1

Paul Bunyan

Image: Abby Savage

Paul Bunyan , the colossal lumberjack of American folklore, is said to have cleared forests from the Northeast to the Pacific Northwest. With his blue ox, Babe , he performed incredible feats of strength, like carving out the Grand Canyon just by dragging his axe behind him, and creating the Great Lakes with his footprints.

Originating in oral traditions among lumberjacks, Bunyan’s exaggerated exploits gained momentum with the American westward expansion during the 19th century and soon became deeply ingrained in the popular imagination.

2

Johnny Appleseed

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Born John Chapman, Johnny Appleseed wandered the American frontier planting apple trees and spreading goodwill in the early 19th century. A devout Christian, he became a folk hero for his kindness, environmentalism, and pioneering spirit.

Contrary to the popular image of Johnny Appleseed randomly scattering apple seeds, he was a skilled nurseryman who meticulously planted apple tree nurseries. Each nursery was carefully fenced to shield the saplings from livestock and wildlife. After establishing these nurseries, he entrusted them to neighbors but revisited them periodically.

3

Pecos Bill

Image: JosephHershMedia

Pecos Bill , a fictional cowboy raised by coyotes in the wilds of Texas, became a larger-than-life figure known for taming cyclones and roping tornadoes. His adventures, first popularized in the early 20th century, embody the frontier spirit and Texas mythology, blending humor with tales of rugged individualism.

Among his many tales, one credits him with creating the Gulf of Mexico . According to legend, during a severe drought in Texas, Pecos Bill lassoed a storm cloud in California and brought it to Texas. The resulting deluge caused extensive flooding, ultimately forming the Gulf.

4

Davy Crockett

Image: Joseph Corl

Davy Crockett , known as the "King of the Wild Frontier," was a real-life frontiersman later turned politician whose exploits were mythologized even during his lifetime. Born in East Tennessee, he quickly gained fame for his sharp hunting skills and captivating storytelling.

During his time in the U.S. Congress, he staunchly opposed many of President Andrew Jackson’s policies, particularly the Indian Removal Act, and championed the rights of small landowners. Crockett’s life ended with valor at the Battle of the Alamo , solidifying his folk legend as a symbol of courage and patriotism. His legacy remains an enduring part of American history.

5

Calamity Jane

Image: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Martha Jane Canary, better known by her alias Calamity Jane, was a frontierswoman and scout famed for her sharpshooting skills and daredevil exploits. During her youth, she stepped up to provide for her large family, taking on various jobs, from ox team driver to scout for Fort Russell. Eventually, she embraced the rough and adventurous lifestyle that made her a legend.

Despite her fearsome reputation, Calamity Jane was compassionate and often helped those in need. Her adventures in the Wild West alongside figures like Wild Bill Hickok cemented her status as a legend of the American frontier.

6

Molly Pitcher

Image: Garry T

Molly Pitcher, the nickname given to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, became famous for her bravery during the American Revolutionary War. Although several historical figures are known by this moniker for similar deeds, Mary Ludwig Hays distinguished herself during the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778, where she served as a water carrier for the soldiers.

When her husband, an artilleryman in the Continental Army, fell to enemy fire, she took his place, swabbing and loading the cannon with such bravery and determination that she earned a commendation from George Washington.

7

Daniel Boone

Image: Scott Longerbeam

Daniel Boone was a legendary frontiersman and explorer who blazed trails through the Appalachian Mountains and into Kentucky. Born in 1734, Boone became famous for his expert hunting and survival skills, as well as his role in establishing the Wilderness Road, a trail that facilitated westward migration through the Cumberland Gap.

After serving as a militia officer during the Revolutionary War, he was briefly taken in by the Shawnees in the Northeastern Woodlands. After a few years, he returned and continued to help protect the Kentucky settlements.

8

Buffalo Bill

Image: Judy Beth Morris

William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a legendary figure of the American West, known for his Wild West shows that toured the United States and Europe. Born in 1846, Cody was a skilled buffalo hunter, Army scout, and showman who brought cowboy skills and frontier life to audiences worldwide.

He earned his nickname after the Civil War by providing Kansas Pacific Railroad workers with buffalo meat, hunting record numbers of the animal. He even engaged in hunting competitions with his partner, Bill Comstock. His legendary figure has been frequently portrayed in film and television, especially during the height of the Western genre in the 1960s.

