfoot. Anyone who doesn't know what a cheechako is. Not used as much these days. (More common in the Southeast, since it's a Tlingit-derived word)
PFD- Short for Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Check. "What are you gonna buy with your PFD?"
Outside- Anywhere beyond Alaska, but most especially the contiguous 48 States (Also, "Lower 48"). "I went Outside for Spring Break."
Lower 48- A land of pusillanimous weaklings, incapable of appreciating how tough and awesome we all are. Also that place with good restaurants, quality medical care, and where most of the population's relatives live, and where the mail is usually on time.
Oosik- The penile bone of a male walrus. Commonly placed in bars frequented by tourists, who are told to rub it for good luck.
Williwaw- A sort of pocket hurricane, most common in the Aleutians- and according to local custom, a rough Anglicization of an Aleut word (this etymology may be incorrect- I live in Athabascan country, and don't have many Aleuts to ask about it).
Muktuk/Muqtuq- Whale skin/blubber (usually bowhead, but sometimes Beluga), generally eaten raw. Tasty and loaded with vitamin C, but you'll die of old age before you finish chewing it. An Inuit/Chukchi word, most common in the northwest and extreme north of the state.
Gussuk- Someone not of Alaska Native ancestry. A corruption of "Cossack" from back in the day, and not always a terribly fond term. Losing some of its sting these days.
The Bush- Rural Alaska. Generally not accessible by road, although some villages are linked by dirt road systems.
Pipeliners- An aging breed, but anyone who worked on the Trans-Alaska Oil pipeline during its construction is considered a "pipeliner."
Floaters- Rural Alaska nickname for tourists who canoe down the river- so called because every local boat has a motor on it.
The Lights- The Aurora Borealis. "The Lights are out!"
Breakup- A sort of prelude to what most people would call spring, when the ice on the rivers starts to crack, the sow starts to melt, and we get a good look at how much garbage has been under the snow all winter.
Breakup Boots- Rubber boots- with Xtra Tuffs being the favored brand.
Bunny Boots- Extreme Cold Vapor Barrier Boots (Type II). Accept no substitutes at minus forty and colder.
Bibs- Specifically, Carhart Bib overalls rated to cold weather.
Anchortown- Anchorage, largest community in the state. Scornfully referred to in Fairbanks as "North Seattle." Anchorage returns the favor with "Squarebanks." A common joke is that the best thing about Anchorage is that it's just a short drive from Alaska.
The Alcan- The highway built during World War II which connects Alaska to the Lower 48 by way of Canada.
The Quest- The Yukon Quest dogsled race, running from Fairbanks to Whitehorse or vice-versa, depending on the year. Locally reckoned to be far superior to the Iditarod for a variety of arcane and essentially unfair reasons.
The Tripod- A tripod (shocker!) placed on the river ice in Nenana every year. People pay money to bet on when the tripod will tip over, signalling that the ice is on the way out. The actual betting process is referred to as "The Nenana Ice Classic."
Uncle Ted- Former (and now deceased) Senator Ted Stevens, so called for his tendency to bring home truckloads of federal pork-barrel money, which the state appreciated, even as we gritted our teeth and demanded the federal government stay out of our business.
Musher- One who runs a dogsled team.
Mudshark- Burbot
Dumpster Chicken- Bald Eagle.
Spruce Hen- Grouse or ptarmigan (used interchangeably, because the two fill a similar culinary role in the bush)
Dog Salmon- Chum salmon. So named because it was considered fit only for dog food by cultures with heavy runs of King, Silver (coho), Red, or Pink salmon. Not that its lowly status kept it from being a valued food source in lean times.
Probably Not Today- Bush expression- When that thing you want in the mail is going to arrive, hen the ice is going to go out, when the caribou are going to get into hunting range.
Mouse Nuts- Yu'pik nickname for cottongrass tubers, which are collected from mouse caches.
How many bear and moose did you have to fight off while writing that, and did the internet then have to hop on a Cesna to deliver to the nearest telegraph (which is also under siege by bear and moose.
Fortunately, in the local fashion, I am festooned with weapons, so the wildlife leaves me be.
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I thought you fought them bare handed (and eat mice in the winter).
Are.. are you saying Hollywood might exaggerate things...
MUKLUKS! - What the *Es-ki-mos* wear instead of *ga-losh-es*.
They're actually more of a general boot substitute. You can get 'em made for different levels of cold and/or moisture.
Very comfy.
Language don't:
Don't ever call an Inuit or other aboriginal an "Eskimo", turns out that's akin to calling them a cannibal.
They, however, will use the term themselves, at least within the Inuit, Cu'pik, and Yu'pik communities in Alaska- probably to distinguish themselves from the other native groups whose linguistic and cultural background is very different (Athabascans [at least eleven distinct local dialects], Tlingit, Tsimshian, Aleut, Aluutiq, Haida, and Eyak [who no longer have any fluent speakers of their language]). Not a word I use or encourage others to use, however.
On a lighter note:
Snowmachine company nicknames!
Skidoo- Skidon't
Arctic Cat- Arctic Crap
Polaris- Poor Old Ladies Always Ride It Slow
Yamaha- Traumaha
In the Kobuk river valley, all 4-wheeled ATVs, whatever their make, are generically referred to as "Hondas."
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Language don't:
Don't ever call an Inuit or other aboriginal an "Eskimo", turns out that's akin to calling them a cannibal.
I know, but it was a reference.
I know, but it was a reference.Language don't:
Don't ever call an Inuit or other aboriginal an "Eskimo", turns out that's akin to calling them a cannibal.
No worries, I wasn't calling you or anybody out, just sharing info in the spirit of the thread.
More fun info: I've heard that before one can be considered a real Alaskan, they have to have peed in the Yukon river.
More fun info: I've heard that before one can be considered a real Alaskan, they have to have peed in the Yukon river.
Untrue (it's a big river, but it's also really out of the way for much of the state).
You DO have to go through a winter, though. Until you do, you're just a tourist.
And since we settle all disputes via seniority ("As a lifelong Alaskan," "I came here twenty years ago," and so on) it lets you immediately pick on the person who got off the plane after you did.
Truth. Less true than it was in the 1970s, when it entered common parlance, but we do like citing that one...