Aw, cmon, we wave at strangers on the road here, too. It’s just a whole 'nother kind of wave, is all.
Don’t tell me some of you people have never had Moon Pies or fried catfish. Sweet Jesus on the cross, somebody go get my smellin’ salts, I’ve got me a bad case of the vapors. No, really, it sounds like some of you are missing out on some damn fine eating. Fried catfish, cornbread, green beans, and a tall glass of sweet milk…mmmmmmm.
I grew up in western Kentucky, and I’ve always considered the region to be semi-Southern. When I think Southern, I think the Deep South, which no one in their right mind would consider Kentucky. Folks around home (and in the Virginias) can go either way, really. Some are very, very Southern. Some are very, very not Southern. Most of us fall into the huge area in between.
During the summers I guzzle gallons of sweet iced tea (we have to specify at restaurants, unlike the deep South where its automatically sweet and the North where it’s automaticallyl not.) I consider fried chicken or catfish to be a special meal, damn good but too messy and unhealthy to make often. When I talk about gravy, I mean milk gravy unless I specify otherwise. I like a Moon Pie once in a while, maybe about three times a year. When people wave at me, I wave back, whether I know them or not. Same for responding when people I pass by say “How you doin’, honey?” I understand most of the different types of cousins.
I don’t like grits, or okra, or greens with vinegar. I don’t attend church, nor do my parents. I don’t just charge up to strangers and introduce myself and launch into an inquisition about their family tree. When people drop by, I offer them something, but I don’t push the issue. I have never in my life taken a headache powder. I don’t call anyone outside the family “Aunt” or “Uncle”. Hell, I don’t even call my aunts and uncles that, and haven’t since the age of ten or so.
Now, I have to say this is the first time I’ve ever heard this phrase. “The Carolinas”, sure. “The Dakotas”, I suppose, if anyone around me ever had a reason to mention them 
But I’ve never heard VA & WV being lumped together like that. Is that just me?
CrazyCatLady, where in western Kentucky? After all, I’m straight up western Kentucky, and proud of it.
Waving at people is just normal. How hard is that? You just wave. It’s not like you’re asking them to tell you their life story. We save that for supper.
If you are Southern, you know what collards are, what they look like in the field and how to fix them. If you are Southern, you know that the word “fix” in the previous sentence means “to prepare.” You will know what “chitlins” are, as well as “cracklins” and you will like both of them. You will denigrate instant grits, but will eat them when no one is watching. You will know the differences between channel catfish, blue catfish and yellow catfish. Regarding catfish, you will know what “noodlin’” means.
Amen. Goody’s Extra Strength Headache Powder is a Godsend, I always have some on hand. Never tried BC and don’t care to.
JuanitaTech, do they serve sweet tea readily (or upon request) in Maryland? I’m guessing not - and that is the litmus test for being in the South.
Southerners know who Stevie Ray Vaughan is - and BBQ with coleslaw and potato salad is served up for lunch, with a side of fried okra and fresh sliced tomatoes.
Hm, this thread is difficult, but I do wish to say that part of being southern is being aware of the anger left over from “the recent unpleasantness”. A true (liberal) southerner blanches but is not shocked when she hears the word “darky” as I did just yesterday. A true southerner is accustomed to seeing the rebel flag on any piece of clothing or decorative fabric that can be used to adorn oneself. A true southerner does indeed know how to make homemade biscuits…for you Brits, that’s a savoury scone, not a cookie.
A true southerner knows the difference between being gracious and being a doormat but will always lean toward being a doormat before being ungracious.
A true southerner waves at strangers, asks them how they are, and indeed may have a religious discussion within minutes; this is true. If the other person declares to be an atheist, a true southerner runs a high risk of saying something atrocious like, “Heavens alive, sweetie, you’ll be in my prayers.”
And lastly, before I fall into Sunday sermon, a true southerner never leaves the South for any longer than a “stretch”, and if they do by accident move elsewhere, they regret it for the rest of their lives.
