1. First
What it means everywhere else: Something that comes before everything else.
What it means in Delaware: Delaware, the first state in the nation, and super proud of it, of course.
2. Pumpkin
What it means everywhere else: A type of squash that’s carved for Halloween.
What it means in Delaware: A type of squash that makes an excellent projectile, as is proven every year at Punkin Chunkin.
3. Pizza
What it means everywhere else: A major food group for college students/anyone with good taste.
What it means in Delaware: Nicola vs. Grotto’s. You must pick a side.
4. Beaches
What it means everywhere else: Sandy shores, water, sunshine, swimming, and surfing.
What it means in Delaware: All of the above, plus an amazingly party boardwalk at Dewey or an amazing quaint boardwalk at Rehoboth that are totally overrun with tourists in the summer.
5. Dogfish
What it means everywhere else: A type of shark.
What it means in Delaware: Dogfish Head Brewery AKA the only beer you’ll ever be caught drinking.
6. Firefly
What it means everywhere else: A type of insect that lights up at night or a cult classic science fiction show that was canceled all too soon.
What it means in Delaware: A ginormous music festival (especially considering the size of the state) that you can’t decide if you love because it’s awesome or hate because it’s gotten so huge that you can’t even elbow your way toward the stage anymore.
7. State Fair
What it means everywhere else: A state-sponsored gathering with livestock, live music, fried foods, and rides.
What it means in Delaware: The biggest event of the year that literally an entire third of your state’s population shows up for.
8. Chickens
What it means everywhere else: A type of bird that’s commonly raised for food.
What it means in Delaware: Those birds that outnumber the human population of your state 200 to 1, and that you secretly kind of fear will rise up and revolt someday.
9. Sales Tax
What it means everywhere else: A tax that’s added to goods and services when you buy them.
What it means in Delaware: That thing you don’t have and that you celebrate not having by shopping until you drop.
10. LSD
What it means everywhere else: A psychedelic drug.
What it means in Delaware: The southern part of Delaware, sometimes called Lower Slower Delaware, where life moves at a slower, or perfect, according to residents, pace.
11. Joe Biden
What it means everywhere else: The goofy Vice President who sometimes puts his foot in his mouth.
What it means in Delaware: The best Vice President that’s ever Vice President-ed, proudly representing Wilmington. Sure, he was born in Pennsylvania, but we can forgive that.
12. Road Trip
What it means everywhere else: Driving to a different geographical location for a vacation.
What it means in Delaware: Driving across the entire state in two hours.
13. Roads
What it means everywhere else: Paved areas that drivers follow to get from Point A to Point B.
What it means in Delaware: Tolls, tolls, endless tolls forever.
14. License Plate
What it means everywhere else: A plate that’s attached to your car with numbers and letters.
What it means in Delaware: A status symbol, especially if it’s black with white numbers.
15. NASCAR
What it means everywhere else: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
What it means in Delaware: Seriously unbelievable traffic around the Dover International Speedway that ironically causes you to drive super slowly.
16. Canal
What it means everywhere else: A waterway that was constructed to let boats or ships go inland.
What it means in Delaware: The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal that separates Northern Delaware from Southern Delaware, and that some people argue should be a new state line.
17. Thrasher
What it means everywhere else: Someone at a metal show.
What it means in Delaware: The best vinegar doused French fries you will ever eat in your life.
18. DuPont
What it means everywhere else: A French sounding surname.
What it means in Delaware: Delaware’s biggest legacy family, and the name of half the streets in the state.
19. Bloody Mary
What it means everywhere else: A vodka and tomato juice cocktail.
What it means in Delaware: How all the bros (gender neutral bros in this instance) start Sunday morning at the beach.
20. Old New Castle
What it means everywhere else: An old castle that’s been… uh, recently rebuilt?
What it means in Delaware: A super pretty historic town in the great state of Delaware.
21. Candyland
What it means everywhere else: A children’s board game.
What it means in Delaware: The most delicious melt in your mouth saltwater taffy ever from Dolle’s Candyland.
22. Crabs
What it means everywhere else: A type of crustacean that’s commonly eaten and that you have to watch out for if you’re walking along some beaches.
What it means in Delaware: Fried soft shell crabs on soft bun AKA the meaning of life or hard shell crabs plucked straight from the ocean.
23. Ivy League
What it means everywhere else: A group of prestigious universities in the eastern United States.
What it means in Delaware: Those universities that UD is just as good as, but at public school prices.
24. Wawa
What it means everywhere else: That’s a convenience store, right?
What it means in Delaware: More than just a convenience store. A lifestyle. A little slice of heaven on Earth.
25. Stranger
What it means everywhere else: Someone you don’t know.
What it means in Delaware: Someone you don’t know, of which there are none left in your state… unless it’s a tourist who’s just in for the summer.
26. Brandywine
What it means everywhere else: A drink you made in college when you were almost out of everything.
What it means in Delaware: A zoo in Wilmington that has a really cool monkey house.
27. Charcoal Pit
What it means everywhere else: A charcoal furnace that’s filled with wood.
What it means in Delaware: An awesome 1950s style diner that’s been around for over 50 years, where you can order the most ridiculous menu item ever…
28. Kitchen Sink
What it means everywhere else: A faucet in your kitchen where you wash your dishes, or part of the expression “everything but the kitchen sink.”
What it means in Delaware: An enormous twenty-scoop ice cream challenge (or reward, depending on how you look at it) at Charcoal Pit.
29. Fall
What it means everywhere else: One of four seasons. It’s generally mild and the leaves change color.
What it means in Delaware: The most beautiful season ever, where every color imaginable shows up in the trees.
What other words mean something completely different in Delaware? Tell us in the comments below!
