What is this Ish?
If you think "Ish" means "sort of", you are not from Minnesota! One of the many regional idioms that Minnesota is known for "Ish" is one of the most elusive for non-natives. To a Minnesotan, when something is "ishy" or, standing alone as, "ish", it means you're having a reaction to something that is dirty, gross, or all around nasty! For example, 494 Traffic? Ish! Or in reference to the weather: is it raining, snowing and thundering all at the same time? Ishy!! Lutafisk? More like, Lutaf-ISH! Just say "no!" Unless you're into that sort of thing.
It may be confusing to outsiders, but as all things when speaking Minnesotan, context is very important. It's how we hold different and sometimes contradictory definitions of a single word. For example, let's say you want to go ice fishing, but the lake is only solid from one night of a deep freeze, that lake is "frozen-ish", as in its technically frozen, but not really for any practical use. While at the same time, partially frozen water coming from the sky is "Ish" or "Ishy", as in the fall season has ended, but it isn't cold enough yet to snow, leaving everything outside in a layer of ice that makes driving dangerous, and exposed earth turns to mud and splashes your freshly washed vehicle. Just typing that gave us the Ish!
