One of our newer Pasty Camists Karla Korpela reports improving trail conditions with the current blast of cold and snow across the U.P. Quite a change from the sweltering temps these guys are accustomed to in Arizona. What a colorful crew :o)

The seasons are so extreme here in the U.P. It was a different world 5 months ago today when our original Pasty Camist, Jon Hopper, walked the isle in Laurium with his bride Katriina, on a warm August afternoon. Seemed a lot like Arizona, as I recall.

Best wishes to all the "polar bears" diving tomorrow. Ever since I learnt about it I can't get the words "pneumonia" and "hypothermia" out of my mind!!! There's a few other words as well but it would be unkind to mention 'em as I understand the dive is for charity. (Is this correct?) With the snow arrived, conditions will be artic enough for real polar bears. All that snow in the photo is amazing.

Learnt?

Love the photo of all the pretty white stuff! Can't wait to get up in that der U.P. in 4 weeks after a small stop in Pureto Vallarta.

Just went to fishweb.com & clicked on snowmobiling for a beautiful tour of someone's snowmobile trip through the Huron Mountains and around Big Bay, all from the warm comfort of my living room!

JS -
You'll notice Jean is from "across the pond". 'Learnt' is entirely correct.

learnt Pronunciation Key (lûrnt)
v.
A past tense and a past participle of learn.
Source: Dictionary.com

Just a note to let people know that are in the area that tomorrow's Heikinpaiva Hilhto Ski Race location has been changed to the Michigan Tech ski trails in Houghton. The races start at 1 pm.

Besides learnt, don't be surprised when Jean writes about our amazing "colours". That won't be until the spring or fall when there is more than white color. The same cam site that showed snow in Penzance Cornwall last week has camellia's blooming this week. For a peek at something we don't get here see http://www.cornwallcam.co.uk The camellias were on Wed. 15 Jan.

I couldn't find learnt in webster,but the "Official Scrabble Players Dictionary" which has all possible combinations of letters ,pronouncable or not, has it!

Thanks Kathi and Karen for giving js a lesson in English grammar!! I also look at cornwallcam every day and yes, the camellias are a beautiful colour. It's not unusual for them to bloom this early in the year.

Learnt was used a lot in Keweenaw when I was there as well a chimley, go town, dat(like dats mine),barbed wire, etc

I tink it was called finn-glish
EH EH

Opps, " bobed wire"

Sounds like a true Southern word as well ! (Learnt, that is.)

Where else but in Yooperland do you hear the word panked, as in (I panked the snow in my driveway) You pack yhe snow.up

Former yooper now trapped downstate here...
It's amazing how many times I have to explain some of the finn-glish/yooper words to friends and co-workers.
Examples.
Choppers (Mittens...Men don't wear mittens, they wear choppers)
Chooks (Knit caps)
Snuffed 'em (Death by accident)
And yes, I've explained the word "panked" also.
I'm sure i've had to explain several others that I can't think of now !!!
Any others people can think of ????

"Hangcock" for Hancock!

How about "cricks"(creeks)
"bush" (woods)
"pastie" What is a pastie?????
go "uptown shopping"

Swampers

side by each
pank snow
make wood

Does anyone remember a book called "Bullfight in the Sauna" from back in the 60's??? Who was the author? There were several books besides that one, all written in "Finglish" and were lots of fun to read. Can you still buy the books somewhere?

Growing up we used "pank" all the time, and I just figured all people did. I've had to explain it many times through the years to friends and family out West. Reading everyone's comments brings back so many fond memories of growing up in the Copper Country. This website is such a wonderful connection to home--a true blessing.

My grammar (UK version) certainly started some lively discussion!! - which is what Past-E-Mail is all about. Some of the old folks over here still say chimley, and the older Cornish people would pronounce creek as crick. I suppose the way of speaking from the "Old Country" has lingered on, and with variations from State to State, from the first immigrants to the US, and this applies to the grammar as well - hence "learnt" in the southern States. There's "burnt" as well as past tense.

To Jean in England, I am very proud of my English heritage and love the language of the "Old Country". I could listen to you talk all day. When the choir from Cornwall was here last year they were wonderful, to listen to and to talk to.

IN OKLAHOMA THEY WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME , THAT THERE'S SUCH A THING AS THIMBLEBERRIES IN U.P. OR MAINE.

That was Heino A. "Hap" Puotinen. Now for an example. Haste makes waste. (english proverb) "Tuu muts horjoppi--juu koin peli oppi." Thats from his Finglish Fables.

