SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Since becoming a state in 1896, Utah has built an identity and culture all of its own. While you’re here, you may hear multiple words or phrases that are unique or have a little bit of a different meaning than what you’re used to.
ABC4 has compiled a list of a few of these words to save you some confusion when speaking to a native Utahn.
SLUFF
You definitely shouldn’t go sluffing school or work, but sometimes, you just have something better to do or need that mental health day.
In Utah, sluffing means skipping out on class or work. For the record, ABC4 does not condone sluffing your responsibilities.
BIFF
You might need to take some time to gather yourself or grab a Band-Aid and get looked at after biffing it on your skateboard or while skiing down Utah’s slopes.
If someone says you biffed it, you likely took a hard fall or stumble while walking or recreating through Utah. Which brings us to the next word on the list…
RECREATING
A Utahn’s favorite pastime is to go recreating in many of the beautiful mountains and national parks that stretch across the entire state. But what does that mean?
The simplest explanation is anything outdoors. Whether that’s camping, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, you name it. If you’re enjoying Utah’s scenery, you’re probably recreating.
POWDER
A great way to do some recreating in Utah is to hit Utah’s world-famous slopes for a “Powder Day.” That powder is a fresh blanket of the “greatest snow on earth.”
A ski resort in Utah can claim a Power Day if it sees more than a foot of fresh snow within a 24-hour window.
FRY SAUCE
Everyone knows you can’t have fries without some fry sauce on the side.
This Utah condiment mix of ketchup and mayo has started making waves nationwide — Heinz is now bottling and selling their own version of fry sauce — but true fry sauce is found in the Beehive State. The real question is, where in Utah has the best fry sauce?
FUNERAL POTATOES
You may have heard them be called cheesy potatoes, but here in Utah, they’re called funeral potatoes — and everybody loves them.
It’s the perfect dish for any occasion: cheesy hash browns topped with the crunchy texture of cornflakes or potato chips. Why are they called funeral potatoes? According to Dictionary.com, it comes from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ practice of serving the dish at receptions after funerals.
INVERSION
You might want to consider staying inside or carpooling to work when the inversion hits Salt Lake City. There is nothing worse than when the air is so thick you can’t see through it and you can practically taste it.
Most common in the winter, inversion is an atmospheric phenomenon when cooler air in the valley gets trapped underneath a layer of warmer air, having nowhere to go due to the surrounding mountain ranges. Pollution gets stuck with the cooler air and during times of inversion, air quality drops significantly.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
A few honorable mentions are some of the many words Utahns use as alternatives to swearing such as “fetch,” “frickin’,” “oh my heck,” or “holy crap.” Many other words related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are also unique to the region such as a “ward” or a “stake.”
