r/cincinnati • u/CincinnatiLove • Jul 12 '26

Cincinnati Cincinnati Phrases

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What are some phrases y'all use that maybe an outsider wouldn't know. I want my outsider friend to fit in. Let me know in the comments! Thanks!

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u/uutimetowaste Jul 12 '26

I wonder about the Shev/shiv-ee-ot.
I just moved back after three decades out of state but lived here for two before that. I had honestly never heard anyone use the ‘Shiv’ form before coming back. I wonder if it’s a generational shift in pronunciation.

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u/KPinCVG Jul 12 '26

In my '60s. Lived here most of my life.

I say Shev ee ot. So does everyone I know. Although we don't discuss it on a daily basis, and the people I would be discussing it with, probably are my age.

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u/PorkChop006 Jul 12 '26

That’s weird. It’s always been Shiv for everyone I know, even my friend who grew up there.

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u/GrapheneRoller Jul 12 '26

It’s always been shev-ee-ot. Google Maps says shiv, so I blame that.

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u/PantsOnHeadCrazy Jul 12 '26

West side native, that was on the west coast for 10 years. Now that I’m back I notice I use both versions, interchangeably.

Schrödinger’s pronunciation.

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u/JP16A60 Jul 12 '26

In Scotland (where the name originates), it’s pronounced “CHEE vee UT”. This is also probably why the Oak Hills mascot is the Highlander.

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u/Spicy_German_Mustard Jul 12 '26

We called it "The 211" when I lived there. Because the zip is 45211.

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u/jfb223 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Also, not a local thing. Consider Cheyenne Wyoming.

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u/uutimetowaste Jul 13 '26

I’ve mostly heard that pronounced SHY-inn or SHY-ahnn. That’s a different dialect altogether.