Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan

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If the United States had a belly button, that central spot would be St. Louis, Missouri. It has been called the "northern-most of southern and the southern-most of northern" cities with good reason. Visitors quickly discover that St. Louis blends Midwestern hospitality, ethnic influences and historic roots with a quirky sort of one-off charm. This is revealed in large part by common St. Louis slang, and whether you come to "the Lou" to see the Mardi Gras celebration (largest in the Midwest), the sports teams (Best Sports City, rated by The Sporting News) or the mosaics (largest installation in the world), you're bound to hear some intriguing local lingo. St. Louis visitors can avoid awkward conversations with locals by adding the following slang phrases to their repertoires.

1. Wash U.

As in, "He's graduating from Wash U." No, that doesn't mean he's finally learned to do his laundry. "Wash U." is St. Louis slang for Washington University. Once called a "streetcar college," it's now ranked 13th in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report.

Washington University
1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314) 935-5000    

Read the rest of my list of St. Louis slang on AOL Travel.

By the way, Gina Misiroglu of Red Room put me in touch with the AOL people, which is one of the great ways she's bringing traffic to Red Room and getting attention for Red Room's authors.