8 Michigan stereotypes that are actually pretty accurate
Take a lighthearted look at our quirks and peculiarities with a list of Michigan stereotypes that can’t be denied.
We Michiganders are proud of our state, but that doesn’t mean we can’t poke fun at ourselves. Self-deprecation is at the heart of high-quality humor, and residents of the Great Lakes State understand this clearly. We’re even willing to admit that some of the most stereotypical beliefs about Michiganders are, well, kind of real.
While we’re not ready to tolerate the false assumption that Michigan is nothing but a flyover state (after all, we’ve got some of the most otherworldly destinations in the United States), we can’t deny every assumption about life in the Mitten. From nasally accents to militant adherence to calling carbonated drinks “pop,” here are eight common Michigan stereotypes that actually ring true.
1. We use our hand to show people where we’re from
We’ve heard a rumor that some Wisconsinites try to claim their state looks more like a mitten than Michigan does. Frankly, we don’t even entertain this idea. After all, when’s the last time someone from Wisconsin used their hand to point out a particular town?
Michiganders really do hold their hands up to serve as a built-in map of the state—and there’s a reason a whole portion of Michigan is called the Thumb Region! If you run into a Michigander in the wild, don’t be surprised if they point to their palm when asked where they grew up.
2. We add the letter “s” to everything
“Meijers.” “Krogers.” We’ve heard jokes about our seeming obsession with adding unnecessary “s” sounds to the end of words…and we have to agree, it’s true.
We can’t quite explain where it comes from (though some Michiganders might remember a time when Meijer’s Thrifty Acres was around), nor can we clarify whether we’re referring to the plural or possessive versions of these words—but we do it, and we don’t plan to stop any time soon.
3. We’re deliriously dedicated to the Lions
Many Michiganders are lifelong Detroit Lions fans, so we’ve heard every joke in the book about the boys in blue. For many years, the Lions were the butt of every NFL joke, and Michiganders were stereotyped as delusionally dedicated fans.
The truth? We are unconditionally dedicated, even when the odds are stacked against us and we’re last in the league. But this loyalty just makes recent victories even sweeter.
4. We sound a little bit Canadian
Ask a non-Michigander to impersonate a Michigan accent and you’ll probably hear some variation of a (slightly nasally) Canadian-inspired dialect. Sure, accents and pronunciations vary throughout the state, but we sound Canadian because, well, we share a border with Canada!
We might not pronounce “sorry” in quite the same way, but we can’t deny the similarities between our accents and those of our neighbors to the north.
5. We’re obsessed with the Great Lakes
Sure, we’ve been accused of hyping up the Great Lakes a bit too intensely, but this is only because they’re criminally underrated. You might hear us proudly bragging about how Lake Michigan’s vibrant shorelines rival oceanfront beaches, or how magical it is to paddle past Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior.
Those who haven’t experienced the Great Lakes in all their glory can’t quite understand just how great they really are.
6. We call it “pop”
There’s one thing most Michigan residents can agree on: It’s called “pop,” not “soda,” and this is a hill we’re willing to die on. Sure, we’ll understand what you mean if you show up at a restaurant and ask for a soda, but we’ll be silently judging you in our heads.
Even when we’re traveling outside the Midwest and ordering drinks far from home, you’ll always hear us calling it “pop.” (Don’t even get us started on people who use “Coke” to describe any sort of soft drink.)
7. Our disdain for Ohio State unites us
Out-of-staters assume we’re relentlessly opposed to Ohio State (its sports teams, not the people of Ohio or the university itself, of course)—and they’re right! In fact, our distaste for the Buckeyes is one of the very few universally agreed-upon truths among Michigan college sports fans.
Whether you’re a faithful Wolverine or a dedicated Spartan, you can always bond over the fact that OSU is simply the worst.
8. We say, “Ope!”
Memes and viral videos have called us out for those three simple letters: “Ope!” We’re here to tell you that…they’re totally right. We can’t tell you where it comes from or when it first started, but we will drop a friendly “Ope!” if we’re passing you in a crowded grocery aisle, navigating a narrow office hallway, or awkwardly dropping something while cooking a meal.
It’s one of our proudest quirks, and we always know our fellow Michiganders when we hear an unabashed “Ope” in public.
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