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Ohio

Ohio slang: regional words, sayings, and how locals talk.

This page collects regional vocabulary from Ohio: slang you'll hear in conversation, sayings that travel through families, and pronunciations that mark a person as a local. Pick a city to narrow the list, or keep "All cities" to see the full Ohio picture.

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All cities Akron Cleveland

9 words

Stream (rural pronunciation of "creek").

Pennsylvania · West Virginia · Kentucky · Ohio · +3 more

devil's strip Regional

The grass strip between sidewalk and street (Akron, OH).

haluski Loanword

Cabbage and noodles, butter-fried.

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · Ohio, Cleveland

kielbasa Loanword

Polish-style smoked sausage.

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · Michigan, Detroit · Ohio, Cleveland · New York, Buffalo · +1 more

A short, polite "excuse me" interjection.

Minnesota · Wisconsin · Iowa · Michigan · +3 more

pierogi Loanword

Stuffed dumpling (potato + cheese is canonical).

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · Ohio, Cleveland · New York, Buffalo · Illinois, Chicago · +1 more

Soft drink (the Midwest answer to "soda").

Ohio · Michigan · Wisconsin · Minnesota · +5 more

Slippery.

Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh · West Virginia · Ohio

tree lawn Regional

The grass strip between sidewalk and street.

Ohio, Cleveland