Try taking a steak from your freezer and unthawing it. (Pretty Hard). Gotta go put my skid chains on,Brrrrr , cold outside.

AZ. I have the book - BULL FIGHT IN THE SAUNA. but dont know if there are any more available.Its kinda funny and interesting with all the Finnish Dialect and verses. Its written by HAP PUOTINEN. No other info in it. Another good one is ( TALL TIMBER SALES) by Jingo Viitala Vachon copyright 1973 by the Lanse Sentinal. She was or is from the Toivola area. Its makes for very interesting reading with humor.

Sorry for the goof, should be TALL TIMBER(TALES)

I think I was about 20 before I found out that "panked" wasnt a word. Used it on a construction job in the service and nobody but some Wisconsin cheeser from near Michigan border knew what I was talking about.(good guys, those WI boys..alot like UPers) Another one might be.."used of it" used in same meaning as "used to it" meaning getting comfortable or accepting of a situation?

Does anyone know where in Maine you can find thimbleberries? Just curious. Do they have the same problems are our UP thimbleberries?

By EM, MI on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 07:54 pm:

Speaking of snow...

Brentwood, TN, just outside of Nashville Friday morning, Patti Vickers from yard. She felt at home.

I too, still use the Finglish words...the words people here are not familiar with, such as, "Chook" for stocking cap and "pank" for panking snow. The Finns have a language of their own, and I think it is precious and unusual, unlike any other part of the country. We Finns are a breed of our own. The accent never leaves. I moved from the U.P. almost 40 yrs. ago and still have an accent.

I am almost afraid to post anything for fear of my Finnlish (now did I spell that wrong?) being incorrect per se JS. Jingo Viitala Vachon books are a must to read. Infact, being snowed in today, I might or is it may just pick up one of her several books that I have to read all over again. Sure makes one laugh & is a conversation piece. You will be sure to relay the stories to the person with you or the neat words we (us) old Finns still use. Pick one up on your travels thru the Copper Country on your vacation and read while at camp. I found mine several years ago in Copper Harbor and I think at the Einerlei shop in Chassell.

It may or may not have been in the aforementioned "Bullfight in the Sauna", but I remember the phrase, "I'm not Finnish, but my English teacher was!" Guess that's how we all picked up some of the colloquialisms.

To Marsha, Genesee re: Jan. 17, 2003 - 01:32 pm: Never heard of fishweb.com, so thanks a lot for sharing this info. Our family is really going to enjoy this website, especially about snowmobiling and fishing.

To everybody who PANKS snow.
Pank is very much a real word but it is only used with snow. Anything else is called something different (compact, etc.). I had to get in college before learning it truly was a word.

Tried to find more books by Hap Puotinen quite a few years ago but never found more. They sure were fun to read.

In response to L. Hart, the phrase "I'm not Finnish, but my English teacher was" should be credited to Bobby Aro, a Finnish dj from Zim, MN. He self-produced two (I think) LPs of songs and song parodies back in the '50s or early '60s, and the quote forementioned was from his song "King of the Great Northwoods" (sung to the tune "Davy Crockett"!) In the early '80s he recorded another LP, "The Legendary Bobby Aro" of songs and jokes, and around the same time Quality Records, of Finland, produced "Kapakka in the Kaupunki" in their "Fabulous Finns" series. I'm pretty sure these are long out of print by now, but SOMEBODY should get on the stick and reissue these. If anybody out there has any more information on Bobby, I would sure like to hear from you!

loved finding this site.i was trying to refind the L'anse sentinal site [had a computer crash] but micro? refuses the apostroph. i lived across from the jack-o-latern for a while.

In response to J. Bowers, MI

My name is Mike Aro, son of Bobby Aro. You were correct in your information about my dad's recordings. Since his death in 1996. I have gotten hundreds of requests for his tapes. He always said that upper Michigan was very good to him in their support. If you are interested in any of these, let me know.

Thanks.

Mike Aro

How about "cricks"(creeks)
"rough" for roof
Which states tend to pronounce these words like this?

"Bullfight In A Sauna" was written by Hap Putinen from White Pine Michigan.

It's an extremely small town and if you would contact the local school there they may have some information. Mr. Putinen's wife was the high school secretary in the 60s.

Does anyone remember the old time Finns using the
term "mackinaw"? It meant winter coat. "Make sure
you wear your mackinaw if you go outside"

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