7 Things Utahns Say Instead of Swearing That Confuse Everyone Else
Stub your toe in Utah, and you might hear something you’d expect from a kids’ cartoon.
Plenty of Utahns have a word for that moment, and it’s rarely the one visitors expect.
Here’s what these stand-ins mean, and where they come from.
1. Oh My Heck
A 2000 Salt Lake Tribune report on Utah stand-ins pointed to “oh my heck” as one you’d hear.
A 2002 story in the Brigham Young University student newspaper called it infamous.
In a 2025 Deseret News piece, “oh my heck” now shows up in advertisements and online influencer videos.
Merriam-Webster labels heck a euphemism, which is a mild word that takes the place of a harsher word.
Many out-of-staters hear it as a joke the first time.
2. Fetch
A 2001 Deseret News profile of a Brigham Young University linguist described “fetch” as a way to swear without swearing.
Lots of out-of-staters picture a dog before they hear the rest of the sentence.
A 2005 Salt Lake Tribune glossary of Utah speech lists it as the swap for the f-word.
Fetching reportedly emerged in the early 1990s among Utahns, the Deseret News said in 2025.
3. Flip
The Salt Lake Tribune‘s 2000 list of Utah stand-ins describes “flip” as useful as a noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb or space-filling modifier.
Visitors to the state might notice “fetch” and “flip.”
The Brigham Young University student newspaper reported in 2002 that hearing “flip,” “fetch” or “freak” used as an all-purpose modifier wasn’t unusual on campus.
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4. Freaking
Merriam-Webster dates "freaking" to 1928.
It's an intensifier, a word added for emphasis.
The Salt Lake Tribune listed "freak" and its variations among the stand-ins you could hear in Utah in 2000.
In 2025, a Deseret News article listed "freaking" alongside "fudge" and "flipping" among euphemisms.
"Freaking" became more common in the 1960s and 1970s because it could air on radio and TV without censorship.
5. H-E-Double Hockey Sticks
The Salt Lake Tribune's 2000 list of what you'd hear in Utah includes "H-E-double hockey sticks," along with a variant that swaps in toothpicks.
The Brigham Young University student newspaper described a student in 2002 who uses just a letter.
6. Fudge
"Fudge" made the Salt Lake Tribune's 2000 list of Utah stand-ins.
University of Utah linguistics chair Marianna Di Paolo said in that report that everyone knows a yell of "fudge" isn't a request for chocolate.
Merriam-Webster notes that the word is often used as an exclamation of annoyance, disappointment or disbelief.
A 2025 Deseret News history of clean swears ties the word to Oliver Goldsmith's 1766 novel The Vicar of Wakefield.
One of the novel's characters cried out "Fudge!" at the conclusion of every sentence.
Viewers also hear a boy say "fudge" in the film A Christmas Story while he gets his mouth washed out.
7. Dang
"Dang it" also made the Tribune's 2000 list.
Merriam-Webster labels "dang" a euphemism and dates the verb to around 1797.
The adjective and adverb forms date to 1875.
Budweiser's Utah Bottle
In April 2021, the Salt Lake Tribune reported that in-store ads for a Utah-themed Budweiser bottle would use stand-ins for swearing.
The phrases would include "Holy Shizz," "Oh My Heck" and "Frick Yeah."
The campaign celebrates how Utahns swear.
More Stand-Ins From the Reports
In the Salt Lake Tribune's 2000 report, "oh my freaking heck" is for especially notable occasions.
A professor recalls that his own mission found missionaries fond of "scrud."
A friend back from a mission to France used "funch," with "funchy" and "funchin" variations.
The Brigham Young University student newspaper listed "son of a motherless goat" in 2002 among phrases that replace more vulgar insults.
Why People Use Them
In 2001, Brigham Young University linguist David Bowie told the Deseret News why Utahns say "fetch" and "flip."
He pointed to a social or religious pull away from swearing.
People in the Bible Belt make up curses too, such as "jeepers creepers."
Linguist Timothy Jay told the Brigham Young University student newspaper in 2002 that students who use euphemisms still vent emotion, though with less emotional weight.
Where Stand-Ins Began
If you're wondering where stand-ins for swearing began, a 2025 Deseret News piece says it wasn't Utah.
The state is one of the places still holding onto standards around profanity.
Merriam-Webster's first known use of "heck" is 1887.
Linguists on Stand-Ins
Several professors have weighed in on whether a stand-in for swearing counts as swearing.
Di Paolo said society tolerates "fudge" because it seems mild next to other words.
The Tribune story also says she agrees that local euphemisms may stop short of the obscene, though the reporter adds that the intent matches that of actual swear words.
Brigham Young University linguistics professor William Eggington told the student newspaper in 2002 that a stand-in is a step down from the actual word, but users know what it replaces.
In the 2000 Tribune story, Utah State University English professor John McLaughlin said people still need the emotional release of words that flirt with the boundaries.
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