| 1. |
13th Step, The : The 13th step of the State Capitol Building (on the west side) happens to be situated exactly one mile (5280 feet)... |
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| 2. |
30 Rack : A case of beer. |
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| 3. |
77 Square : The name of the free Madison paper that comes out every Thursday. 77 Square is produced by the folks at the Capital... |
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| 4. |
Alcatraz : Alcatraz was a maximum security prison located on Alcatraz Island off of the San Francisco coast. Closed in 1963, it is... |
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| 5. |
America's Best College Sports Town : In 2003 Sports Illustrated started the trend of proclaiming Madison as America's best college sports town. Considering... |
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| 6. |
Angelic, The : This is a restaurant, formally called the Angelic Brewing Co. The name has not changed, but they don't have their own... |
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| 7. |
Arrowhead Golf Club : A golf course that was "300 million years in the making." The ancient red sandstone rock formations jut out from this... |
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| 8. |
B & T : Shorthand for "Bridge and Tunnel," the term for people who make the commute to Manhattan via bridge or tunnel, but who... |
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| 9. |
Bear Tooth Pass : The Bear Tooth Pass is the 30 mile stretch of highway between Red Lodge, MT and Yellowstone National Park's North East... |
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| 10. |
Beltline, The : Also known as Highway 12-18, the Beltline is a highway that stretches across an East-West axis along Madison's south... |
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| 11. |
Bernie Brewer : The official Mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers. He bears an uncanny resemblance to Robin Yount. At the very least he has... |
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| 12. |
Berthoud Pass : A mountain pass just west of Denver that is popular for back country hikers and skiers. Elevation is just over 11,000... |
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| 13. |
Best Damn Band in the Land : Also known as the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Marching Band. Also referred to as the "hardest working band in... |
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| 14. |
Big Mike's : Big Mike's is what many Madison locals still call Milio's Sandwiches. They changed their name a few years back. I... |
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| 15. |
Boccali's Pizza and Pasta : A family owned and operated Italian restaurant two miles east of the heart of downtown. This is a local favorite with... |
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| 16. |
Boccali's Strawberry Shortcake : Seasonal dessert at Boccali's Pizza and Pasta restaurant made from fresh strawberries from the gardens out back. ... |
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| 17. |
Bone Zone : Speedway, a road that runs between two cemeteries connecting Regent Street to Mineral Point Road. |
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| 18. |
Boot : A glass boot filled with beer served at the Essen Haus, Madison's German-themed bar and restaurant in downtown Madison... |
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| 19. |
Brat Fest : Johnsonville sponsors the annual "World's Largest Brat Fest". It is usually held Memorial Day weekend on Willow Island... |
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| 20. |
Breeder : A heterosexual person in gay culture. |
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| 21. |
Brett Favre : I never thought I'd be associating Brett Favre with the Twin Cities, but he recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings.... |
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| 22. |
Bridge & Tunnel : Manhattanites refer to those who commute into Manhattan by bridge or by tunnel as "B&T"s, occasionally as an indication... |
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| 23. |
Brocach : Brocach is Gaelic for "badger den" and Madisonian for "a great little Irish Pub on the Capitol Square." Brocach Irish... |
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| 24. |
Brooknam : Combining "Brooklyn" and "Vietnam," this is a nickname for Brooklyn. |
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| 25. |
Butter Jesus : This is one of the common nicknames for Solid Rock Church's enormous sculpture of Jesus Christ. Rising 62 feet high... |
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| 26. |
Capital City Trail : Bike path located on the east side of Madison, along Lake Monona, the Monona Terrace and continuing along the east side... |
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| 27. |
Capitol Centre Foods : A grocery store conveniently located near the UW campus. Also of great convenience to students is the delivery system,... |
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| 28. |
Capitol Hill : The area's most prominent landmark, the Capitol building, perches here; the original architect decreed that no building... |
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| 29. |
Casa de Lara : Not to be confused with the Casa de Lara on State Street, Casa de Lara in Fitchburg is a nice, spacious (and authentic)... |
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| 30. |
Castle, The : Built in 1855, the Smithsonian Institution's first building is known as the Castle. The building houses the... |
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| 31. |
Central Distressway : Nickname for the Central Expressway (or I-75) because of its horrible congestion. |
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| 32. |
Chavez Ravine : The site of the current Dodger Stadium, this used to be a neighborhood made up of mostly Mexican-American immigrants. ... |
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| 33. |
