# Regional quirks. southern vs nothern etc **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091 "2001-07-03T15:19:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BlueMoonofKentucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@BlueMoonofKentucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMoonofKentucky)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/21 "2001-07-06T14:36:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Voice Of Sanity \* > \*\*Being a Cincinnatian, there’s an old joke here that happens to be true: drive 5 minutes in any direction to find a person with a different accent. > > Also, we put allspice and chocolate - but not beans - in our chili. \*\* SsaaaayWhaaaat :D?! Is it good? Chocolate!? Is it made with beef and tomato or something else? Absolutely-figgin-amazing! BMoK, highly intrigued by the very thought of chocolate-allspice chilli ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/22 "2001-07-06T15:35:00Z")
We often think that not only is our regional practice The One True Way, but also that our way is totally unique and unheard of elsewhere. It’s all part of distinguishing ourselves from the rest of the world. For example, I was born and raised in the Midwest, but recently moved to Ottawa in Canada. Here I was solemnly informed by my Canadian friends that people in Canada say “pop” while people in the US say “soda.” When I tried to convince them I, too, had been brought up to say “pop,” they simply refused to believe me. (PS, Cincinnati chili is indeed very tasty. Any _everyone_ knows that BBQ is supposed to be mainly pork.;)) ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/23 "2001-07-06T15:52:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by City Gent \* > \*\*What is “groderdom”? \*\* [Jim Anchower](http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_anchower.html) comes close to being a good representation of a Buffalo groder. Picture a skinny, usually mulleted working class guy who is into heavy metal, workin’ on cars, and smokin’ a little bit of herb when he can get it. Wardrobe consists of jeans and black concert t-shirts. Vocabulary consists of “fuckin’ a.” The female equivalent has feathered hair, wears _very_ tight jeans, and a personal ad on [Yahoo.com](http://Yahoo.com) where she’s looking for a Catholic guy who likes “Metallica and Harlie’s” (sic). The Buffalo area has few “Southern style” rednecks; groders are the rough equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![swags0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@swags0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swags0)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/24 "2001-07-06T23:54:09Z")
hey voice cincy chili has beans its called a 4 way as oppossed to a 3 way chili spagetti and mounds of shreeded cheese. also a cincy traditional food i think city chicken which is pork and veal on a skewer breaded and cooked they never heard of this in upstate new york is it eaten any where else? ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/25 "2001-07-07T07:49:47Z")
> [@](#): > > _POSTED BY BlueMoonofKentucky_ !!!FIREWORKS!!! > > Up north there are virtually no big stores that sell just pyrotechnic fun, and no roadside stands. Here, well you can price shop four different ones in ten miles! That and fireworks are a year-round source of fun in the rural south, not just seasonal.\ > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tomndebb \* > \*\*The fireworks difference runs deeper than marketing. Most of the Great Lakes states (and the Northeastern states?) have laws that limit purchases to licensed users. (They use the polite fiction of having each customer sign a release claiming that either they have a license or that they are taking the fireworks out of the state.) > \*\* NOPE! Up here in New Hampshire, and (I think) Maine, there are many stores that sell only fireworks, sell to anyone, and are open all summer. I’ve never seen any roadside stands but then I don’t generally go to the touristy areas. Like the abundance of firearms in northern New England, It has to do with freedom not geography. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/26 "2001-07-07T09:35:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Not true. It’s the big thing that southerners like their grits. Also okra. However, grits are definitely found in the north (as well as hominy). I’ve lived in various cities in Illinois and in Charleston, SC. The best grits I’ve ever eaten was at a truck stop on an interstate south of Chicago. I never even heard of okra until I was 13 and went to S.C. I also had no idea what grits were until then. > [@](#): > > SsaaaayWhaaaat ?! Is it good? Chocolate!? Is it made with beef and tomato or something else? Absolutely-figgin-amazing! > BMoK, highly intrigued by the very thought of chocolate-allspice chilli Oh yeah its good. There is a fast food chain [Skyline Chili](http://www.skylinechili.com) that sells it. The chilidogs are incredible. They even have locations in Kentucky. ---
**Author:** ![BlueMoonofKentucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@BlueMoonofKentucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMoonofKentucky)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/27 "2001-07-07T15:03:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* > \*\*[ > \*\* **kalashnikov** I stand corrected, and I like the way you think:D! Glad to hear that another region still values personal freedoms. **mblackwell** Thanks for the link! I just ordered a ‘Crave Pack’, so I should experience the amazing phenomenon of allspice-chocolate chilli for myself here soon! I now live in SE Tennesse, and see that Skyline is availible frozen, but we have no Kroger stores. I had no idea such a thing existed until seeing it here -BMoK awaiting the UPS truck ---
**Author:** ![BlueMoonofKentucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@BlueMoonofKentucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMoonofKentucky)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/28 "2001-07-07T15:06:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* > Like the abundance of firearms in northern New England, It has to do with freedom not geography. > \*\* OOPS, that’s what I wanted to quote. