Yooper

American  

[yoo-per] / ˈyu 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

“Like, I always thought Mike was really calm. He had the Duke button-up. You know, I didn’t know which bank he worked for, but I knew it was a bank. Then I played him the first time, and I look down there, and I said, ‘Wow, sometimes he talks like a Yooper.’

From Washington Post

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

From Washington Post

Fun quote: “There is great pride in being a Yooper and sounding like a Yooper.”

From Washington Post

Even the denizens have a name: Yooper, which was added to Merriam-Webster in 2014.

From Washington Post

These are all worthy and important ways to contribute to your community, but here, we ask our readers to consider donating the life-saving gift of blood if they are able to, as this donation could make all the difference for a friend, neighbor or fellow Yooper.

From Washington Times