Chicago River : This river weaves through Chicago. Retractable bridges wind over the river, as it leads into Lake Michigan. The... |
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| 34. |
Circle of Death : The road that circumnavigates the parking lot at Madison's West Towne Mall. Lanes are created and then merge together... |
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| 35. |
CLEGS : CLEGS is the abbreviation for Crazylegs on the front of the 2008 Crazylegs tee shirts. The shirt, when worn in the... |
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| 36. |
Coastie : A University of Wisconsin student from the East Coast. These people can be found on State Street with puffy North Face... |
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| 37. |
Crazylegs Classic : The annual Crazylegs Classic is an 8k (roughly 5 mile) run or a 2 mile walk. It starts on the Capitol Square and end on... |
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| 38. |
Crick : This is an alternate pronunciation for "creek". Older residents of La Crosse tend to prefer this way of saying it. The... |
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| 39. |
Dane County Farmer's Market : The Dane County Farmer's Market is a larger producer only farmer's market. That means the people at the market actually... |
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| 40. |
David Chang : Bon Appetit and GQ magazine's 2007 "Chef of the Year," David Chang is New York City's most talked-about chef at the... |
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| 41. |
Deep Tunnel : A huge underground storage tunnel built to hold storm water runoff and sewage during heavy rains. The 19.4 mile long... |
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| 42. |
Doerferville : On a highway outside Verona there's a sign in front of a house that says "Doerferville Population 14." When riding by... |
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| 43. |
Down Cella : In the basement. |
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| 44. |
Downtown : The central business district of Los Angeles, almost an entire city in its own right. |
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| 45. |
DUMBO : Recently becoming trendy, this is an area of Brooklyn just over the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges from Manhattan. The... |
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| 46. |
Eat Cheese! Fondue! : Parents at Badger games tell their young ones that the student sections are yelling "eat cheese" and "fondue" at one... |
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| 47. |
Echo Park : A district of Los Angeles, northwest relative to the downtown area, that was the original center of the film industry... |
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| 48. |
El Gran Burrito : 24-hour authentic Mexican street food in a big outdoor kitchen and patio the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Vermont... |
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| 49. |
Epicoolaid : Epicoolaid is a cutting reference to Epic Systems' tight-knit company culture. Epic employees are often accused by... |
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| 50. |
Executive Residence : Perhaps better known as the Governor's Mansion, the Executive Residence has housed Wisconsin's governor (currently Jim... |
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| 51. |
F dub, The : A slang term that some use for Federal Way, a south suburb of Seattle. |
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| 52. |
Fish Bowl : The Fish Bowl is a famous drink at the downtown bar Wando's. As the name suggest, it is served in a fishbowl. I'm not... |
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| 53. |
Five Guys : Five Guys is shorthand for Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a DC-area burger joint that expanded its reach to Madison in... |
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| 54. |
Flying Biscuit : A popular brunch spot, worth the wait, for the delicious biscuits, and enormous menu. |
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| 55. |
Fraternity Row : The row of fraternities and sororities on Langdon Street on the University of Wisconsin Campus. Langdon street runs... |
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| 56. |
Freakfest : The official name for the downtown celebration of Halloween in Madtown. The event takes place on State Street. The cost... |
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| 57. |
Fromagination : A specialty cheese market located on the Capitol Square featuring Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemakers as well as other fine... |
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| 58. |
Fulton Ferry Landing : Great views of Manhattan from this Brooklyn location on the water at the end of Old Fulton St. It's at the base of the... |
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| 59. |
Gay Street : One of the main streets in downtown Knoxville. Newcomers to the city usually get a seventh-grade-like giggle out of the... |
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| 60. |
Giant Snowball : During the wee hours of December 9th, 2009, after the bars closed, a bunch of young locals created a gigantic snowball... |
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| 61. |
Golden Gate Bridge : completed in 1937, it is a world famous suspension bridge with connects the northern tip of the San Franciscan... |
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| 62. |
Grainger High : This is a cutting, yet endearing, reference to the Wisconsin Business School's Grainger Hall. The term likens the... |
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| 63. |
Grandad Bluff : A great big bluff that overlooks the city of La Crosse. At the edge of the bluff there's a great lookout where you can... |
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| 64. |
Grateful Red : This is a nickname for the student section at Wisconsin Badger basketball games. |
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| 65. |
