What it means everywhere else: An American rapper and singer who you listened to a lot in 2002.
What it means in St. Louis: An American rapper and singer who is still widely listened to in St. Louis, and when “Hot in Herre” comes on at a party everyone still gets really into it.
What it means everywhere else: A dairy product that is often used in baking.
What it means in St. Louis: The best and most delicious gooey cake in the world.
What it means everywhere else: A school you attend for four years before adulthood that means a lot while you’re there, but absolutely nothing once you graduate.
What it means in St. Louis: A school you attend for four years before adulthood that then shapes your identity and the way you’re perceived by everyone else in St. Louis for life.
What it means everywhere else: A mediocre beer that you sometimes drink when it’s cheap during happy hour.
What it means in St. Louis: Your number one choice for beer forever.
What it means everywhere else: Small red birds.
What it means in St. Louis: The baseball team you will love and support to the death that over half of your t-shirts are dedicated to.
What it means everywhere else: A building material.
What it means in St. Louis: The most delicious flavor combination of frozen custard from Ted Drewes.
What it means everywhere else: A dairy food made from milk curds.
What it means in St. Louis: The (at least one) cup of Provel you add to everything in order to make it taste good, and the key to a perfect slice of pizza.
What it means everywhere else: A romantic language, or the nationality of someone from France.
What it means in St. Louis: That language you totally butcher every time you give someone directions.
What it means everywhere else: A season of the year where you go sledding and then curl up by a fire and drink hot chocolate to stay out of the chilly weather.
What it means in St. Louis: When your city actually just turns into Hoth for several months of the year.
What it means everywhere else: A chain restaurant that serves soups, salads, and sandwiches.
What it means in St. Louis: “Don’t you mean the Bread Company?”
What it means everywhere else: An Indiana native.
What it means in St. Louis: Another way of saying “redneck” that has nothing to do with Indiana.
What it means everywhere else: A hill where a bunch of blueberries grow.
What it means in St. Louis: A totally awesome restaurant/music venue/tribute to St. Louis music history where Chuck Berry still plays every third Wednesday.
What it means everywhere else: A state in the Midwest, known for the major city of Chicago.
What it means in St. Louis: That place across the river that you can’t ever imagine finding a reason to go to.
What it means everywhere else: When you pull into a designated space and leave your car there.
What it means in St. Louis: Something you would never do downtown unless you wanted to pay twenty bucks for a space just to have your car towed when you’re two minutes late.
What it means everywhere else: Small pasta pockets that are stuffed with meat, cheese, or veggies.
What it means in St. Louis: Toasted ravioli (or T-Ravs if you’re really uncool) for life!
What it means everywhere else: When someone has bad gas.
What it means in St. Louis: How everyone from St. Louis pronounces the number “forty.”
What it means everywhere else: A carnival held on Shrove Tuesday, most famously in New Orleans.
What it means in St. Louis: Who even needs New Orleans when St. Louis has Soulard?
What it means everywhere else: Great distress or sadness.
What it means in St. Louis: How people from St. Louis (correctly) pronounce Missouri. There’s no A at the end!
What it means everywhere else: A vessel that is used to travel across water.
What it means in St. Louis: Where you go when you want to gamble.
What it means everywhere else: The adulterous president you love to hate on “Scandal.”
What it means in St. Louis: The best root beer in the entire universe.
What it means everywhere else: A raised area of land.
What it means in St. Louis: The best neighborhood in St. Louis to get delicious Italian food from Charlie Gitto’s, Zia’s, or Cunetto House of Pasta.
What it means everywhere else: A state between Earth and heaven where a sinner must atone before passing on and a really bad move on behalf of the “Lost” writers.
What it means in St. Louis: Driving on Highway 40 during rush hour.
What it means everywhere else: Another building material.
What it means in St. Louis: An amazing sculpture and park built by Bob Cassilly that has a totally cool dystopian future vibe called Cementland.
What it means everywhere else: A fast food restaurant that’s known for their sliders.
What it means in St. Louis: A fast food restaurant that everyone from St. Louis inexplicably loves.
What it means everywhere else: Manufacturers and suppliers who work together to keep prices high and eliminate competition—usually associated with drugs.
What it means in St. Louis: The Coffee Cartel, a 24/7 coffee shop where you go to get your fix during finals week.
What it means everywhere else: A genre of music, or feeling sad or down.
What it means in St. Louis: The St. Louis Blues hockey team, who coincidentally often give you the blues.
What it means everywhere else: Apparitions or spirits of deceased people that are commonly understood to be fictional.
What it means in St. Louis: Things that you’d swear you’ve totally seen at the Lemp Mansion.
What it means everywhere else: A mammal in the dog family.
What it means in St. Louis: The best theater in town to catch a really good play.
What it means everywhere else: A really nice cut of beef that’s eaten for fancy dinners.
What it means in St. Louis: Pork steak, or the best part of a pig to grill for delicious St. Louis BBQ.
What it means everywhere else: A curved structure that spans the opening of something a bridge or door.
What it means in St. Louis: The Gateway Arch, duh. Is there any other arch, really?
What other words mean something completely different in St. Louis? Tell us in the comments below!
