"Midwestern politeness is a real thing.
Just as coastal visitors are surprised by the expanse of Lake Michigan (“It looks like an ocean!”), so too are they tickled, or infuriated, by our manners...
And generations of polite Midwesterners have honed down its pervasive variations into a single, all-purpose word: “Ope!”
It’s an onomatopoeia of our Midwestern deference.Love it or hate it, spend enough time in the middle of the country and you’ll start ope-ing your way through everyday life.
It’s something, as a Chicago native, I didn’t really even notice I did until ope jokes started making the rounds on Twitter last fall.
This magical, monosyllabic exclamation applies to a whole slew of circumstances: Accidentally pulling on a push door; trying to flag down a waiter; realizing you were served the wrong dish; hearing a mildly juicy piece of gossip; realizing a car is coming when you’re about to cross the street; thanking someone for opening a door for you; feeling the first drops of rain.
“Ope!” works for all of ‘em.
It’s a way to announce your presence in the most passive, non-intrusive way possible.
We’re too kind to say “Excuse me”—that can come off as pushy, right?
...Honestly, ope is barely a word, and more of a guttural reaction; it almost sounds like a tiny heave.
It effectively translates to, “I don’t mean to bother you or anyone around me, ever, but I’ve noticed…”
Ope is less of a word, and more of a reflex..."
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