Habaneros Mexican Grill : Casual Mexican restaurant. Offers burritos and tacos. Try the habanero salsa, hot and good! |
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| 66. |
Homely Dames : Derogatory term for Holy Names Academy, an all-girls' school in Seattle. Can also refer to Holy Names... |
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| 67. |
Hotdish : A baked casserole dish that is commonly eaten in Minnesota homes. Popular varieties include Tator Tot hotdish, Party... |
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| 68. |
Hotlanta : Nickname for Atlanta that comes from the generally sticky-hot weather in the city. |
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| 69. |
Ian's Pizza : A pizza place that sells everything from black bean pizza to macaroni and cheese pizza. This very popular pizza place... |
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| 70. |
Ill Mill : The Ill Mill is a nickname for Milwaukee used by the younger crowd. It's more often used in an endearing way than a... |
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| 71. |
IMOO : A term referring to the Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon held the Sunday after Labor Day in Madison, WI. Most people refer... |
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| 72. |
Isthmus : Normally a small strip of land that separates two bodies of water, 'isthmus' often refers to the city of Madison... |
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| 73. |
Jolly Bob's : A nice little restaurant and bar on Willy Street. They specialize in Caribbean cuisine and have a small dance floor... |
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| 74. |
Jump Around : "Jump Around" is not only the party smash hit by House of Pain, but is also a student section tradition at the... |
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| 75. |
Keep Austin Weird : A local motto in recent years used to promote the city’s eccentricity and diversity. It featured on innumerable bumper... |
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| 76. |
KTOL : KTOL stands for "Kwik Trip on Losey." Kwik Trip is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota... |
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| 77. |
Lake Delton Dam Disaster : The Lake Delton Dam Disaster occurred on Monday, June 9, 2008. After days of thunderstorms spawned tornadoes and... |
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| 78. |
Lake Wingra : The smallest of the Madison chain of lakes. It is a no wake lake and only allows motors during the week. The lake is... |
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| 79. |
Leaky Beer : The culmination of all run off and spillage from the beer vendors at a Madison Mallards game. The extra beer runs down... |
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| 80. |
Los Feliz : A Los Angeles district north of Hollywood that houses Griffith Park and several other historical landmarks. ... |
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| 81. |
Loser Cruiser : A nickname for the 174 bus between Seattle and Federal Way. |
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| 82. |
Lou, The : Not to be confused with the Loo, The Lou is a slang term for St. Louis. |
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| 83. |
Mad : Mad is a prefix added before a word to indicate it is somehow related to Madison, WI. |
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| 84. |
madison.com : Madison.com is the main media site for Capital Newspapers, which owns both the Wisconsin State Journal and the Capital... |
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| 85. |
Marquette Neighborhood : The Marquette Neighborhood is known throughout the region for its eclectic residents, historic architecture, fine... |
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| 86. |
Meet at the Troll : Refers to a well-known Seattle landmark. Located in the neighborhood of Fremont, the troll lives under the Aurora... |
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| 87. |
Mifflin Street Block Party : A huge party on Mifflin Street that attracts thousands of partygoers every spring. The party is a tradition that goes... |
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| 88. |
Minny : A slang nickname for Minneapolis. |
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| 89. |
Mock Chicken Leg : A favorite food of kids in the Milwaukee Public School System (MPS) and a Milwaukee classic! Pork shaped into a form... |
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| 90. |
Momo, The : Slang for Café Montmartre, a great place for food, drink, and live music--sadly, now closed. |
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| 91. |
Mound City : A nickname for St. Louis, originating in the Native American burial mounds that were once common to the... |
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| 92. |
Mountain Is Out, The : Since Seattleites live for gloriously sunny weather, this phrase typically is used to emphasize just HOW nice the... |
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| 93. |
Muh-Wahh-Kee : This is how a true local will pronounce Milwaukee. |
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| 94. |
Muramoto : A great Japanese restaurant located just off the capitol building in downtown Madison. Muramoto recently moved a block... |
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| 95. |
My oh my : Coined by Dave Niehaus, voice of the Seattle Mariners since 1977. |
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| 96. |
New York Stock Exchange : The largest stock exchange in the world. The trading floor is located at 11 Wall St. The main building, at 18 Broad... |
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| 97. |
Noodles : Short for Noodles & Company, a pioneer in the fast casual food segment. Noodles opened up its second ever restaurant in... |
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| 98. |
Northeastah : Very bad windy storm spinning off the coast causing ferocious northeast winds.
