“The Oklahoma State Football team celebrates its win”byKT Kingis licensed underCC BY 2.0
What it means everywhere else: In a very short amount of time, rather than a long amount of time.
What it means in Oklahoma: One hyper-dedicated fan of the Oklahoma Sooners football team.
“How we do tater tots...”byArnold Gatilaois licensed underCC BY 2.0
What it means everywhere else: An American fast food drive-in chain known for their waiters on roller skates.
What it means in Oklahoma: Maybe the closest thing to heaven on Earth. Have you had their tater tots?
What it means everywhere else: Saltwater clams that are eaten straight off the shell.
What it means in Oklahoma: A different kind of oyster that comes not from the sea, but from parts of a bull that you don’t really like to think about when you’re eating them. Also known as calf fries.
What it means everywhere else: People you know well and have bonded with.
What it means in Oklahoma: Your barista, your mailman, a stranger on the side of the road with a flat tire, the neighbor who just moved in down the block, and oh yeah, people you know well and have bonded with.
What it means everywhere else: The loud rumbling noise in the sky after lightning.
What it means in Oklahoma: The best basketball team in the entire world, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
What it means everywhere else: A high quality cut of beef that’s usually eaten on special occasions.
What it means in Oklahoma: A cut of beef that’s fried like chicken and smothered in delicious gravy.
What it means everywhere else: The siren that indicates a tornado is approaching and it’s time to hunker down in your basement for a while.
What it means in Oklahoma: The siren that indicates a tornado might be approaching, so you better hunker down in your newly built apocalypse-proof shelter with enough entertainment and rations for a few months. Either that, or watch from your porch.
What it means everywhere else: The four times there are major changes in weather throughout the year: summer, fall, winter, and spring.
What it means in Oklahoma: Tornado, summer, and freezing.
What it means everywhere else: The only place to buy a 72-ounce coke and a candy bar at three in the morning, but not somewhere you really look forward to going.
What it means in Oklahoma: QuikTrip—about as close as you’ll get to a luxury convenience experience and where you hung out for hours as a teenager.
What it means everywhere else: A generally pleasant movement of air that makes a hot day seem a little more bearable.
What it means in Oklahoma: When you kind of feel like your face is going to be ripped off of your head.
What it means everywhere else: When there are a lot of cars on the road and drivers get a little backed up.
What it means in Oklahoma: A phenomenon many Oklahomans have never actually experienced.
What it means everywhere else: A casual conversation.
What it means in Oklahoma: The word you’ve always used instead of “gravel.”
What it means everywhere else: A practical heavy-duty boot that’s great for work on a ranch.
What it means in Oklahoma: Your spiffiest pair of dress shoes that you bust out for weddings and church.
What it means everywhere else: The atmosphere surrounding Earth that’s visible when you look up.
What it means in Oklahoma: The thing you don’t even look up at—you look around at—and is maybe the most beautiful thing in the world, whether it’s clear and blue, or starry, or orange from the sunset.
What it means everywhere else: A country music star and winner of American Idol.
What it means in Oklahoma: That amazing country music star you voted for a million times every episode of “American Idol” because you went to school with her or knew someone who cut her hair once.
What it means everywhere else: A city in Florida.
What it means in Oklahoma: A city in Oklahoma that’s always pronounced My-am-uh.
What it means everywhere else: A sturdy bag, or what you hit at night when you’re sleepy.
What it means in Oklahoma: The thing you carry your groceries home in.
What it means everywhere else: The second-largest city in Oklahoma.
What it means in Oklahoma: Oklahoma City’s little sister, who is trying desperately to catch up and be half as cool. (Unless you’re from Tulsa, of course. Then it means the greatest city in Oklahoma.)
What it means everywhere else: A hard plastic or metal hat worn on dangerous worksites to protect the head.
What it means in Oklahoma: The perfect accessory to wear to a Tulsa Oilers game to show your support.
What it means everywhere else: The eldest son of Adam and Eve who took the competitive jealous brother thing to a whole new level.
What it means in Oklahoma: Cain’s Ballroom, the best place in Oklahoma to catch great live music.
What it means everywhere else: A leisurely stroll.
What it means in Oklahoma: A leisurely stroll through one of the coolest gallery districts in the country, the Paseo Arts District in Oklahoma City.
What it means everywhere else: The clasp that holds your belt in place.
What it means in Oklahoma: A serious status symbol or form of self-expression.
What it means everywhere else: The people who live near you.
What it means in Oklahoma: The people you would (literally) risk life and limb for, and who would do the same for you.
What other words mean something completely differently in Oklahoma? Tell us in the comments below!
