When I moved to Utah in 2009, it was immediately apparent that everyone around me was speaking another language. Not only were they speaking slower than what I was used to as a Southern California native, but using a bona fide Utah slang.
I found myself having to ask for clarification during conversations, ask for directions to be written down, and keep a running list of pronunciation guides in my phone.
And judging by what newcomers and visitors have told me, I know I’m not the only one that struggled with learning to understand Utah slang. If you’re not a homegrown Utahn, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
UTAH SLANG IS ALIVE AND WELL!
Forbes has constantly ranked Utah as one of the best states for businesses. As you drive along the I-15 corridor between Provo to Salt Lake City to Ogden, you notice signs for Silicon Slopes: Utah’s own response to Northern California’s Silicon Valley.
With a constantly-growing population and influx of transplants making Utah their home, Salt Lake City (and the rest of the state) is becoming a literal melting pot. The embodiment of America’s “the land of opportunity.”
Click here to check out some of Salt Lake City’s best ethnic restaurants!
Whether you’re just passing through as a visitor or looking to make Utah your new home, take heart. I’ve broken down a few key Utah slang phrases and terminology so you’ll sound like a home-grown Utahn.
Or at the very least, understand what in the world everyone around you is saying!
COMMON UTAH SLANG:
TRAX and FrontRunner
Most major cities have their own variation of public transportation and Salt Lake City is no exception. TRAX is the light rail system connecting riders from the Salt Lake International Airport to downtown to the University of Utah to the south end of Salt Lake Valley.
The FrontRunner is Utah’s commuter train that runs along an 89-mile track line, connecting Provo to Ogden, with plans to expand up to Brigham City. When it was built in 2008, it because easier for local commuters to stay off the roads and alleviate some of the congestion on the freeways.
Fun fact: Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and it was reported that approximately 1.7 million passengers rode the TRAX lines.
Powder Day – Utah Slang
Any snow fans out there? Snowboarders? Skiers? Powder Day is Utah slang for “I don’t care what else is going on, I’m heading to the ski resorts!” Utah is home to the “greatest snow on earth” and has become a mecca for winter sports enthusiasts, culminating in hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics.
A Powder Day is simply a day taken to pursue winter sports or just play in the snow. I have a good friend that likes to take a Powder Day almost every week during the winter!
If you’re new to Utah or just visiting during the winter, make sure you factor in some Powder Days to your schedule. Even if you’re like me and don’t partake in winter sports (okay, maybe tubing is my exception), you’ll want to make snow angels all day long in the powder!
9th and 9th
Salt Lake City utilizes a grid system for their streets, dating back to when the first Mormon Pioneers settled the Salt Lake Valley.
From the pioneer times Salt Lake City’s street numbering system used the First South, Second South, etc., method, giving names to streets as they progressed south from Temple Square, located in the center of downtown Salt Lake City. Thus, 100 South was First South, 200 South was Second South, and so on.
http://utahrails.net/articles/sl-county-streets.php
Whether it’s a form of laziness, nostalgia, or just convenience, residents use the condensed naming convention. Thus, 21st South is 2100 South. To quickly understand this form of Utah slang, drop the last “00” off of the street number.
(Not to be confused with the Avenues, where you will find 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, etc.)
The first time I tried to navigate my way around Salt Lake City was a nightmare. I was used to driving in Los Angeles, having more actual street names. Friends reassured me that I would get the hang of the grid system.
And even though I resisted like a toddler trying to resist mom pulling a shirt over its head, learning and using the grid system became second nature. Although sometimes cities in Utah Valley base their grid from the center of their own towns, rather than using a valley-wide grid. It can be confusing as you drive along one street, crossing through 3 cities and finding out that the name of the street changed.
But don’t be afraid to use your phone’s GPS if you’re still new!
The Holy War: The U vs. The Y
Two of the most well-known universities in Utah are BYU (The Y), located in Provo, and the University of Utah (The U), located in Salt Lake City. Both teams have the respective letter inscribed upon the mountains against which their campuses reside.
The Holy War is the name given to the 100+ year old football rivalry, and is consistently ranked as one of the top football rivalries in the country. And funny enough, the Las Vegas Bowl of 2015 pitted the U against the Y, which created the “Holy War in Sin City.”
During football season (and admittedly year-round), choose your colors carefully. BYU flies the blue flag, while Utah flies the crimson. Wearing these colors in the wrong county will prompt dirty looks and aggressive behavior in some places. Choose your team wisely if you are not born into a legacy.
And no matter which team you support, watching Cosmo the Cougar dancing with the BYU Cougarettes is pretty impressive!
Pioneer Day
Pioneer Day is July 24th, a state holiday that commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first wave of Latter-day Saint pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Similar to July 4th, most businesses in the state close and workers enjoy an extra holiday. Regardless of religious affiliation (or non-affiliation), Pioneer Day celebrates the beginning of statehood for Utah.
LDS/”The Church”
The headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located within Temple Square in Salt Lake City. You will often hear locals refer to it as simply “The Church” or a shortened Utah slang version, LDS (Latter-day Saints). While many residents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not everyone in Utah is of the religion.
KSL – Utah Slang
Utah has its own local version of Craigslist. KSL is both a news station and website. Locals can post classifieds, search for housing vacancies, and gather the latest local news from this outlet.
Have some extra movies you want to get rid of? Advertise on KSL. Want to figure out what the sirens were for last night? Check KSL. Need a part-time job? Peruse through the “Find a Job” section.
Of course there are other news outlets in Utah, but none roll off the tongue quite like KSL.
The Bench
Every city has its own districts, boroughs and neighborhoods that come with stereotypes and stigmas. Salt Lake City is no different. The Bench refers to a stretch of neighborhoods that run along the Wasatch Mountains, high off the valley floor.
Since the homes and businesses on The Bench sit at a higher elevation than most of Salt Lake and Utah Valleys, the weather patterns tend to be different as well, most notably during the winter and cooler months.
Check out this link to a reddit thread entitled the Final Judgmental Map of Salt Lake County. See if you can figure out where The Bench is located.
UTAH SLANG PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
While technically not a form of Utah slang, there are a few words that require a pronunciation guide. For some reason, native Utahs (and those who have been living here long enough) tend to drop the “T” in words like mountain.
Check out the reddit thread again and see if you can find the “Moun-uns” on either side of the valley.
Here are a few other words (well, city names) and their pronunciations to help you not feel like a complete fish out of water. These lovely words pose problems to all elementary school-aged children learning to spell. And adults, questioning our upbringings.
Tooele (too-ILL-uh) – city just west of Salt Lake City, known for having a weird name and questionable toxic levels.
Oquirrh (OAK-er) – mountain (moun-un) range along the west side of Salt Lake Valley. Also a new fine dining restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City.
Hurricane (HER-ikun) – city in southern Utah, close to St. George. If you think it’s pronounced like the tropical storm hurricane, think again. For some reasons, diphthongs don’t seem to exist in Utah slang.
Duchesne (due-SHAYNE) – we can’t blame Utah slang for this one. Duchesne is apparently a common French name, here used as a city name.
I put this list together based on my personal struggles and first-hand knowledge of getting accustomed to life in Salt Lake City.
I know there are a slew of other Utah slang words that I haven’t included in this list, however these were the ones that I still struggle with at times (that darn Duchesne still gets me EVERY TIME).
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Did you find this article helpful? What Utah slang would you include?
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