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/29 "2001-07-07T16:56:06Z")
Thanks BlueMoon. Here’s some other New England things. I have seen more official professional fireworks here in the two years I’ve lived here than in the past decade of living in other states. They have them at ball games, town fairs, etc. - even within city limits. Snowmobile trails. There is a network of official groomed and posted snowmobile trails that crisscross northern New England. I’ve heard you can go from Main to NY state by sled without tresspassing. Do they have these in the west? Lobster sandwiches at McDonalds “Texas Toast” this is white bread that is sliced twice as thick as normal, and used to make french toast or garlic bread Hot dog rolls are different here. In most of the country, they are basicly cylindrical, with crust all around the outside. Here they have a square crosssection with crust on only the top and bottom. They have clearly been cut off of a big slab of bread after baking. lousy pizza Fish and Game clubs. It seems like every little town has them. This isn’t just due to the popularity of firearms. In other parts of the country, there are more public ranges, either free or pay-per-use. Here you pretty much have to join these ‘social clubs’ if you want to shoot on a real outdoor range as opposed to just finding a place out in the woods. There are pay-per-use indoor handgun (and subgun!)ranges though. Church steeples. Every little town in New England has a church with a tall steeple. ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/30 "2001-07-07T19:56:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\* > Picture a skinny, usually mulleted working class guy who is into heavy metal, workin’ on cars, and smokin’ a little bit of herb when he can get it. Wardrobe consists of jeans and black concert t-shirts. Vocabulary consists of “fuckin’ a.” The female equivalent has feathered hair, wears _very_ tight jeans, and a personal ad on [Yahoo.com](http://Yahoo.com) where she’s looking for a Catholic guy who likes “Metallica and Harlie’s” (sic). > \*\* You’ve just described 90% of my c. 1985 high school classmates. They’d have been impressed to know that sort of thing is considered a “lifestyle” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/31 "2001-07-08T09:01:51Z")
A few Southern California things: Toilet seat covers: little paper covers that pop out of a box on the wall like Kleenex. Every public bathroom has them, leading me to believe that they’re required by the state. Once you cross into Arizona they’re gone. Hotdog vendors walking through the stands at the ballgame: This has to be the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. They have guys walking around selling soda, popcorn, cotton candy and even souveniers for christs sake, but if you want a hotdog you have to get up and miss 2-3 innings standing in line at the consession stand. I’ve been to games at San Diego, Anaheim and Dodger Stadiums and it’s like this at all three. Would it kill them to invest in some hotboxes? They’d probably sell a lot more this way. ---
**Author:** ![amateurvisionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@amateurvisionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amateurvisionary)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/32 "2001-07-08T10:09:22Z")
Neato south Mississippi facts: There is no “soda” or “pop” here, ask for either and you will be beaten with a hickory stick. Sitting in a grocery store parking lot with other Mustangs and Chevy’s is considered time well spent. Drinking on the river bank by the fire is as close to heaven as is humanly possible. Hot tea is banned. “Ya’ll” is considered an actual word. Cornbread does NOT contain sugar. My grandma’s blackberry wine is better than any hoity-toity Napa Valley crap. People will actually smile and wave, even if they do not know you. That’s all I can think of at the moment, it’s about 5am and I’ve been at the river all night hitting golfballs across it. I am tired. Until next time. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/33 "2001-07-08T14:54:06Z")
The birds in the south also have different dialects. For example, the towhee, which sings “Drink your tea,” in the north, sings “Drink your Southern Comfort” here in the south. Also the barred owl, which call goes “Who-o-o cooks for you” in the north, calls “Who-o-o cooks for you all” in the south. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/34 "2001-07-08T18:10:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by swags0 \* > \*\*hey voice cincy chili has beans its called a 4 way as oppossed to a 3 way chili spagetti and mounds of shreeded cheese. also a cincy traditional food i think city chicken which is pork and veal on a skewer breaded and cooked they never heard of this in upstate new york is it eaten any where else? \*\* Cincinnati was my home before I moved to Mississippi and before that I was from Atlanta. Cincinnati has a wide variety of all kinds of ethnic food (including of course German), but has its own like the chili spagetti. There are the sauer kraut balls, which are like hush puppies in a way, I guess. They like their BBQ with the sauce already mixed in, while in the south they give you the meat and let you add the sauce. In Ohio (at least back several years ago) you could buy 3.2 beer on Sundays, in Mississippi that’s all that beer contains and you aren’t supposed to buy it on Sunday. Northerners talk about grits like it is something strange. Southerners know absolutely nothing about mush. We had a neighbor in Cincinnati that had a garden, she couldn’t understand why we didn’t want her turnips, but took the greens. Northerners love all kinds of pies, in the south they really prefer cake (a chocolate cake is yellow cake with chocolate icing). If they eat pie it is lemon, banana cream, pecan and if they eat a fruit pie it is apple. The only berry pies consumed are by northerners. Also pumpkin pie is looked down on, it is sweet potato pie for a true southerner. One other thing. Don’t think you’ve eaten Mexican until you’ve been to the Southwest. