Alice, what part of Michigan did you grow up in? I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve never heard anyone say the word “bogue” before.
Perhaps you can say we got the upper hand?
I’ve heard people use “bogue” (rhymes with vogue) before. Although, not since the 80s. Never used it much myself, I don’t think. I never knew it to be a “Michigan” word though. To me, it was a very SoCo/valley-girl thing to say.
Also, I love to play Euchre.
My additions for Michigan:
(Although, not so true nowadays:) Vernors.
The tendency to add an ‘s’ to almost every store. (e.g. I’m going to Kmarts; Walmarts; Meijers, etc.)
We’re the only state consisting of two main peninsulas, also surrounded only by fresh-water lakes (the largest group of lakes on earth).
Another Michigan one:
Michigan, the only state where the term “Northern” refers to the central section of the state. Silly trolls don’t think there’s anything north of Traverse City.
When I go to Northern Michigan, I drive south. Crazy.
Nah, we do that here in Wisconsin too. (I live in the middle of the palm.)
PA plays euchre??! Gah! In all my extensive polling of the inhabitants of the world to see who plays euchre, I never came across a PA-ian that does!
Jeff Foxworthy now does a whole routine about being from Michigan… kind of interesting.
As others have mentioned Euchre isn’t only in Michigan, we play LOTS of Euchre in Wisconsin. On the topic of card games though…I’m sure it isn’t totally unique to Wisconsin, but I don’t think you see a lot of Sheepshead outsite the state.
You whiffed on bogue too, Alice. It’s a sailing term, and I’ve heard it used in the Chesapeake Bay. It’s what a shoddy sailboat does when it can’t hold the wind.
I don’t know of any place other than Wisconsin where folks call a drinking fountain a bubbler.
South Carolina is probably the only place where you can say, " Let’s go shag after we watch the Cocks!" and not mean anything dirty. And everyone will know what you mean.
Also home of pitcher Bill Voiselle, the only major league baseball player to wear the name of his hometown on his uniform. He wore number 96.
Ah, Alice, there are more here in AZ:
Only state to have javelina (who ravage our gardens by eating the cactus…don’t ask me how)
Only state where the bola tie is the official state necktie.
Only state (I think) without a Lt.Governor. If the Gov vanishes. like ours did recently, the Sec. of State takes over.
Only state where it gets so hot in summer, you have to use a handkerchief in your hand to open the doorknob. And you don’t lean against your car when talking to somebody, or you will have “Ford” branded into your butt. And we keep breaking records each year for the most consecutive days with the temperature over 100 F. And excepting Death Valley in Calif, the only state to have had a high temp record of 122 F.
Etc
Montana borders more Canadian provinces than any other state, and it was the first state to elect a woman to Congress (Jeannette Rankin). I believe we also have more native large mammals than any other state. The coldest recorded temperature in the continental U.S. was in Montana, and that’s usually true every year.
Montana is also the place where the first contact will take place between humans and Vulcans.
I was really surprised to find out that Montana does not issue the most deer hunting licenses each year. Apparently, that honor goes to New Jersey.
This is also true in California. Everyone calls San Francisco “Northern” California, but it’s in the middle (North-South). My wife’s family is in the “real” Northern California.
Texas is the only state which was an independent nation before joining the USA.
What about Hawaii? It was a kingdom, which certainly qualifies as an independent nation - and I seem to remember it being a republic at one point, too.
We have lots, LOTS of Javelina in South Texas. So many in fact, that the Javelina is the mascot of one of the regional colleges. (Texas A&M - Kingsville)
Let’s see… what’s unique to Texas?
As far as I know, we’re the only state to have fought a real, bloody war for our independence, as opposed to sort of declaring independence, and shortly becoming part of the US.
We’re the only state that I know of that has a ranch that’s larger than another state (King Ranch / Rhode Island).
We’re home to the most deadly natural disaster in US history (1900 Hurricane - 6000+ killed)
AFAIK, we’re the only state to have been part of six different nations (hence the “Six Flags” in “Six Flags over Texas”) In order - Spanish, French, Mexico, Texas, US, Confederate. (the US and Spanish ones flew more than once)
Vermont was an independet republic before joining the Union.
Also the state not to put beans in chili.
But Michiganders use a whole different definition of bogue, and as far as I have been able to tell from many unscientific polls, nobody else uses it the way they do.
New Mexico has the rather dubious honor of having the highest bubonic plague rate of any state in the union. But there’s no need to worry–even during a particularly bad plague year we only lose 3 or 4 people.
Mississippi’s population has the largest proportion of African Americans of any U.S. state, currently nearly 37%.
Mississippi has the largest percentage of African-American same-sex couples among total households.
(these are based on the 2000 census, I think.)
ETA: those are quotes, I’m not sure if that should be African-Americans or if it is counting people of color regardless of their country of origin.
California has the highest and lowest points in the contiguous states. (Badwater @ -282 ft, and Mt. Whitney @ 14,505 ft, 76 air miles apart)
New Jersey is the only state without an official song.
Possibly related, anecdotally New Jersey seems to be the most self-hating state.
ETA: And we pronounce “asterisk” as “asterick”. At least, everyone I know does, and everyone on this board doesn’t.