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Term
|
Meaning |
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Going
Outside:
|
Leaving
the state for any reason. |
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Lower 48:
|
The 48 states
south of here. (We don't know how to refer to
Hawaii) |
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Cheechako:
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Anyone new to
Alaska |
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Sourdough:
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Anyone old to
Alaska |
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Cache (cash):
|
A
very
small, food storage cabin. Elevated, out of reach of both animals and
your children. |
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Ice
Fog:
|
A
dense, winter fog of suspended ice particles that can sparkle all
around you if there's a little sun coming through. |
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Ice Worm:
|
Small,
very tiny worms that actually live in glacial ice. You can eat
them but you need at least 1 million to make a meal ..... well,
maybe a little less. |
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Bear
Insurance:
|
Handguns
- 357
or better, a 12 gauge shotgun ......... or small, handheld, nuclear
weapons - if you can get 'em. (checkout
www.my-ultimate-protection.com.) |
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|
| Snowmachine: |
| Tin
Dog: |
| (submitted
by
Jeff Nations) |
|
A
snowmobile. |
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Musher:
|
A
person who travels in winter by dog sled. Yells 'mush' a
lot. |
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Permanent
Fund:
|
Money
we get for living here - from the state; who gets it from the oil
companies; who supply 20% of the Nation's oil needs.
You get oil; we get cash! |
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Ulu Knife:
|
A
native, half-moon, all-purpose knife. Pretty-cool actually. |
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Bullchitna:
|
Bet
you've guessed this one! .......... it means ......
you know ..... BS. |
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| Stampled: |
| (submitted
by TJR) |
|
Being
trampled to death by an elk - but popular among the Southeast
Alaskans to include stomped on, crushed, flattened, chewed on, or otherwise
badly stepped upon. |
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Moose
Nuggets:
|
Moose
droppings. Found in everyone's backyard .... AND .... in all
Alaskan gift shops believe
it or not - dried, cured, and shellacked into swizzle sticks,
ear-rings, and Christmas decorations. |
|
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Bear
Insurance #2:
|
It's
the best protection of all ......... always, be with someone you
can outrun. |
|
Mukluk: |
No ... it's
not something you just stepped in out there on the tundra. But rather,
a very warm, fur boot ..... usually knee high.
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The Bush: |
Villages,
mountains, and valleys
you can
only reach by boat or plane. That
amounts to almost the entire
state.
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Termination
Dust: |
The first,
light dusting of snow; on the very tips of the mountains. It's a
The first, big snow is just around the
corner. This of course, triggers
a huge shopping frenzy. |
|
Cabin Fever: |
When
Alaskans start bouncing off the walls ... from being inside those walls,
way too long in winter. |
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| Ditch
Divers: |
| (submitted
by John Zutz) |
|
Those
who own 4-wheel-drive vehicles - learning the hard way -
that one needs to drive
slow on ice and snow .... just like the rest of us! |
|
Arctic
Entry: |
A
pre-entry into your home where dirty, slushy boots, winter gear, mud, work clothes, etc., can be taken off before they're taken
off 'inside' your clean house. |
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| Mosquito
Dope: |
| Bug
Juice: |
| (submitted
by Jackie) |
|
Mosquito
repellant - spray, liquid, and roll
on. Citronella anything - patches, bracelets, smoke rings,
candles ..... anything citronella. We do have a skeeter problem here. |
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| Alaskan
Sneakers: |
| (submitted
by Bill) |
|
Fishing
Waders
- leg, hip, or chest waders. |
|
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Permafrost:
|
Ground that is frozen
year-round. About 2-5 feet under the surface. Probably should be called perma-ice. |
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A Three Dog
Night:
|
It's so cold,
that two dogs ain't keepin' ya warm enough. |
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| Combat
Fishing: |
| (submitted by Wendy Hackett) |
|
Casting a fishing line
where 1500 other people are doing the same thing at the same
time. Oh! ... and you only have 12" inches between you and those
on either side of you. |
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| Twofers: |
| (submitted by Robert C.) |
|
Necker
Bay sockeye salmon - usually much smaller than other salmon. The old timers used to get a dollar for sockeye but had to have two Necker
Bay sockeye for that same dollar. |
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Sing
Song: |
Any concert, recital, or
competition for singing. |
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Breakup: |
The
process by which all snow and ice
finally melts away - but all at once. Real sloppy for
about 2-3 weeks. For Alaskans, it means the end of winter and the beginning of tourist
season.
|
|
Borough: |
Alaska's
answer to the "county". We have to be different,
don't you know. |
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Two
Seasons: |
We have
two seasons - winter and road construction. Actually it's
more like "road fixing" construction. We don't
get many new roads here. |
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Sundog: |
A large,
noticeable circle around the sun on very cold days. Sun
glasses really help enhance this phenomenon. |
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Bunny
Boots: |
Big,
fat, white, rubber boots that keep your feet warm up to -65
degrees.
But it really looks like you're wearing small boats. |
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Heater
Plugs: |
An
electrical plug protruding from the grill of your car or truck. Plug it into an outside outlet,
at home or at a business and it keeps your engine-block warm
either overnight or while you're parking. |
|
Fireweed: |
The
weed everyone loves. It grows anywhere it wants to. Has pink flowers
... and in fall, the leaves turn a fiery red ..... hence the
name Fireweed. |
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Dip
Netting: |
Holding
a large fishnet, on the end of a long poll, in a river, waiting for
fish to swim into it. Rather successful. |
|
Spenard
Divorce: |
A loud
and sometimes fatal way of ending a relationship made famous in
the Spenard area of Anchorage. Involves a gun. |
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Moose
Gooser: |
Similar
to a cow-catcher on the front of a train. In Alaska, we
GOOSE rather than cow-catch on railroad tracks. |
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