Nearly Threadjacked: Taconite Curtain

This just about became a threadjack for Mary’s “I’ll give you a medal … ” post But propriety seized me just before I hit post when I realized this was probably a post in it’s own right.

It all started when I finally clicked the urban dictionary link to taconite curtain that Adam provided: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Taconite%20Curtain

I have to kick myself that that actually qualifies as “urban” but it’s hilarious and very well written, folks. It wasn’t until I’d read it that I caught the “Iron” v. “Taconite” connection, as in, Europe has (had) the “iron” curtain of totalitarian socialism, but we’ve only got this really dense rock with some iron in it, “taconite.” You people are all way too clever for me.

In college I went to St. John’s U where we had the “pine curtain” which was a big stand of pine trees that stood on the Eastern side of campus, figuratively blocking insulating the place from eSt. Cloud/Twin Cities, the freeway and basically the rest of everything. And I produced and sometimes hosted a radio talk show called “profiles of the pine curtain” where people talked about whatever seemed important at the time in our little micro-community. It was popular, but popular behind the pine curtain meant like 30 people were listening … [So as I’m editing this looking for a link I came across this site which is obviously very personal for whomever created it, but it illustrates what evils may occur in an isolated environment, in fact it’s one of the issues we covered on the show, I’m sure. I also discovered that there is apparently a pine curtain in Texas ]

But I digress. My real point was this:

Can those that know please post a list of other local terminology/slang or made up geographic terms that may be there on that dictionary or other places for me to peruse? I know there have been many posts over the years right here on pdd about such, and perhaps it warrants it’s own tag or separate archive, even. Kind of a local slang/terminology primer for the newcomer … As in the case of the two links I posted on Pine Curtain (of many, many I found) these terms are all very emotional and passionate, not just funny or snarky. Also, is this the time to bring up a quote directory, too? A place we pile up notable quotes about our region, such as the one that spawned this whole thing Bobby D’s “I’ll give you a medal” statement?

So, feed me some more local terms, and maybe some quotes, if you please.

26 Comments

Tim K

about 15 years ago

Stuff I remember growing up included- "like a truck coming down Lake Avenue" describing the painfully obvious. Swedes (I'm half Swede) were called "fish-eaters" and the still commonly used and prepositionally incorrect "do you want to come with?" Having grown up here, I've also noticed that Duluthians don't like it when TC Metro refers to us as part of the Range.

FIB hater

about 15 years ago

Illinois/Wisconsin border is often referred to as the Cheddar Curtain.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cheddar+Curtain

FIB hater

about 15 years ago

By the way, "FIB" stands for (Freaking) Illinois Bastards, in case you didn't already know.

Mary

about 15 years ago

Forgive me if this constitutes another threadjacking, but this post reminded me of when some folks working on the Dictionary of American Regional English (based out of Madison) came through here last year.  They gave a presentation on how they research regional dialects and slang around the country, and it was totally fascinating.  I don't think the dictionary's available online, but they have some examples of words they're researching on their website...

http://dare.wisc.edu/

I wonder what words made it in there from this neck of the woods.

FIPs vs. FIBs

about 15 years ago

My wife worked in northwest Indiana for a time and apparently they have the same opinion of Chicagoans. Their phrase was FIP (F***ing Illinois People).

Tim K

about 15 years ago

I've always wanted one of those Gakken theremins!

The Big E

about 15 years ago

Back in Duluth's early years, "fish eater" had a different meaning:
In the early days of Duluth the poor people who lived South of Superior Street were known as "fish eaters". Because fish were plentiful and inexpensive it was a very big part of their diet, and it was an honor to be called that. The rich folk could eat whatever they wanted but for the poor the saying went "eat fish or snowballs." The fish business was one of the earliest in the city.
Here's another take.

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago

I don't know about fish eaters, but I know all about cake eaters.

zra

about 15 years ago

takes one to know one, Barrett...and I do likes me some cake.

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago

Uhh ... I don't think you know what I'm talking about, Ez. A cake eater is a resident of Eastern Duluth, most likely an EHS student or alum.

wildgoose

about 15 years ago

Yes this is what I was looking for.  I guess I also think it is ridiculous to consider Duluth part of the range, mainly because the range refers to a specific set of geological features (Cuyuna, Mesabi and Vermillion Ranges and we are not part of any of them).  The regional dictionary post was definitely not a threadjack, Mary.  Although I obviously invited them with the title for this, thank you for catching that Adam and your cat playing theremin.  

