There are some words or slang that only natives of Maryland recognize. Rather than being ashamed of our different pronunciations or dialects, we proudly own them. Our culture is definitely unique and the same goes for our jargon as well. Here are 12 words you’ll only find in Maryland.

  1. O’s

Keith Allison / Flickr It’s not just a letter in the alphabet. O’s fans bleed orange and black.

  1. Jimmy

Chesapeake Bay Program / Flickr To the rest of the country it’s a name, to Maryland, a bushel of Jimmy’s (male crabs) is the tastiest thing they’ll eat all year.

  1. Sally or Sook

Chesapeake Bay Program / Flickr On the flipside, a Sally or Sook is a female crab.

  1. DMV

Norman B. Leventhal Map Center / Flickr No, not the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV is the area of DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

  1. Sno-ball

Jenni Konrad / Flickr When we hear the term sno-ball, this is what first comes to mind. Actual snow, second.

  1. Bawlmer

Yianni Mathioudakis / Flickr This is only one variation on how Marylanders from different regions pronounce Baltimore.

  1. Merlin

BrianSwan / Flickr Also just one of the ways Maryland has been pronounced by locals.

  1. OC

m01229 / Flickr OC is usually known as a popular TV show based in Orange County, CA. Here in Maryland, we understand that you’re talking about Ocean City when you mention OC.

  1. Moco / Hoco / PG

raymondclarkeimages / Flickr They’re counties. Saying all the syllables is just too much work.

  1. Hon

Taber Andrew Bain / Flickr It means hun, or honey, or just “Hey you!”

  1. Natty Boh

Chris Bojanower / Flickr The rest of the US knows it as National Bohemian. We know it as Natty Boh, or Nat Boh.

  1. Terps

Hillel Steinberg / Flickr Terps is short for the Terrapins. And terrapins are the most royal turtles in our state.

It would be impossible to list all of Maryland’s slang and dialects. Please share your region below and what words you often hear!

Keith Allison / Flickr

It’s not just a letter in the alphabet. O’s fans bleed orange and black.

Chesapeake Bay Program / Flickr

To the rest of the country it’s a name, to Maryland, a bushel of Jimmy’s (male crabs) is the tastiest thing they’ll eat all year.

On the flipside, a Sally or Sook is a female crab.

Norman B. Leventhal Map Center / Flickr

No, not the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV is the area of DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

Jenni Konrad / Flickr

When we hear the term sno-ball, this is what first comes to mind. Actual snow, second.

Yianni Mathioudakis / Flickr

This is only one variation on how Marylanders from different regions pronounce Baltimore.

BrianSwan / Flickr

Also just one of the ways Maryland has been pronounced by locals.

m01229 / Flickr

OC is usually known as a popular TV show based in Orange County, CA. Here in Maryland, we understand that you’re talking about Ocean City when you mention OC.

raymondclarkeimages / Flickr

They’re counties. Saying all the syllables is just too much work.

Taber Andrew Bain / Flickr

It means hun, or honey, or just “Hey you!”

Chris Bojanower / Flickr

The rest of the US knows it as National Bohemian. We know it as Natty Boh, or Nat Boh.

Hillel Steinberg / Flickr

Terps is short for the Terrapins. And terrapins are the most royal turtles in our state.

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