9

Wild Bill Hickok

Image: Pablò

James Butler Hickok, famously known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a legendary figure of the American Old West. Born in 1837, Hickok gained fame as a skilled marksman, gambler, and lawman.

Though his exploits were certainly exaggerated by the outlandish tales he told about himself, he was involved in several notorious gunfights during his life. Most notably, he dueled with Davis Tutt, a local gambler with whom he had various disagreements, particularly over their mutual affection for the same woman.

10

John Henry

Image: Lucio Patone

John Henry was a legendary steel-driving man whose man-against-machine tale epitomized the strength and resilience of the American worker. An African American freedman, his dangerous job involved hammering steel drills into rocks to create holes for explosives used to blast open railroad tunnels.

According to the legend, John Henry's prowess was tested in a race against a steam-powered drill. He won the race but tragically died after victory, hammer in hand when his heart gave out from the immense physical stress.

1

Pancakes

Image: Ala

Imagine you are a tourist in Michigan and decide to go for pancakes. You enter a suitable establishment, sit at the counter, and ask… what, exactly? Yes, most people call them pancakes, and there is a fair chance that you will receive just that without further questions, but if you want to speak like a local, you will ask for flapjacks .

The "flap" part of flapjack is derived from the word the British used to mean "flip." As for the "jack" part, historians say it may refer to the small size of the pancake because "jack" referred to something that was small. You’ll hear pancakes more in the North and flapjacks in the South, but there are exceptions, such as the Flapjack Shack in Traverse City, Michigan.

2

Dessert Toppings

Image: Kate Trysh

For many Americans, dessert toppings for ice creams and milkshakes are like cheese on a pizza: a must. If you happen to be one of them and are visiting New England, you should know that the local word for toppings is " with jimmies. "

Jimmies are a subgroup of the larger category of dessert toppings known as sprinkles, although people across the U.S. might use the terms interchangeably. Jimmies are cylindrical sprinkles, but some people use the word to refer specifically to chocolate or colored varieties. As for round sprinkles, they are technically marketed as nonpareils.

3

Cold Sandwiches

Image: Allen Rad

The word "sandwich" has come to represent practically any food that is stuffed between two pieces of bread and can be eaten—usually—with your hands. But in certain regions of America, this ubiquitous food item goes by different names.

Pennsylvania has its own term: hoagie . Back in the day, the Italian-American community lived in an area called Hog Island, and local cooks were known for their big "Hog Island Sandwiches," which eventually became known as "hoagies." In New England, many people call a sandwich a grinder . That’s because it’s traditionally made from Italian bread, which has a thicker crust than the typical sandwich bread.

4

Stuffing or Dressing?

Image: Louis Hansel

In the northern parts of the U.S., stuffing refers to the thick mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs or croutons often used to fill poultry dishes.

But, in the southern parts of the country, the word used to describe that is dressing . Yes, the same word that is used in the North to describe any kind of liquid topping for salads. It can be confusing, right?

5

Pop or Soda?

Image: Taylor Swayze

Soft drinks are referred to by different names in different parts of the country. If you are on the East Coast, along the Illinois-Missouri border, in southeastern Wisconsin, California, or nearby areas, you probably call it soda .

However, if you are from the Great Plains region or the Midwest, you likely refer to it as pop . And, if you refer to it as Coke or cola —whether it’s Coca-Cola or something else—you’re most likely from the South.

6

Jelly donuts as Bismarck

Image: Leon Ephraïm

Jelly donuts are quintessentially American. These delicious pastries filled with sweet jelly are everywhere—and for good reason. However, in the midwestern region of the country, as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, jelly donuts have a different name altogether.

That is because the German immigrants who settled in the region named the dessert "Bismarck" after the 19th-century Prussian chancellor, Otto von Bismarck because those pastries were a favorite snack of his.

7

Milkshakes as "frappes"

Image: Sebastian Coman Photography

A milkshake and a frappe are pretty much the same thing across most of the country—and even the world, we dare say. However, that’s not the case in New England. If you were to ask for a milkshake in that area, you would receive a slightly different—but equally delicious—beverage.

Nearly everywhere else in the U.S., a milkshake is made with milk, ice cream, and syrup blended together. But in New England, that's a recipe for a frappe . A milkshake in that part of America consists of just milk and syrup, shaken or blended until a foamy head appears.

