How to Talk Minnesotan: A Visitor's Guide

by Howard Mohr

Based in part on material written for "A Prairie Home Companion," How to Talk Minnesotan will help visitors to Minnesota keep from sticking out like sore thumbs when they don't know the difference between "not too bad a deal" and "a heckuva deal." Illustrated with line drawings.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Language, How To, Travel

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 1987

About the author

Howard Mohr was a writer and performer for several years on the radio program A Prairie Home Companion. He has since created two long-running musicals based on How to Talk Minnesotan. Twin Cities Public Television filmed a popular award-winning version of Howard’s book in 1991. He lives with his wife in Cottonwood, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Janene · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I've noticed about this book..and it's reviews...are that the people who aren't rating it very high...and saying it's 'really not that funny'...likely aren't from Minnesota and not presently living in Minnesota.

That being said, I read this book and pretty much laughed my ass off through the whole thing. I am Minnesota born and raised. This book is the truth! If you are from Minnesota and are willing to laugh at yourself & your neighbors...this is the book for you! OMG..ROFL!

Whatever. ;)

[Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guy sure could spend a lotta days laughing at the contents of this book if he felt so inclined. You bet.

[Jerry Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and authentic although extremely exaggerated.

[Franco Pitacco · Rating 3 out of 5]

when I first read this book, it was an earlier edition and I was living in Minnesota.
I would have rated it 5*'
It was 30/35 years ago. Now I do not deam it worth that much.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the sort of book to read straight through, but to dip into, and in parts it is laugh-out-loud funny. Like the chapter on emotional outbursts (there aren't any) and on using negatives to express positive feelings, like saying, "Not too bad," or "It could be worse" when someone asks how you are. This stoic style also applies to doctors and hospitals ("We pretend we aren't sick until our symptoms are unmistakable...anybody could diagnose us by the time most of us make an appointment. On the other hand, if we know what's wrong, why go to the doctor?" (p. 98). And the chapter on giving and accepting of gifts is dead on. So is asking directions and drawing maps. And the section on saying too much, and the one on conversational gambits ("The heat's not too bad if you move around").

In brief: the book wasn't too bad.

[Colette! · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATED! Here's a link to the mockumentary, which itself is perfection. How to Talk Minnesotan

I would give it to my parents, but I think they wouldn't get the joke. That's how close to home this hit.

Better yet is identifying those who speak Minnesotan around you. Just the other day I heard someone describe a man: "He's an optimist. That's all right, I guess." CLASSIC MINNESOTAN.

But for that person who just doesn't know how to refuse food three times before accepting it, or that good-byes actually last a half hour, this is a great resource into the minds of Midwesterners.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friends gave me this book right before I went off to college in Minnesota. I read the book and thought it was pretty funny, but quickly discovered how true a lot of is was once I was there. Which, of course, made it even funnier.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

a friend gave me this-always cracks me up.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. Some of the jokes are good, but the laughs are fewer and further between than I'd hoped.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious and snarky! A little outdated and focused on southern Minnesota/farm towns, but I bet the new edition would be even funnier.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife is from Minnesota, so I have spent a fair amount of time there. This was an enjoyable read. Lots of tips for our next visit. Reminded me of a long skit on "prairie home companion"

[Marge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully funny

[Ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this rather than read it, and I think it made it better. The accents and reading really made it real. I live in MN and caught myself numerous times thinking, "Oh, we do do that!"

[Beana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goofy and fun

[Paul Barta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5: turns from being different to being not too bad a deal

Minnesota had a solid moment between about 1987 and 1996. Prairie Home Companion was at its peak cultural relevancy, Mall of America was a big thing, Fargo, Mighty Ducks, Prince, that one movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, that one Super Bowl with the weird halftime show, etc. Real quality decade for us because people found my state exotic for some reason. I blame the accents.

This book was a part of that decade, really almost kicking it off, and it did well at making Minnesotan/north Midwestern culture unique. Mohr is at his best when he leans into banal silliness, mostly when he shows dialogue and "mistakes" outsiders would make. The gift-giving/gift-receiving parts are genuinely funny, tips for The Wave and the Minnesotan Goodbye are as hilarious as they are real, small references and cuts to stuff like the Metrodome and Mondale are dropped just subtly enough to give you a surprise little jolt of recognition. Mohr straight-up knows what he's talking about, and that's what makes this book not a bad deal.

But some parts of the book, especially early on, are a bit different. It can swing somewhat rudderless from one story to another in a chapter without adequate transition. He also includes chapter sections like advertisements and the "where to visit" parts, which don't feel genuine and don't have a foundation of Midwestern silliness that the other parts have. They occasionally funny or poignant, but they just don't go along with the rest of the book, which has its satirical claws dug firmly into the Minnesotan ground (which is currently covered in ice).

[Jay Gabler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was ubiquitous during the peak Prairie Home Companion era; it holds up due to the author's acute ear for the anxiety of daily human interaction. For a legacy, that's not too bad a deal.

I wrote about How To Talk Minnesotan for the Duluth News Tribune.

[Kim Browers · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Minnesota native now living in the Southern U.S., this satire definitely felt true. In book form, it probably could have been about half the length, but it's a classic example of Prairie Home Companion lore.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written! It's a gimmick of a concept but kept inventive through the entire book. It's a fun read and if you caught a minute of the accompanying youtube series and enjoyed it then go for it.

