Yooper

American  

[yoo-per] / ˈju pər /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (used as a nickname).

   She can’t wait to get back to Marquette and hang out with her siblings and all the other Yoopers she grew up with.

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Etymology

Origin of Yooper

First recorded in 1970–75; phonetic respelling of the pronunciation of U.P. ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Yooper

The caller—who shares your Yooper accent from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—warns you that someone is trying to wire a large sum from your account, then requests your PIN to stop the transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

A more recent addition to the Yooper canon is “Here: Women Writing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” edited by Ronald Riekki.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2021

If, however, it is intended as an accurate reflection of the U.P.’s population, I’m pleased to report that every male Yooper I know fails to qualify as “wreckage of American masculinity.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 16, 2019

“Yeah I got some used tin there,” the man calling Trading Post said in a thick Yooper accent.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 19, 2015