DENVER (KDVR) — For those of you who moved to the Denver metro area before or during the pandemic, picking up local linguistical trends may not have been a priority. Nonetheless, the shutdowns have subsided, which means it is time to start socializing with your fellow Denverites.
Before diving into the beautifully warm months Colorado will soon be putting on your plate, check out this list of helpful verbiage that is certain to make seasoned Coloradans believe you earned “native” status long ago.
Mile High jargon
Blucifer: A local Denver International Airport-defending statue with a dark history that includes his creator meeting a Frankenstein-like ending.
Colorado cologne: The distinct and skunk-like odor that participants of Colorado’s immersive marijuana scene exude.
Pow: Not so much a box to punch in Super Mario Brothers, but rather a reference to freshly fallen accumulation in the high country. Most refer to it as a “powder day.”
Rocky Mountain oysters: A slang term for bull testicles that are traditionally breaded and deep-fried.
Peak bagger: Defined by a determination to scratch the names of all of Colorado’s 14ers off of their hiking to-do list.
Smell of Greeley: FOX31’s Pinpoint Weather Team is usually the premiere human crew getting Coloradans ready for impactful weather, but another forecaster of rain/snow in the metroplex, is the cows of Greeley, who consistently send their manure scented forecast southward toward Denver whenever a rain/snowstorm is on the way.
Yard sale: The term most consistently heard near a skier who has, in the recent immediacy, lost both poles and skis in a single questionable maneuver while on the slopes. When witnessing such an instance, you are encouraged to avoid haggling for any items presumed to be “for sale,” and instead, offer assistance, or at the bare minimum, compliment them on their wares.
These are all terms certain to get you wedged comfortably into any Colorado conversation you come across.
It might help you, however, to learn some lingo attached to the geographical locations you now find yourself adjacent to. Here are some terms you may hear or read locally that it may behoove you to memorize.
Helpful local lingo
A-Basin/A-Bay: A nickname for the Arapahoe Basin ski resort
Breck: The coiner of this term broke the name of Breckenridge in half, for your convenience
BV: The shortest possible way to refer to Buena Vista
Cap Hill: Capitol Hill area in Denver
FoCo: Fort Collins
LoDo: Lower downtown
LoHi: Lower Highlands
Mouse trap: The intersection between Interstate 25 and Interstate 70
RiNo: Refers to the River North Art District in northern Denver
SoBo: South Broadway area
The Front Range: Those towns and cities sitting along the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountain range
The foothills: The short answer? Areas west of I-25 at elevations generally between 6,000 and 8,000 feet
The Tunnel: Refers to the gateway to the high country along I-70, officially named the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels.
The Springs: A reference to Colorado Springs, home of the state’s newest Whataburger.
Wads: A nickname for Wadsworth Boulevard.
This list may not be the most complete regional linguistics course, but if you keep these in your utility belt of terms, you have already started your process of assimilation into the Coloradan community so many wish to join.