# "Thank God for Mississippi!" - is there anywhere it doesn't work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 7, 2016, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436 "2016-04-07T13:43:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [April 7, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/21 "2016-04-07T21:05:35Z")
We used to cheat by saying “Miss-sipp-i” until someone caught on. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/22 "2016-04-07T22:24:23Z")
Mississippi leads all other states in use of the letter s. And P. And ties with three states for use of I. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/23 "2016-04-07T22:42:36Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s 32nd in population density, for whatever that’s worth. That’s because as dense as their brains are, their less dense fat floats them higher up the ranking. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/24 "2016-04-07T23:28:22Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Mississippi leads all other states in use of the letter s. And P. And ties with three states for use of I. Massachusetts has the same number of esses. On the other hand, I don’t think there are any other states with four Is. ---
**Author:** ![40below](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/51bf81/32.png) [@40below](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/40below)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/25 "2016-04-07T23:42:48Z")
I’ve heard “Thank God for Texas” for some of the same kinds of stats cited above, but never Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/26 "2016-04-07T23:52:38Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > But those two things don’t really have anything to do with each other. In fact, they are mutually exclusive. Infant mortality is children who die before they reach the age at which they are vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/27 "2016-04-08T00:08:27Z")
Here are some categories in which Mississippi ranks in the top five: [http://www.statemaster.com/state/MS/Top-Rankings](http://www.statemaster.com/state/MS/Top-Rankings) (Click “All Stats” for an expanded list) I did find one positive one. Mississippi ranks 11th in forest land, and 18th in cropland, which means quite a lot of the state is forested, compared to cleared and cultivated. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/28 "2016-04-08T01:11:46Z")
> [@40below](#): > > I’ve heard “Thank God for Texas” for some of the same kinds of stats cited above, but never Mississippi. You must be from pretty far away. Texas is rich and cosmopolitan compared to the deep south. No comparison. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/29 "2016-04-08T02:15:32Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > In fact, they are mutually exclusive. Infant mortality is children who die before they reach the age at which they are vaccinated. No. The CDC recommends most vaccines be given starting at 2 months, except for HepB which starts at birth. [CDC vaccination schedule](http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf) (PDF). Infant mortality is the [death of an infant under one year.](http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm) ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/30 "2016-04-08T23:37:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You amaze me, Sir. > > In Arkansas we say, “Thank G-d for Mississippi and West Virginia”. What do you mean West Virginia? There was a recent archeology find that suggests the toothbrush originated there. Otherwise, it would have been called a teethbrush. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/31 "2016-04-09T00:18:11Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Dunno if you’ve heard [the phrase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_for_Mississippi), it was new to me, that when it comes to rankings of the States (in things like educational achievement, poverty rates, life expectancy etc.), one can always turn to Mississippi to find a state with the worse ranking. > > Are there any areas where Mississippi ranks high among the several States for something positive, and where the saying would definitely not work? How about in [Mississippi Goddamn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBiAtwQZnHs)? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/32 "2016-04-09T06:51:53Z")
When I first saw the OP title, I thought it had to do with Raphael “Ted” Cruz saying in every campaign speech “God bless \!” * * * Thanks, Skdo23 - the skit is still as funny as I though it was. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/33 "2016-04-09T20:27:27Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > In keeping track of time to the nearest second, the order is > > 1. Mississippi > 2. Mississippi > 3. Mississippi > etc. 😃 Took me a second, or maybe more like three. I’d be interested in seeing Mississippi’s ranking of charitable donations when pure church donations are excluded. Not quite sure how to say this, but there are different kinds of church donations: those that are similar to club dues, and those that are similar to donations to anti-poverty nonprofits and the like. If Mississippians give a buttload of money to soup kitchens and Habitat for Humanity, that’s one thing. If they give a lot of money to pay for Prosperity ministers to buy gold-plated Rolls Royces, that’s another entirely. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436/34 "2016-04-09T22:34:43Z")
I can’t find a CNN story about the trans gender bathroom laws. They compared it to racial prejudice in the South. Anyway, a guy moved from the North to Mississippi. He said he found them the kindest people he had ever met, but sick and tired of being held up as last in everything. 🙂 I’ve only been there once, a dog training thing with Mrs. Plant (v.2.0). They were just as friendly as other Southerners, and like the rest of us, wore shoes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thank-god-for-mississippi-is-there-anywhere-it-doesnt-work/751436.md?page=1)