Slate made this map showing what it considers to be the official word of each state.
Maine’s is, predictably, ayuh.
The site said it made its decisions based on what it considered the best word from each state — in some cases, the “word” is actually an expression. “Jumble sale” (essentially a yard sale) is the choice for Washington state, for instance, and “shucky darn” (basically, “wow”) is its pick for Kansas.
Now, ayuh is clearly a solid choice. But it’s also predictable. Here are a few ideas for better words or expressions, taken from BDN staffer Emily Burnham’s definitive 2012 list. Add your own in the comments.
- stoved
- dooryard
- glom
- cunning
- culch
- finest kind