8

Casseroles as a hotdish

Image: sheri silver

A casserole is a warm dish made by layering meat, vegetables, and noodles, along with a can of condensed soup thrown into the mix and then taken to the oven. However, in Minnesota, that same recipe is called a hot dish.

According to Howard Mohr, author of How to Talk Minnesotan , "A traditional main course, hotdish is cooked and served hot in a single baking dish and commonly appears at family reunions and church suppers."

9

Poached Egg vs. Dropped Egg

Image: Unsplash

New England has appeared a couple of times already on this list, and it’s about to make another appearance. In most parts of the country, the cooking technique of gently dropping an egg into boiling water is called "poaching an egg."

But in New England, the name for this technique has a much more literal term, calling this particular preparation a dropped egg .

10

Peppers and Mangoes

Image: Paul Morley

We’ll close this list with perhaps the most curious case of regional naming we came across. In the Midwestern region of the country, a "mango" does not refer to the tropical fruit commonly known as a mango.

Instead, if a midwesterner asks for a mango at a local grocery store, they will receive a mild, green bell pepper . The suggested explanation for this is that as green bell peppers ripen, they develop red-gold splotches that make them look similar to mangos.

1

Hippies

The hippie movement took shape in the early 1960s, initially in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, as young Americans searched for alternatives to mainstream society. They rejected materialism and conformity while promoting peace, personal freedom, community, and alternative ways of living. Their opposition to the Vietnam War helped make the movement a powerful symbol of the era’s counterculture.

Hippie culture spread through music, festivals, and growing interest in Eastern spirituality and alternative lifestyles. Long hair, flowing clothes, denim, fringe, and colorful patterns became part of the familiar look, while folk music and psychedelic rock provided its soundtrack. Ideas about peace, environmentalism, and individual freedom continued to influence American culture long after the movement faded.

2

Beatniks

The Beat movement developed among writers and artists in New York in the late 1940s before gaining a strong presence in San Francisco during the 1950s. Legendary Beat writers such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg rejected conventional careers, consumerism, and social conformity, instead embracing creativity, spontaneity, travel, and personal freedom.

The movement attracted young people who were drawn to poetry, jazz, coffeehouses, and a bohemian lifestyle. The media soon turned the "beatnik" into a recognizable figure, complete with berets, black clothing, goatees, and bongos. Although the image was often exaggerated to the point of caricature, Beat culture helped inspire the larger counterculture that followed in the 1960s.

3

Greasers

Greasers emerged among working-class youth in the years after World War II and became especially visible in American cities during the 1950s. Strongly associated with Italian American communities in the Northeast and Mexican American communities in the Southwest, they found an identity through rock and roll, cars, motorcycles, and an independent attitude.

The name "greaser" became associated with the group’s heavily greased hair, while leather jackets, jeans, boots, and white T-shirts completed the signature look. The style was later immortalized in Grease (1978), starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

4

Flappers

Flappers emerged in the United States during the 1920s, when young women were challenging traditional expectations in the years following World War I. With women gaining the right to vote in 1920, and jazz, movies, automobiles, and nightlife transforming American life, flappers embraced greater independence and pushed against older ideas about how women should behave.

Their short dresses, bobbed hair, cloche hats, makeup, and energetic dancing became symbols of the Jazz Age. Flappers represented the excitement and freedom of a rapidly changing society. Even though the lifestyle was associated with only some of the decade’s young women, the flapper became an enduring image of 1920s modernity.

5

Rockabilly

Rockabilly developed in the early 1950s, particularly in Memphis, Tennessee, where country and hillbilly music were blending with rhythm and blues. Sun Records became an important part of this musical crossroads, recording artists including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. Its energetic sound appealed to young listeners and helped shape the emerging rock & roll revolution.

Rockabilly was less a political movement than a celebration of youthful energy, musical experimentation, and independence. Slicked-back hair, pompadours, leather jackets, jeans, boots, and fitted dresses became associated with the scene. Its sound and style have repeatedly returned to American music and popular culture, keeping the spirit of 1950s rockabilly alive.

6

Yuppies

The term "yuppie," short for "young urban professional," emerged in the early 1980s to describe young, college-educated professionals building careers in major American cities such as New York and Chicago. Instead of rejecting the American dream, yuppies embraced career advancement, financial success, fitness, and a comfortable urban lifestyle. Their rise reflected the economic optimism and growing consumer culture of the decade.

