6 Popular Phrases Only True Western New Yorkers Use

Have you ever gone to another part of the country and overheard local people talking about something and had absolutely no idea what they were talking about?

Think about what it's like for people to come here!

We have a certain way of talking here in Western New York.  Now, if you've lived here for any period of time, you might not recognize it...until someone else points it out.

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Think about the things you might have to translate to friends and family that come here from out of state.  When we talk about our food, our roads or certain holidays things just seem to come out that wouldn't make sense in any other part of the country.

I asked you on Facebook, "What is a phrase that we use here in WNY that out-of-towners wouldn't understand?"

So let's translate some of these for the people who may have just moved here, or aren't from here at all...

I need more Bison dip for the game

It seems pretty simple for Western New Yorkers.  If someone says this to you, it means they're looking for some Bison brand dip to dip their chips in for the Bills or Sabres game.

Do you want me to grab Sahlen’s or Wardynski’s?

We are obviously talking about hot dogs here.  Sahlen's and Wardynski are probably two of the biggest brands of hot dogs here in Western New York.  If you're brand loyal to your hot dogs, you can definitely tell the difference.

I’m going to Tim’s.  You want a double-double?

They're going to Tim Hortons and want to know how you take your coffee.  Double Double is a common way of asking for a coffee with 2 cream and 2 sugar.

Take the Kensington to get there.

Most people in Western New York use route numbers like "The 90" or "The 33" to give directions.  But some people still use the names of the highway like the Scajaqueda, or the Kensington.  The Kensington is also the 33.

Let’s get some Mighty

This is a food thing too.  Mighty refers to Mighty Taco.  It hits so much different late at night.

Did you load up on pierogies for Dyngus Day?

This one is huge for our Polish population.  Buffalo is the Dyngus Day capital.  It's a huge Polish holiday that's held every year the day after Easter.  We throw parties and parades and eat a ton of Polish food like pierogies.  They're like ravioli in the sense that they're pasta with a filling.  Only they're a little bigger and instead of being stuffed with meat or cheese, they're often filled with cheese or mashed potatoes.