Oh, fun question! I do tend to think of it in terms of geography, actually. Let’s see…whether or not people from VA are southern or not is debatable(but DC southern? No way), but the states below VA are definitely in the south. Except FL. I don’t know why, but when I think of sourtherners, people from Florida don’t “count.” That’s probably just me…
In my observation:
Southerners are more likely to call you “sweety”, “honey” or “baby” and not mean it in a deogratory way.
Southerners are scarily friendly to strangers- I asked my dad a question in the store on Saturday, and a complete stranger provided the answer unbidden. That was a rare and surprising act (though sort of nice if nosey) for a northerner, but I bet it wouldn’t be blinked at down south.
Southerners either don’t realize or don’t care that calling a red sox fan a “yankee” is really insulting…but not for the reason they probably think.
Yeah CatLady! Where in west KY are you from, I grew up there?
You seem to be forgetting about all of the migrant farm workers here. All this home-grown produce don’t pick itself, y’all.
I am truly Southern. Almost every description in this thread applies to me.
Brian, Snoopy, I’m from just south of Owensboro.
Oh, definitely. My girlfriend (A Yankee, I’m convertin’ her to our side!) was shocked the first time the cashier at Kroger and I launched into a detailed conversation…
“Did you know her?”
“Hmm? No. Why?”
“Well, you talked so much…”
“Sigh! That’s just what we do here, you better get used to it.”
I thought you said western Kentucky. That’s like 3 hours west of Owensboro. Owensboro is the far western edge of Central Kentucky. 
Yeah what brianjedi said.
Hey brian, do you get this a lot:
“So whereya from, brian?”
“Western Kentucky”
“Oh … Bowling Green?”
Mmmm. Moonlight BBQ.
There’s some good eatin, yall.
I’ve spent 25 of my 31 years in the South, and I frankly think the cultural variety here is what’s so astonishing. I know Southerners who fit nearly all of the descriptions in this thread, and others who fit almost none. Personally I’m about 50/50, but I consider myself 100% Southern.
I’d say the main distinguishing factor is simply that Southerners love it here. There’s an incredibly complex regional identity that both accepts and laughs at the Southern regional character (witness those of us who call it “The War of Northern Aggression” with a laugh), and to have an instinctive understanding of that is a tremendously rich experience. There’s the ability to see a black man selling Stars-and-bars memorabilia and be simultaneously totally nonplussed and slightly chagrinned, but mostly highly amused.
There are those who complain about this region, but as soon as a non-Southerner starts bashing the South, those same people will fight back as if their kids had been insulted.
And of course there are those who grow up here and then leave, never to return; they weren’t Southern in the first place, I suspect. Some kind of delivery-room mixup.
One more qualification: We’ve all heard countless examples of the incredibly ugly and pervasive stereotypes associated with Southerners, of course. If you’ve ever heard some non-Southerner making fun of us because they believe the stereotypes, and then thought to yourself, “Enjoy your ignorance, moron; I’m just glad the stereotypes keep idiots like you from moving here,” then you’re definitely Southern.
You know, jackelope, you have a point. Oh, I lived out in California for a while, but when that plane landed in Atlanta, I was like “Ahhh! Home!” And I’d never been here before!
SnoopyFan, all the time. All the time.
About the 20 southern catholics… I’d say you were quite a bit off there Chere’. If you get down past Alexandria, Louisiana about all you are going to run into is Catholics. Of course you have to have an appreciation for Ocra, Gumbo, boiled Crawfish (mudbugs), boudin (pronounced BOO DAN), cracklins, fried catfish, crawfish etoufee, shrimp creole, fried alligator and the like. Rice is also a necessity! You know your in da South when you got to stop for da boats to pass so they can lower da bridge.
Heck I live in North Louisiana and I’m considered a yankee to many of my south Louisianian relatives. You run into people with names like Prudhomme, Sylvester, Beaudreaux, Thibodeaux, Hebert (pronounced HAY BEAR) Aucoin (pronounced AW COIN) Arceneaux, Dellacroix. I could go on. There is such a tremendous difference in culture just 100 miles south of where I live you would probably need a translator like myself just to understand the people there.