Montana's Most Distinctive Slang Word

According the Merriam-Webster dictionary slang is defined as “words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people.” Slang words form within different cultures, countries or in this case states. A map designed and created by writers at slang.com show the most popular slang word used in each state. The final word chosen was by no chance random. Linguists were first called in to create a list of possible slang phrases or words that were already associated with each individual state. Online message boards were analyzed and colleges were surveyed to narrow down the options to about ten words. Ultimately the decision was left up to the writers at Slate. The final word chosen was based on the writer’s favorite of the group, some aren’t even words at all but are a popular and original phrase, and tie-breakers were broken by how “fun” a word was.

Curious as to what the map reads for Montana? Graupel: The official slang word of Montana. Graupel is defined as snow-like precipitation that resembles tiny ice balls. For those who find this word missing from their daily language the authors of Slate have provided readers with each word used in an example sentence. The example they have provided reads, “That rain was pretty annoying, but this graupel that stings when it hits you is just absurd.” Though it may be a word you have never or rarely find yourself using in context it makes much more sense than those of other states. Think about it. Montana is notorious for crazy winters; with below freezing temperatures being something you don’t think twice about. In any place, at least here in the United States, weather is a topic of discussion that inevitably comes up in all of our daily conversations. It only makes sense for a word describing an abnormal winter weather event to be the most popular slang word in a place where weather is already an extreme.