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Yooper
is a contraction for
U.P.er or Upper Peninsula resident.
It is also the opposite of Loper, or
Lower Peninsula Resident.
These terms are regional to Michigan. When you move from the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula, you move "over the bridge" which is a reference to the Mackinac Bridge that spans the five miles of the Straits of Mackinac, that treacherous waterway separating Michigan's two peninsulas. Once you move to the Upper Peninsula and become a Yooper, you learn a different name for those who live below the bridge: trolls.
Lower Peninsula life is much like anywhere else. Some areas are more populated than others, but most of the Lower Peninsula population has easy access to good shopping and medical care.
Not so in the remote Upper Peninsula. Yoopers define remoteness by how far they live from the nearest town, city, Walmart, or hospital. Or Yoopers can define remoteness by a definition of heavy traffic, eg. when one car passes another car going in opposite directions.
Remoteness has its benefits. I was recently asked in a blog interview how I deal with the "run, run, run" of our modern world. The answer was simple. I don't. Where I live there is no rush to do this or that. Hey, we don't even have a TV signal, so there's no, "hurry up so we can watch that show we want to see."
Most people would probably find our remote location far too distant for their everyday needs. For us, becoming Yoopers was a good move for our retirement years. We've left the trolls behind with no regrets.
Do you have any "regionalisms" where you live? Please let me know by leaving a comment, then click on a link to visit another blog on the letter Y. Thanks for stopping by! Be blessed!
I love learning about different reginal terms. I've been to Michigan--both sides of that bridge but have never heard those terms.
ReplyDeleteSomedays I would like to live where there is no 'run run' or tv signal. With online shopping I think I could do it. (need it for my gluten free foods.)
Diana
www.dianabrandmeyer.com
Diana,
DeleteYou could definitely get your online goods including the gluten free ones delivered right to your door if you were in the U.P. We do a lot of online shopping because we are so far away from stores, and the stores available to us have very little in the way of specialty items.
By the way, my husband is gluten sensitive but not a celiac. We use rice in many different forms. We've found that by making our own recipes, we can control the gluten, but when buying prepared foods, it's a challenge unless the package says "Gluten Free".
Hope you stay well! Blessings!
Donna
Donna what a great place to be so far from masses and the traffic. That made me giggle.
ReplyDeleteRetha,
DeleteI laugh at myself over the definition of heavy traffic here in the U.P. :)
Thanks for stopping by with your comment!
Donna Winters
Donna, being a Troll married to a Yooper I can relate to both situations! This is the best blog post I've read in a long time! I love it!
ReplyDeleteNancee
Grand Rapids
Nancee,
DeleteThanks for stopping by! I'm so glad you enjoyed my take on Yooper vs Loper.
Blessings!
Donna