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like reading a transcript of the early days of Prairie Home Companion. I thought Garrison Keillor wrote all those bits, but it was the author of this book. What a treat!

[Karen Korb · Rating 3 out of 5]

About The Book: Based in part on material written for "A Prairie Home Companion", How to Talk Minnesotan will help visitors to Minnesota keep from sticking out like sore thumbs when they don't know the difference between "not too bad a deal" and "a heckuva deal". Illustrated with line drawings.

About the Author: A one-time radio script writer, Howard Mohr has become known as the man who translated Minnesotan for the rest of the world. Early in his career, Mohr wrote for Prairie Home Companion, creating fake radio ads and listener favorites such as Raw Bits. But he's best known as the author of the bestselling book How to Talk Minnesotan. It's a book that when made into a video version won a regional Emmy in Chicago. He even adapted it into a stage musical which received a long-time run at playhouses in the region. Mohr is a graduate of Abilene Christian University and lives with his family on a southwestern Minnesota prairie.

My Thoughts About The Book: I am an avid Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion fan and when I agreed to review this book I was hoping for someone who was like Garrison Keillor. I was disappointed. The book was similar to the dryness of Prairie Home Companion but lacked the full bodied stories Keille shares each week with his radio audience. I found a lot of familiar Minnisotan idioms absent from the book. As a high school teacher I did love his lesson format with a few conversation tips and then examples. I also liked the pronunciation notes. The Power f the Negative lesson was one of my favorite lessons. It is amazing how confusing expressing negatives can be.....in Minnesota. Hotdish was a new concept for me when I visited Minnesota. I assumed it was casserole (southern rendition)...but found it was a bit different....quite a bit. Even though the book was not quite what I thought it would be it was an entertaining read and full of wonderful homilies from Minnesota.

Disclaimer: I was given this book from Net Galley and the Penguin Publishing Group for a fair and honest review. The views expressed are my own.

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howard Mohr's How to Talk Minnesotan: A Visitor's Guide is both spot-on accurate and hilarious.

Having only lived in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for five months, I've already observed many of the linguistic and non-verbal cues--as well as the more multi-faceted cultural phenomena tackled here such as the "The Minnesota Long Goodbye." Mohr, self-styled creator of Minnesota Language Sytems, is to be congratulated on providing this useful tool for us non-Minnesotans who visit or relocate to the Gopher State. And the faux ads, reminiscent of the sorts of ads we used to read in Mad Magazine, are a welcome addition, too.

To rephrase this review in Minnesotan: "This book was not so bad. It sure beats some of that other stuff they've been charging us 14 bucks to read. All told, that's not too bad a deal, huh?"

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was something I acquired from my great-grandmother. I was quite astounded that someone had written a book like this (because I am from Minnesota) and I noticed that even today, the author was right. Everything he says, even though it sounds funny in the writing, is basically a true account of Minnesotan talking. I just had to smile reading about the lutefisk and casserole! (Which, by the way, is true. We Minnesotans are very fond of our casseroles XD))

[Rachel Heinrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute book. A very dear friend of mine moved to Minniapolis four months ago and brought this home for me on a recent visit. The book is so funny because it's so true! The author, Howard Mohr, has written for A Prairie Home Companion, if that gives you an idea of his humor. I am really enjoying it's simplicity and light-heartedness.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An offshoot of the glory days of "Prairie Home Companion," this book purports to explain Minnesota culture to the rest of the country. It is subtitled "A Visitor's Guide," and gives examples of local idiom. The humor is not laugh-aloud funny, but more in a gentle style. Still, it's an enjoyable bedtime book, since it can be read a little at a time.

[Kari Mathias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very cute. It made me remember why I love Minnesota so much, and why I'm so proud to live in such a enchanting place. I think that the humor is accessible to everyone, but only people from Minnesota will get the special thrill when they see a phrase that they've actually used in a serious conversation. I only gave it four stars, because I don't think I'll read it again, but I loved it.

[Pwagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up in MN and moved to ND when I was 20. I could relate to what the author said about phrases and the dialect however, North Dakotans say the same things. I really don't think it's a Minnesotan thing but a Midwestern way of life and way of speaking. I thought the book was rather boring and it did not hold my attention.

[Jaclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious book! Learn all the ways of what it means to be a true Minnesotan. =P I'm pretty sure some of it isn't true, merely legends and rumors. The ads are pretty funny too. If you want to get a good laugh and
learn a little about the state of Minnesota then you should read this.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious! If you are from Minnesota, have ever lived in Minnesota, or know anybody from Minnesota, it is something you will want to check out.

Here's to the "Minnesota Ice" ....errr.....ummm....I mean the "Minnesota Nice"

[Erich Franz Linner-Guzmann · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I gave this 3 stars because some of it was pretty funny... then I got to thinking that what I thought was funny wasn't all THAT funny and just okay. So, now 2 stars is what it gets. Maybe you just have to be from Minnesota in order to get this humor, hmmm....

[Jason Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this gem at a used book store's going-out-of-business sale that I happened upon almost a decade ago. With my Minnesota roots, this book is an absolute treasure to me.

I still pick it up for reference when I need a quick laugh. The taco recipe was spot on!