# When you tell people where you are from , what do they usually say? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570 "2018-01-13T22:16:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/41 "2018-01-14T11:08:32Z")
It depends where I am. In Australia and NZ, I can tell people I’m from Brisbane (because I am, despite being born in NZ) and everyone knows where it is, but when I’m in the US the response is quite often “Is that near Sydney?”. :eyeroll: No, it is not near Sydney except in the sense the two cities are 1000kms apart and in different states. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/42 "2018-01-14T12:07:56Z")
When I was a kid I told someone us kids were from Kentucky. He said “You’re a bunch of hillbillies!” I calmly said “We’re from Lexington,” and he said “Oh, then you’re not hillbillies.” I knew other kids who’d told people they were from Kentucky and got questions like “Do you eat with a fork? Do you use a flush toilet?” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/43 "2018-01-14T12:44:31Z")
Whenever I mention to Europeans that I’m from Israel, they usually say “Oh!” with this glassy look in their eyes, and quickly change the subject. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/44 "2018-01-14T13:06:00Z")
A lot of times, when I tell someone I’m from DC they say me too, but when I ask them what neighborhood they say Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/45 "2018-01-14T13:17:20Z")
> [@Tibby or Not Tibby](#): > > “What exit?” :mad: Youuu Raang? Actually I only got this a few times in the real world, more online. Saying New Jersey does get a varied reaction though. Many seem to think it is hell on earth, but that is just a few areas like Camden. Many think _The Jersey Shore_ or _Sopranos_. Both are largely fictional. Though \*Sopranos \*at least has some truth. Now we have a nationally known governor and it is Chris Christie, so that hardly has helped our reputation and the \*Sopranos \*look even more accurate. If I say my town it is usually blank looks or question about Bell Labs. Now if I mention my birthplace, The Bronx, that is usually a conversation starter. If people are from the Philly area, they mainly talk about the Beaches, Wildwood & Atlantic City. New Yorkers are convinced we’re in the sticks which is funny for the most densely populated state, but well NYC is NYC. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/46 "2018-01-14T13:25:19Z")
Wow, I bet you ski a lot. Actually, I don’t. Hate it. We live just south of Breckenridge Colorado. There are 4 world class ski areas just in the county alone. The other thing would be WOW that’s high. We live at a high elevation even by Colorado standards. 11,200 feet ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/47 "2018-01-14T13:51:15Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Wow, I bet you ski a lot. Actually, I don’t. Hate it. We live just south of Breckenridge Colorado. There are 4 world class ski areas just in the county alone. The other thing would be WOW that’s high. We live at a high elevation even by Colorado standards. 11,200 feet Hey, do you get to the brewery much? Damn good brewery. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/48 "2018-01-14T13:58:27Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > It depends where I am. In Australia and NZ, I can tell people I’m from Brisbane (because I am, despite being born in NZ) and everyone knows where it is, but when I’m in the US the response is quite often “Is that near Sydney?”. :eyeroll: > > No, it is not near Sydney except in the sense the two cities are 1000kms apart and in different states. It doesn’t matter, they don’t know where Sydney is either. You could say Brisbane is near Christchurch and they’d say “Oh, that’s cool”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/49 "2018-01-14T14:09:57Z")
At science fiction cons, people laugh when I say I’m from Schenectady. Someone once saw it on my badge and thought I was joking. It was because of and old genre joke that SF writers get their ideas from a post office box in Schenectady. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/50 "2018-01-14T14:15:42Z")
I’m from Norway. People usually answer “Oooh nice! Oslo?”. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/51 "2018-01-14T14:23:09Z")
When I tell people I’m from Kansas, I usually get some lame Dorothy/Toto/Wizard of Oz comment. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/52 "2018-01-14T19:12:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > At science fiction cons, people laugh when I say I’m from Schenectady. Someone once saw it on my badge and thought I was joking. > > It was because of and old genre joke that SF writers get their ideas from a post office box in Schenectady. Science fiction author Barry B. Longyear even titled a book of short stories “It Came From Schenectady”. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/53 "2018-01-14T20:50:24Z")
I grew up in LA. When I would say I was from LA, people would say “do you know [person-x]”. No, no I don’t. There are 9 million or so people in the area. I do not know your hairstylist’s sister. Now I am living in a part of Oregon that very few people the country have ever heard of, so I use the state capital, which is fairly close. No one really knows where that is either. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/54 "2018-01-14T20:51:41Z")
I automatically know when I say, “Chicago” that the person is a Fox News Trumper if they automatically respond with, “Murder capital of the world!” or other snark. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/55 "2018-01-14T21:02:55Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > I’m from West Virginia. > > Some polite (albeit ignorant) people say, "Oh, I have relatives in Virginia… I would ask if you’ve been to the New River Gorge/Bridge or The Greenbrier. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/56 "2018-01-14T21:20:06Z")
When I say “I’m from Vancouver Island” I almost always hear “Ohh I love Vancouver” or “Ohhh, I’ve been to Vancouver before!”. No, I’m not from Vancouver, I’m from Vancouver Island. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/57 "2018-01-14T22:06:30Z")
I get told about how fortunate I am while simultaneously having the marital status of my parents being questioned. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/58 "2018-01-14T23:38:00Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > It doesn’t matter, they don’t know where Sydney is either. You could say Brisbane is near Christchurch and they’d say “Oh, that’s cool”. Well, it’s near Christchurch via a three-hour flight across the Tasman, but that’s just being pedantic at this point. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/59 "2018-01-15T00:30:49Z")
I was born in Scotland. People usually ask me where, and I tell them a small city near Glasgow. That seems to be all the information required after that. I live in Ottawa now. People nod accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570/60 "2018-01-15T01:02:37Z")
I’d like to know what they say to Jim Humble! 😃 [Jim] Humble is quite literally an evangelist for sodium chlorite, a sacrament in the church he founded to spread his belief that a liquid generated from combining the bleach with water “has proven to restore partial or full health to hundreds of thousands of people” afflicted with everything from cancer to Alzheimer’s. Humble also claims to be a billion-year-old god from the Andromeda Galaxy sent to Earth to save humans. > **[Sale of controversial 'miracle' tonic results in dozens of charges | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/miracle-mms-nowak-health-canada-bleach-1.4481198)** > > A B.C. man and an Alberta woman face dozens of Food and Drug Act charges related to the promotion of a so-called miracle tonic touted as capable of curing everything from AIDS to autism. The charges come after Health Canada spent years trying to... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-tell-people-where-you-are-from-what-do-they-usually-say/806570.md?page=4)