This is a true story. The events depicted in this blog post took place in Fargo during 2021. At the request of other tourists at the time of my visit, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the locals, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.
Although Karl passed through Fargo on his way north back to the Dominion of Canada, the 1987 movie with William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, and Frances McDormand made Fargo a recognizable name and location. And to make sure we don’t forget, the Coen brothers followed their brilliant movie with an even better series refamiliarizing us with Fargo yet again.
While you can find a signed copy of the original script and the woodchipper on display in the Fargo-Moorhead visitor centre, neither the movie nor the TV series was filmed in Fargo.
“Fargo is not a normal place to visit - it’s not mountains, it’s not tropical beaches, and it’s not swarming with tourists. Smack dab on the border of Minnesota and North Dakota and prairies as far as the eye can see. You’ll find a hidden gem of nightlife, food, art, and a herd of wildly friendly people to welcome you. If you’re looking for a new kind of adventure, something a little outside of the norm, head north. North of Normal”. (Fargomoorhead.org)
North of Normal is the slogan for the Fargo tourism marketing campaign, associating the city with the unexpected.
The city has great energy and a youthful vibe. The statistics indicate that ten people are moving to Fargo daily to participate in the thriving start-up industry. Independent coffee roasters and craft breweries seem to be predominant and flourishing. Fargo is a walkable city with various shops, bars, restaurants, and lots of colourful, interactive murals.
Although the streets are lined with historical buildings, including the iconic art deco Fargo Theatre marquee, the construction timeframe was after Karl’s visit. It seems the majority of those downtown buildings originating from the 19th century were either demolished or sadly destroyed by fire.
However, what does remain today in Fargo is that Midwestern accent. Those phrases were brought to us by the Coen brothers in the dialogue between characters Jerry Lundegaard, Carl Showalter, and Marge Gunderson. That accent is prolific, and it’s more than likely that Karl got to experience that local dialect and may have heard some of the following common phrases: uffda, yeah no, no yeah, you betcha, oof, and dontcha know.
In case, Dear Reader, you travel to Fargo or are keen to expand your vocabulary, please find below the definitions of this lexicon:
Uffda: Exclamation used to express dismay, typically upon hearing bad news
No Yeah: meaning yes; but not to be confused with Yeah no: meaning no
You Betcha: Used as a substitute to “yes”
Oof: term expressing sympathy
Dontcha know: it is generally just tagged onto the end of sentences
As we learned during our chronicles in Quebec, Karl was not able to speak other languages apart from English, but if he embraced the dialect in Fargo, I’m sure he’d start up a conversation something like this:
“Uffda, it’s been quite a journey to get to Fargo. I have travelled 3900 kms to date, doncha know? No yeah, you betcha it’s hard work and it’s going to take me a long time. Oof, no, I can’t stay here any longer, I’m off to GrandForks and then around the rest of the world.
The following images are some of my favourite murals that you can find around Fargo:
