What’s a jojo? Ask outside the PNW and prepare for confusion

Colloquialisms are tasty.

A basket full of crispy golden jojos.

Whatever you call them, they’re delicious.

Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

Picture a golden, triangle-cut length of potato that’s been fried to perfection. What would you call such a morsel? Chances are if you grew up in Portland, you’d refer to it as a jojo.

Truthfully, the word has developed into a slang term for potato wedges throughout the PNW — and the name of a popular food truck and restaurant. But the fascinating history of its origins lies in the murky depths of pressure cookers past, with at least a hint of local claim to fame.

It has us thinking, what are other words that you’ve heard in Portland (or the surrounding region) that you rarely or never hear elsewhere? Do you shop for groceries at Freddy’s? Maybe you think the state nut is called a filbert. Let us know.

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