Power suits, designer clothes, expensive cars, upscale restaurants, and fashionable apartments became associated with the yuppie image. The culture was both admired and criticized for its focus on money and status, but its influence was undeniable. Yuppies came to represent the ambitious, success-driven side of 1980s America, and were famously satirized to violent effect by Patrick Bateman, the homicidal protagonist of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel and subsequent film American Psycho.

7

Punks

American punk emerged in New York City in the early-to-mid 1970s, with clubs such as CBGB becoming gathering places for musicians and artists looking for an alternative to mainstream rock. Bands such as the Ramones and artists such as Patti Smith embraced stripped-down music, creative freedom, and a DIY approach, while the British scene that followed, led by bands such as the Sex Pistols, gave punk a louder, more confrontational edge.

Punk attracted young people who wanted to challenge commercialism and conformity. Ripped clothes, leather jackets, boots, safety pins, and unconventional hairstyles became part of its deliberately provocative look. What started as a small New York scene eventually influenced American music, fashion, graphic design, and alternative culture for decades.

8

Disco culture

Disco culture grew out of New York City nightlife in the early 1970s, particularly within Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities. Clubs provided spaces for dancing, self-expression, and social connection, while disco offered an energetic alternative to the rock-dominated music scene. Its message was less about angry rebellion than about joyous freedom, pleasure, inclusion, and self-expression.

By the middle of the decade, disco had moved into the mainstream, with artists such as the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor becoming major stars. Sequins, platform shoes, flared pants, glitter, and glamorous hairstyles defined the look, while the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever helped make disco a national phenomenon. Its influence on dance music and nightlife remains strong.

9

Surfer culture

Surfing originated in Hawaii, and surfer culture later developed along Southern California’s beaches during the 1950s and early 1960s. For young Californians, surfing represented freedom, outdoor life, adventure, and an escape from everyday routines. The region’s beaches, cars, drive-ins, and relaxed lifestyle made the culture especially appealing.

The Beach Boys helped take that Southern California image across the country with songs about surfing, cars, romance, and youth. Board shorts, swimsuits, T-shirts, bare feet, and sun-bleached hair became part of the familiar look. Surfer culture ultimately came to represent the carefree California lifestyle, even for people who had never picked up a surfboard.

10

Preppies

Preppy culture grew from the traditions of elite Northeastern prep schools and Ivy League colleges, where a distinctive style had developed during the early 20th century. By the 1950s and 1960s, it was increasingly associated with young Americans who valued education, tradition, good manners, and established institutions . It reflected the lifestyles, speech, and values of upper-class, "old money" families, emphasizing social traditions and a polished way of life.

Oxford shirts, polo shirts, khakis, loafers, sweaters, and navy blazers became the defining look. Leisure activities such as sailing, golf, tennis, and lacrosse were closely associated with the culture, which generally embraced rather than challenged the social world it came from. During the 1980s, brands such as Ralph Lauren helped bring the preppy style into mainstream American fashion.

11

Grunge

Grunge emerged in Seattle and the surrounding Pacific Northwest during the 1980s, growing out of a local music scene influenced by punk, hard rock, and independent music. Bands and fans rejected the polished, glamorous image associated with much of 1980s rock, favoring authenticity, simplicity, and a DIY attitude instead.

Nirvana’s breakthrough in the early 1990s transformed grunge into a national phenomenon. Flannel shirts, ripped jeans, thrift-store clothes, and worn sneakers became unexpectedly fashionable, while the music reflected a more raw and emotionally honest attitude. Grunge became one of the defining cultural expressions of the early 1990s.

12

Bikers

American biker culture grew into a new form after World War II, when returning veterans began forming motorcycle clubs built around friendship, adventure, and freedom. Motorcycles — especially Harley-Davidson bikes — offered a sense of independence after years of military discipline, while clubs provided the camaraderie many veterans had experienced during the war. The 1947 motorcycle gathering in Hollister, California, gained notoriety after sensationalized reports portrayed the event as unruly, helping establish the rough image later associated with bikers.

Leather jackets, denim, boots, patches, and motorcycles became central to the culture’s visual identity. Movies such as The Wild One and Easy Rider further popularized the image of the biker as an independent outsider. Although biker culture has never been limited to outlaw clubs, the open road and freedom from convention remain central to its enduring appeal.