the term Wally World

[Mikey]

Reading another thread inspired this topic ...

Just wondering,
Is the term Wally World a regional only nickname for Walmart ?

The reason i'm asking, I never heard this term as a nickname for Walmart until I talked to one of my nephews about 10 years ago who lives in Nebraska.


I thought he was talking about a real store named Wally World

Anyway,
Around these parts (NE Pa/ NW Jersey) i've NEVER heard anyone call Walmart Wally World.

Sometimes I do hear this expression used on the net.

Just wondering,
Do people say Wally World in your neck of the woods ?

[Captain]

I always thought the term was borrowed from the first Vacation movie....and less than affectionately applied to Wal Mart!!??

Its used in Canada all over the place, plus the Northern and North Pacific US...at least I've heard it used there on recent trips through.

[TEXASFETT]

I always thought the term was borrowed from the first Vacation movie....and less than affectionately applied to Wal Mart!!??

Its used in Canada all over the place, plus the Northern and North Pacific US...at least I've heard it used there on recent trips through.

That's the same reason why I use it here as well.

[ScottA]

We use it down South all the time and have for as long as I can remember.

[Mikey]

Most people around these parts just say Wal ... pronounced wall

"gunna take a ride down to wall"

[jessica]

I only use Wally World because I used to belong to a knitting group of mostly retired women. Whenever anybody mentioned going to Walmart to pick up yarn, it was always Wally World...so I use the term even in the Bay Area.

[kryptosmaster]

Personally I despise stupid nicknames for things like that. My sister calls it that.
I can't stand when people call McDonalds "Mickey D's" for example.
To me it's just as dumb as those celebrity nicknames like "Brangelina".
That said, I really can't stand Wal-Mart anyway. I only go there as a last resort.
Rich

[The Toyroom]

"Wally World" is quite popular around my area.....

[Megospidey]

It's an expression that began in Arkansas (go figure) many years ago when Wal-Mart started here in the state. People in Arkansas LOVE to give nick-names to every thing.

It did not take long for Wally World to become the local and then state nickname for the store.

[vulcan2074]

The first time I heard it used in that way, was from my buddy who's from Minnesota back in the 90s
Sammy

[fallensaviour]

I always thought the term was borrowed from the first Vacation movie....and less than affectionately applied to Wal Mart!!??

Its used in Canada all over the place, plus the Northern and North Pacific US...at least I've heard it used there on recent trips through.

It's called Wally-world here in manitoba as well.

[Megospidey]

Sam Walton's store "Walton's" goes back to the 40's. By 1962, he had 11 Walton's stores in Arkansas. By 1967, the name had changed to Wal-Mart and there were 24 stores across the state.

When I was growing up in Lonoke, Arkansas in the late 70's and early 80's, our local Wal-Mart was already affectionately known as "Wally World." It started out as "Wal-Marts", then "Wally-Mart", then finally "Wally World." That's how long I've heard the phrase.

The movie "National Lampoon's Vacation" came out in 1983 ( I was a sophmore in high school), but I had already heard the term "Wally World" by then.

[Mikey]

I don't think i've ever even heard of Walmart till the early 90's

[ODBJBG]

I can't say about where the term started and if Megospidey says it was around prior to Lampoons, so be it. But around here it came in style about 5-6 years ago and came as a result of it's similar name to the Lampoon movie. Walmart is supposed to be this great place full of great things, but it's ultimately a huge disappointment. Which is why it's referred to was Wally World.

It's not just a play on the name, but the quality of the place as well. Wally World is a negative term in this area to describe the disappointment of a Walmart trip, a la the disappointment of the Griswald's vacation trip.

[tay666]

Around here it is just referred to as the evil empire.
Lots of people who used to work in the plastic factories that used to be around here despise the place.
Since they are the ones that basically made Little Tikes move the majority of their manufacturing overseas.