EX: "Mary, get the shovels outta the... |
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| 99. |
Ogg Hall : Also known as the 'ghetto', Ogg Hall is one of the three main Southeast dorms at the University of Wisconsin. It is the... |
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| 100. |
Onion, The : Originally founded by two UW-Madison undergrad students in 1988, The Onion is "America's Finest (fake) News Source."... |
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| 101. |
Pedicab : This is a name commonly used for bicycle rickshaws that generally transport tourists around the city. The "driver"... |
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| 102. |
Piccolissimo : Piccolissimo is a jazz group that includes famous State Street piccoloist Tom Ryan. Ryan, otherwise known by nicknames... |
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| 103. |
Pizza-subway price correlation : Theory that the standard price for a slice of cheese pizza moves in lockstep with the price of one subway ride, though... |
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| 104. |
Potter's Crackers : Made in Madison, Potter's Crackers are fast becoming famous with the foodie crowd. These organic artisan crackers pair... |
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| 105. |
Rathskeller : The Rathskeller is a German themed area of Memorial Union. It is great place to watch bands, study and even drink beer.... |
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| 106. |
Red Shed, The : Selected as the "best dive bar" or the "dirtiest dive bar" by the UW student newspaper "The Badger Herald," the Red... |
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| 107. |
Rodeo Drive : The three blocks between Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards are one of the most famous-and most expensive-shopping... |
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| 108. |
San Diego Zoo : The San Diego Zoo is one of the nicest and most progressive zoos in the world. |
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| 109. |
Sarah Palin : Sarah Palin was the Wasilla mayor from 1996 to 2002. She was elected governor of Alaska in 2006 and has been wildly... |
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| 110. |
Satan's Steed : Satan's Steed is one of the nicknames of the blue horse sculpture just outside of the Denver International Airport. The... |
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| 111. |
Sausage Race : The Sausage Race is one of my favorite parts of a Brewers game. The race, sponsored by Klement's Sausage Company,... |
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| 112. |
Scanner Dan : A guy, "Scanner" Dan Mathison, who hangs out in downtown Madison with a police scanner at his hip. Scanner Dan is still... |
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| 113. |
Sconnie : An adjective used to describe something that is Wisconsin-like, or a noun that simply means Wisconsinite. Wisconsinites... |
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| 114. |
Seafair : A summer festival beginning every year in early July that inspires a number of city-wide celebrations attributed to... |
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| 115. |
Segway Guy : The Segway Guy, who claims to be a professor at the UW, rides his segway scooter all over campus, taking any... |
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| 116. |
Shot Heard 'Round the World : This is the baseball version of the phrase usually reserved for shots that start wars (like the American Revolution and... |
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| 117. |
Show and Blow : Although it sounds like something made up by a seventh-grade boy, "Show and Blow" is the official name of the new... |
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| 118. |
Silver Lake Reservoir : Named after Herman Silver, a member of LA's first Board of Water Commissioners, this is a Department of Water and Power... |
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| 119. |
Slugging : Slugging is a form of hitchhiking in DC that benefits both the hitchhiker and the driver. The driver can use the much... |
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| 120. |
SLUT : So it's officially the South Lake Union Streetcar but what fun is that? The SLUT is short for the South Lake Union... |
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| 121. |
Smurf Turf : "Smurf Turf" is a common nickname for Bronco Stadium at Boise State University. It is the only blue astro-turf field in... |
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| 122. |
Snob Hill : Snob Hill is a reference to the neighborhoods at the foot of Irish Hill, most often used by Central High School... |
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| 123. |
Sophia's Bakery and Cafe : Only open on weekend mornings, Sophia's is a tiny little breakfast place consisting of a kitchen, a counter and a few... |
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| 124. |
Sorority Strip : Sorority Strip is one of the nicknames for the heavily Greek (frats and sorority Greek) neighborhood formed by Langdon... |
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| 125. |
Stinkin' Lincoln : A childish reference to Lincoln Middle School, often employed by cross-town rivals enrolled in Longfellow Middle School... |
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| 126. |
Sundance 608 : The Sundance 608 (for Madison's area code) is the Hilldale Mall's new indy film theater. Go to this Sundance theater... |
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| 127. |
Swampies, The : A popular nickname for the students and faculty of the North Side's Logan High School, which was built on top of the... |
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| 128. |
Tehrangeles : A nickname for Los Angeles, which has a large Iranian population, especially in West Los Angeles and Beverly... |
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| 129. |
Terrace Chairs : The colored (orange, yellow and green) metal chairs outside at the Memorial Union Terrace. You can buy replica terrace... |
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| 130. |
Terrell Fletcher : Terrell Fletcher was one of the two great running backs (Brent Moss being the other) on the 1994 Badger Rose Bowl team... |
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| 131. |
Three Way : Spagetti topped with chilli and shredded cheddar cheese. |
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| 132. |
Treme : Named after Claude Treme, the Treme (pronounced truh-MAY) neighborhood (often referred to simply as 'Treme') is the... |
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| 133. |
U Dub : Slang term for the University of Washington. |
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| 134. |
Underground Printing : Underground Printing is a company that specializes in custom-made t-shirts and and other apparel. The company has a... |
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| 135. |
Virgin Vault : The virgin vault was the former all-female Elizabeth Waters dormitory at the University of Wisconsin. It has recently... |
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| 136. |
WaHo : The best place in Atlanta to get late night waffles and hashbrowns- smothered, covered, and diced. |
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| 137. |
Wedge, The : The northernmost uptown area. |
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| 138. |
Weinermobile : Oscar Mayer's "Weinermobile" tours the country, and was recently sighted on the Capitol Square in Madison on Saturday,... |
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| 139. |
Wet or dry? : Question from an Italian beef vendor about whether you would like it dipped in the juice or not. |
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| 140. |
Where did you go to high school? : the most commonly used question in stl; the first thing people ask when they meet you. |
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| 141. |
White Soda : Milwaukee-speak for clear soda, such as 7-Up or Sprite. |
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| 142. |
Wienermobile : Oscar Mayer is headquartered in Madison, making a Wienermobile sighting a fairly common occurrence. |
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| 143. |
Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights : Was posted on a billboard in the 70's (I think). Initially referred to all of the layoffs from Boeing in the 60's and... |
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| 144. |
World's Largest Six Pack : Constructed in 1969, the World's Largest Six Pack belongs to the City Brewery in La Crosse, Wisconsin. According to the... |
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| 145. |
You're among (drunk) friends : At Wisconsin Badger football games you'll see a number of different creative t-shirt messages. Many of them hold... |
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| 146. |
Za's Italian Cafe : Za's is an excellent place for Italian food on State Street. Za's serves fast-casual Italian food, not to be confused... |
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| 147. |
Zip Code Guy, The : A regular addition to Pearl Street's variety of performers who apparently knows every zip code in the entire world, as... |
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