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/35 "2001-07-08T18:34:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kalashnikov \* > \*\*Snowmobile trails. There is a network of official groomed and posted snowmobile trails that crisscross northern New England. I’ve heard you can go from Main to NY state by sled without tresspassing. Do they have these in the west? > > “Texas Toast” this is white bread that is sliced twice as thick as normal, and used to make french toast or garlic bread.\*\* We have both of these here in Minnesota. As to your Fish and Game clubs, my hometown has a Gun Club - essentially a skeet and trap range. There’s another one here in St. Cloud but I don’t know how prevalent they are around here. One thing we have here that I’ve never heard of anyplace else is something called a California burger - which means they put lettuce and tomato on it and charge you another 50 cents. :rolleyes: Oh, and **BlueMoonofKentucky** - not sure you needed to go out and order; I found a couple of recipes [online](http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/cincinnatichili.html) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BlueMoonofKentucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8dc957/32.png) [@BlueMoonofKentucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueMoonofKentucky)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/36 "2001-07-08T20:12:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chique \* > Oh, and **BlueMoonofKentucky** - not sure you needed to go out and order; I found a couple of recipes [online](http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/cincinnatichili.html) 🙂 \*\* Thanks **chique**! Bummer,I ordered yesterday. Oh well, I’ll give the _professionally_ made stuff a try. I’m not sure that it really even sounds good to me, but I’m dying to know what allspice, cocco and chilli would taste like. If I like it, I’ll try the recipe for sure though ---
**Author:** ![Phouchg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/41988e/32.png) [@Phouchg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phouchg)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/37 "2001-07-08T22:24:34Z")
I have to disagree about there being “lousy pizza” in New England. I grew up in northern Massachusetts, and one of the things I miss most is “greek mafia” pizza. I have heard that allegedly, the Greek Mafia (whatever that is) bankrolls these stores for new immigrants to get their footing in America. Little places with names like “Athens Pizza” or “Parthenon Pizza” or “(your town) House of Pizza” that sell the chewy-dough variety that is unduplicated anywhere else, even here in the pizza-free realm of Southern California (I have not found ONE good pizza place here - the national chains will have to do). Also, these greek pizza stores often sell killer Gyros (must be pronounced the proper way “YEE-ro”) and the world’s best homemade baklava. Another thing growing up where I did is that the Catholic Church’s presence is very well known - but it is not “in your face” like the Mormons are in SLC. But it is pretty much assumed that you are in “the church”; my city of 50, 000 had 8 parishes; and I recall quite specifically one of my teachers in public schools talking about the pilgrims landing so they could have freedom to be their own type of protestants. He then said “Christians did not come to New England until the irish and italian immigrants over 200 years later”. When I pointed out to him that Protestants were Christian just like Catholics, my teacher said “No they’re not”. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/38 "2001-07-08T22:43:35Z")
I was born & raised in Michigan, and it’s definately POP. Not soda, not soda-pop, net even coke. Just pop. And it’s not ginger ale either, it’s Vernors. A childhood favorite we had around here was Townclub pop. Very regional, but they came in a variety of weird flavors and colors. Ahhhh, the memories. One thing that never caught on around here, though, is Sweet Tea. I LOVE it. But when you request it at a restaurant, they just give you a blank stare. bummer. What’s with this Mr. Pibb?! He tried to infiltrate our ranks a few years ago but, alas! Dr. Pepper was the victor! No Mellow Yellow either, it’s Mountain Dew or nothing at all. Welp, gotta go… I’m getting thirsty… ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/39 "2001-07-08T23:18:07Z")
They have toilet seat covers and California burgers in New Jersey but not in New Hampshire. The first time I heard of California burgers I though it was going to be a chili burger. Maybe I should have known better, since in California they sometimes put lettuce and tomato on hot dogs. When I said lousy pizza, I meant compared to the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia style. Maybe the Greek style is supposed to be different. To me, most New England pizza has a tough, slightly bitter tasting crust, and is generally overcooked. Another thing I’ve only seen in New England is triangular manhole covers. I suppose in most of the country nowadays, you see signs in two languages, english and spanish. In the northern parts of New England you sometimes also see them in french (for french-speaking canadians). ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091/40 "2001-07-10T03:37:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kevsnyde \* > **I was born & raised in Michigan, and it’s definately POP. Not soda, not soda-pop, net even coke. Just pop. And it’s not ginger ale either, it’s Vernors.** Yes **Vernors!** It is nothing like that stuff {b]Cananda Dry\*\* puts out and call ginger ale. It should be available every where. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regional-quirks-southern-vs-nothern-etc/71091.md?page=3)