> -Martin writes:
>
> >One last thing:  At the end of the interview, when the NPR interviewer
> >thanked
> >Mike for the interview (by phone to Russia), he responded: You bet!
> >
> >I burst out laughing.  Get it, Minnesotans?
>
> I'm not a Minnesotan and I don't get it. Please let the rest of us in on it.
> Thanks
>
 
Someone posted an explanation - thanks (sorry don't remember who).
 
Actually, I'm not a Minnesotan either, and I only understood "You Bet!" after
years of studying Minnesotan linguistic patterns.  A very useful aid in this
process was a book entitled "How to Speak Minnesotan" by Howard Mohr.
 
As an extra added bonus, this book also explains what "hotdish" is - which is an
important thing to know, given that it is the staple diet of Minnesotan
hockey players, and the secret to their success, year after year.  ;-)
 
-Martin
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GO MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHER HOCKEY!                   GO PITT PANTHER BASKETBALL!