# "Massachusettsers?" "Indianians" Coneccticutters?" What do you guys call yourselves? (Hawaii? Etc... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932 "2016-07-02T17:56:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/21 "2016-07-03T00:41:03Z")
Properly, it’s “Illinoisans” ([example](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-berg-term-limits-st-0506-20160505-story.html)) but most people would just say “people of Illinois” or something similar. I pretty much only see it in print, very rarely spoken. “Illinoian” is listed at that Wiki link but, in practice, is primarily a [geological term](https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en&gws_rd=ssl#complete=0&hl=en&q=Illinoian). ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/22 "2016-07-03T00:50:53Z")
Technically a Washington resident is a Washingtonian but you never hear that in public; whether it’s too easy to confuse with DC or because this state has very little that’s distinct from its neighbors I’m not sure. You are much, much more likely to hear someone call themselves a “Northwesterner”. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/23 "2016-07-03T00:57:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Properly, it’s “Illinoisans” ([example](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-berg-term-limits-st-0506-20160505-story.html)) but most people would just say “people of Illinois” or something similar. I pretty much only see it in print, very rarely spoken. > > “Illinoian” is listed at that Wiki link but, in practice, is primarily a [geological term](https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en&gws_rd=ssl#complete=0&hl=en&q=Illinoian). That’s why I call myself a Chicagoan ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/24 "2016-07-03T01:10:12Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > [List of U.S. State Denonyms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demonyms_for_U.S._states) I like “Utahn” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/25 "2016-07-03T02:50:46Z")
Ich bin ein New Yorker. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/26 "2016-07-03T03:10:42Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > [List of U.S. State Denonyms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demonyms_for_U.S._states) A person from Louisiana is a _Louisianian_? Really? Doesn’t sound right to this Arizonan’s ears. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/27 "2016-07-03T04:18:52Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > \*\* it doesn’t make sense,\*\* but “Hoosier” is the demonym of Indiana and has been since the 1840’s. yeah… it don’t make no sense; but comedian Dave Barry can [shed some light on the subject](http://thesouthern.com/lifestyles/leisure/dave-barry-hoosier-your-daddy-take-a-lecture-from-indiana/article_55cfec33-6f1e-5e37-9956-8b595bb39fd3.html). Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/28 "2016-07-03T05:53:56Z")
I was in Boston’s Logan airport today in Terminal A to send my daughter down to Dallas to see her grandparents. They had loud announcements that you are in the "Hub of the Universe’ which Boston proudly proclaims over and over using different formats. You can bite my ass on that. I have gotten much better job offers in Texas with a much lower cost of living than I could possibly have here plus much shorter winters. I can’t take them right now for personal reasons but I will when my daughters graduate high school. I am thankful for the quality of the extremely segregated public schools my kids attend but, at some point, they are going to need to mix with the masses. I have already explained to both of my kids that they are Massholes through no fault of their own but they will have to do better when they step into the wider world. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/29 "2016-07-03T14:50:43Z")
Whew, at the last second we got a reason for this post in this thread…Way to go. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/30 "2016-07-03T19:24:25Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Properly, it’s “Illinoisans” ([example](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-berg-term-limits-st-0506-20160505-story.html)) but most people would just say “people of Illinois” or something similar. I pretty much only see it in print, very rarely spoken. > > “Illinoian” is listed at that Wiki link but, in practice, is primarily a [geological term](https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en&gws_rd=ssl#complete=0&hl=en&q=Illinoian). Is the first “s” pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/31 "2016-07-03T19:59:30Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > In Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont they are known as MassHoles Down here, too, where the most common collective is the ambiguous “Yankee.” Even east of the river in BoSox territory. We get the cranky, obnoxious MassHoles trying to make the last twenty miles home as short as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/32 "2016-07-03T20:14:30Z")
Whether because NYC casts a big shadow over the northern and western parts of NJ and CT, or because coincidentally their demonyms don’t roll off the tongue, I relatively rarely hear people call themselves New Jerseyans or Connecticuters. On the former though Jerseyman was another term, for example used by NJ regiments in the Civil War, archaic now. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/33 "2016-07-03T22:20:38Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Properly, it’s “Illinoisans” ([example](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-berg-term-limits-st-0506-20160505-story.html)) but most people would just say “people of Illinois” or something similar. I pretty much only see it in print, very rarely spoken. > > “Illinoian” is listed at that Wiki link but, in practice, is primarily a [geological term](https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en&gws_rd=ssl#complete=0&hl=en&q=Illinoian). > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Is the first “s” pronounced? No, it is not. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/34 "2016-07-03T22:37:01Z")
The _Arkansas Times_ regards “Arkansan” as an affectation. “Arkansawyer” is preferred. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/35 "2016-07-03T22:46:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Ich bin ein New Yorker. You’re a magazine? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/36 "2016-07-03T22:48:13Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Is the first “s” pronounced? I can’t think of a scenario where the “s” in Illinois is pronounced although I guess you fake it in the possessive (e.g. Illinois’ population) ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/37 "2016-07-04T01:06:52Z")
I’ve never heard anyone other than a Texan call themselves after the state they happen to live in. They all say “I live in X.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/38 "2016-07-04T02:34:40Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > I like “Utahn” I was surprised to learn (when I moved to Utah) that this was the standard term. It looks as if it’s missing one or more letters, but that’s the standard form. Out-of-staters tend to add an extra letter between the “h” and the “n”, regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/39 "2016-07-04T04:14:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Ich bin ein New Yorker. > [@quiltguy](#): > > You’re a magazine? 😉 Well, at least I think he is, because I’m pretty sure he meant to say “Ich bin _Das_ New Yorker”. not trying to put words into anyone’s mouths, but… ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932/40 "2016-07-04T15:37:45Z")
Alabamian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massachusettsers-indianians-coneccticutters-what-do-you-guys-call-yourselves-hawaii-etc/758932.md?page=3)