Now ... 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cake%20eater 
Urban Dictionary has cake-eater sourced around EDINA as I suspected, since I think that's where it actually came from.  The entry notes that it is also used in the film, the Mighty Ducks.  

So, it might be time for some ambitious updater to fix that.  And when you do I suggest this distinction from Barrett's otherwise correct definition regarding Eastern Duluth:  

I mostly grew up in Lester Park, and I would say that the cake eater term largely refers to the Congdon park, Endion and lower Woodland Neighborhoods, but does extend up the shore on the lake side quite a ways and maybe vears left along clover valley or Lester river territory. So this would be a territory that (roughly) runs along the lake from east to west, but cuts off on the UPPER side of London Road until perhaps about 43rd ave E. but certainly 40th where Northland Country Club and Ordean school are and then runs over to about 21st avenue East, maybe 18th, and in some cases as far as the future/old (but not present, thank goodness) racial and economic "red line" of 12th ave E.   This so-called cake-eater territory would be bordered on the upper side by the Cemetery in Woodland or maybe Hartley field.   Even as a student at East we would occasionally call the kids from those more prosperous neighborhoods "cakes." I wish I could draw a map, it's hard to explain with just words.  It's a lot of eastern Duluth, but not all of it.  I would say it definitely doesn't include most of Lester Park, and only a small part of Lakeside, Woodland is a little more suspect since there is a mix of housing stock there, but I'd say probably not upper Woodland, anyway.  

Then again, maybe I'm wrong and Barrett's right, it is all of Eastern Duluth.

Tim K

about 15 years ago

Funny and necessarily sad how a revolutionary term like "cake-eater" has such staying power- alas poor Marie Antoinette! Too bad that more recent perpetrators of bad policy toward the peasants will never see the same fate...

The Big E

about 15 years ago

I think it would be hard to put our old neighborhood out by Lester Park (mostly two bedroom boxes built in the war) in the same category as Congdon.

Here, try this for a half-assed map, mostly per your specifications.

huitz

about 15 years ago

In school, I'm surprised that I've never heard the cheer "we'll have our cake and eat it too".  I really didn't go to many games, though.  Hunting cake-eaters was not my forte.

huitz

about 15 years ago

Oops, I meant "I'd never heard".  I notice many locals using the present verb in contractions, so it sorta sticks with me.

c-freak

about 15 years ago

one thing you don't want to know about is "meat curtains".

zra

about 15 years ago

i've lived in d-town long enough to have become familiar with the term...which was why i was trying to toss a little humor in there.

fail.

my bad.

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago

If you grew up in West Duluth, ALL of eastern Duluth is cake-eating territory. Hell, I live in the East Hillside now, and when I moved here, Paul Lundgren berated me, "You're a cake eater now. You eat cake you bought at Savories."

The Big E

about 15 years ago

Try this for a half-assed attempt at your map (requires Google Earth, bleh).

oldknifey

about 15 years ago

Speaking of west/east distinctions in Duluth. Spirit Valley is obviously still referred to as West Duluth. Lincoln Park is still the West End, in many eyes.

Richard McTuggins

about 15 years ago

Did someone say "meat curtains"? I think I just ate a grape.

hbh1

about 15 years ago

i believe our dismal ancient house is a lone island of poverty in cake-eating territory.

if the neighbors could build a fence around us, i think they would.

MareBee

about 15 years ago

I recently married a 'cake eater' EHS grad while I am a Denfeld grad, West Duluth born and raised.... I now have a lovely view of the front of EHS.  People from East seem to have no concept of the difference between West End and West Duluth, Norton Park, Riverside and on and on and on.  Its all one big LUMP to them.  They know where the Zoo is though so thats good... What was my point here??  Who knows.

zra

about 15 years ago

meat curtain = Abbyland or Old Wisconsin, a'la something akin the Mason/Dixon...or the Maginot?

The Big E

about 15 years ago

Man.  I'm a big enough nerd I made a half-assed Google Earth map based on wildgoose's parameters.  But every attempt to post a link gets stuck in the spam filter.

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