VOCAB - Talk The Talk

Talk the Talk

A few important terms to learn in order to assimilate with other Coloradans.

Coloradans: People from Colorado usually drop the “o” and add the “an” to refer to themselves.

The Front Range: The eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain range which runs from southern Wyoming into central Colorado, flanked by larger cities like Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. It is the end of the mountains, giving way to rolling hills and prairie land.

14ers (fourteeners): Mountain peaks that have an elevation of at least 14,000 feet. There are ninety-six 14ers west of the Mississippi River and fifty-eight of them are in Colorado. The highest is Mt. Elbert, at 14,440 feet. Hiking the 14ers is a sport and hobby for many here.

DougCo: Short for Douglas County. Usually referring to the Douglas County School District.

JeffCo: Refers to the Jefferson County School District.

The Western Slope: This refers to the mountain area west of the Continental Divide beginning in Summit County, only an hour and a half from Denver. The Grand Junction area is a popular spot that lies in the western part of this region.

The Springs: This phrase refers to the city, Colorado Springs, and the surrounding areas, not to be confused with Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, or Manitou Springs.

Avs: Nickname for the Colorado Avalanche NHL hockey team.

Rocky Mountain Oysters: This is the more proper

name for bull testicles, a cowboy delicacy deep fried in batter and rumored to taste a little bit like calamari, specially served at Colorado Rockies baseball games.

Nuggs: Nickname for the Denver Nuggets NBA basketball team.

Rox: Nickname for the Colorado Rockies MLB baseball team.

DTC: Denver Tech Center. A large business park conglomeration in the Greenwood Village area, southeast of Denver, where many businesses are located.

Gulch: A deep stream bed, either dried up or with water in it. Trees often grow along the gulch and the public trail system runs through many of the gulches.

LoDo: The LoDo area of Denver is the lower downtown section, alive with restaurants, shops, and galleries. LoDo includes 16th Street Mall, which is the center of tourism in Denver.

I-25 Corridor: The interstate 25 from Denver to Colorado Springs, the busiest part of the freeway.

Blucifer: Endearing reference to Denver airport’s 32-foot-tall, 9,000-pound blue mustang statue with blazing red eyes whose persona fits with the airport’s legends and conspiracy theories.