Cultural and Regional Differences About This Page:

[BRWombat]

All this reminds me of when I moved from Texas to Colorado at age 7... my parents had to write a note to our teachers asking for leniency in our spelling tests -- not because we couldn't spell, but because we couldn't understand the teachers' "accents"!

I remember, too, that we called any kind of soft drink, including Coke, a "cold drink." That sounds weird to me now, but when we'd ask for a "cold drink," we meant Coke or 7Up or something like that.

This is true of many states, but when you talk about Texas customs in particular, you have to be careful about assuming too much. The place is just too big, and has all sorts of different cultures within its borders... from rural to urban and everything in between. Texans from one part of the state can get culture shock just by moving somewhere else in Texas!

[Janet 46]

Dave, my Mom says that she goes to River View now, but I didn't know that. The hot dog joint on Route 3? Rutt's Hutt! My parents went there when they were dating and they've been married 52 years.

[TINKN]

Dave talking about gravy (they also add cheese) on fries in Canada reminds me of another thing I have only encountered in Quebec.

Seems that everywhere you go to have breakfast, baked beans are served as a side dish. I had never thought of them as a breakfast dish and still don't eat them for breakfast.

We do serve gravy with our fries, but it usually costs extra.

We are another one of those polite 4 way stop states.

We tend to be pretty laid back too. It's not uncommon to drive at the speed limit. We don't honk our horns unless absolutely necessary. If someone honks their horn 9 times out of ten it's not a VTer (as proved when you look at liscense plates).

Also if you weren't born in Vermont (a native) some people will call you a flatlander. It's not a nice thing.

[Las17]

I just came across this thread. It's fascinating how different we are! Like someone here said though, if it weren't for the differences, we'd be pretty boring!

I'm sure there are many things that we do here in Ga. that would be interesting, but I won't be able to think of all of them.

I love sweet tea(iced that is) so when I go much farther north than Ga. I have to remember that I probably can't get it sweet. They bring me a glass of tea with some sugar packets to sweeten it myself. Yuck! The sugar just sits at the bottom of the glass.

I've always said the word aunt like the insect(ant) but I know many other people who say it like "ont". My mother-in-law is from Maine and she does that. She insisted when the kids were born that they call her daughters "Onty Kim and Onty Michele" That's fine. They just call my sister "Ant Lisa"

I grew up in Ky. where they still have drive-thru liquor stores. The legal drinking age is 21, but my best friend looked older so we'd drive up to the window and let her order for us when we were still under age! Scary(and not something I'm bragging on, believe me!)

The sales tax depends on the county you're shopping in and our police cars have red and blue lights.

As far as the drink name goes- We just ask for whichever brand name we want. If I want a Sprite, I say Sprite, etc. It's funny to live near Atlanta though if you're a Pepsi lover like we are. If we order a Coke and they say, "Is Pepsi okay?", I'm shocked!

I just thought of one more interesting one. My mom still lives in Ky. and she thinks it's funny that garage sales don't get started until about 9a.m. here. She has people showing up to hers by 6:30 in the morning!

I won't keep you all any longer! Great topic!

Laura

[Mel & Richard]

Originally posted by TINKN:
Dave talking about gravy (they also add cheese) on fries in Canada reminds me of another thing I have only encountered in Quebec.

Seems that everywhere you go to have breakfast, baked beans are served as a side dish. I had never thought of them as a breakfast dish and still don't eat them for breakfast.

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">I think they get this from their English roots. Over here a full English breakfast consists of baked beans, eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, hashed browns, and toast. Most of this is cooked on the grill/frying pan.

And coming from Maine I happily ordered my first baked beans in this country at Harry Ramsdens. YUCK!!! I don't know what they do to them here but they are gross.

I miss fluff and marshmallow creme here. Although they will sell you just plain old marshmallows in the candy section of a store. They are about 1/2 the size of a regular US marshmallow and you get them in white and pink (raspberry). You can also get “American Style” mini marshmallows. You can’t believe some of the things dubbed “American Style” here.

The fizzy drinks are soda. I have never found Mountain Dew type products here although friends swear they have them somewhere. Rootbeer is totally out. And lemonade in a restaurant will get you sprite or something like it. Traditional lemonade will get you a yellow slightly tart fizzy drink. [img]graemlins/yuma.gif[/img]

Chips like the kind at Yorkshire County Fish & Chips come standard with vinegar, although they usually ask you.

Sausages over here are gorgeous and bear little resemblance to the kind at home. Although you cannot get Kielbasa.

When you get condiments here at say McDonalds they offer you red or brown sauce, meaning catsup or BBQ. Or normal brown sauce at the Chip shop is a fruity type sauce. I’ve not had this…

This by the way has been one of the most informative threads I’ve read in a while. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Mel

[wheatenwalker]

Here in Western NY, we drink pop, wear sneakers, and flip-flops, eat Fluffernutters. If you want chicken wings, they are, of course, just 'wings', not Buffalo wings or hot wings. We eat beef on weck and because we are so close to Canada, there is often vinegar available for fries.
When it hits 50,people will be out with shorts and short sleeves and driving with the tops down on their cars- this year, though, it may happen if it ever gets to 35!
Sponge candy is something else that I think is regional- and we have Dyngus Day- I have to believe thats regional! This is a great thread!!!!Sheila

[Marv]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by loridalel:
[QB]I want to move to NJ!! I never knew some people couldn't pump their own gas. (I need to get out more [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] .) I pumped gas this morning; it's 12 degrees outside, about -4 with the wind chill!

Loridalel: This has nothing to do with cultural differences, but had to brag a bit. I'm your Minnesota neighbor (we just had -30 wind chill here a few days ago) and I have pumped my own gas, but not much in 15 years. No, I didn't move to NJ, I got married and DH does it for me! I know I'm spoiled. I've only put gas in twice in 15 years and that was only because DH forgot to check the gauge in my car and I was afraid I wouldn't make it home, ha, ha! I don't mow the lawn, shovel, or clean the toilets. My DH may be a Disney poopie head (as I've noted in other posts), but I do have it pretty good!

Oh, my favorite beverage is flavored sparkling water. You don't find it in most restaurants, but can buy it at the grocery store. It's like flavored carbonated water (with no fat, sugar, caffeine, calories, or carbohydrates). When I was visiting my Mom, who lives in a small town, I ran into the gas station - no, not to get gas, but to get some sparkling water. They looked at me like I had two heads, even when I tried to explain what it was. I was also unable to find it in Florida when our town car made the grocery stop. Now I carry it with me when I travel.

[TINKN]

We have vinegar on our fries too. You can tell whether the restaurant is of a higher caliber because they serve malt vinegar verses regular.

The only places I ever see sparkling water here is Walmarts or KMarts or the grocery store. They don't sell it in convenience stores. Might be worth it to check Walmart in FL as I know that there is a Sam's Club brand of it here.

[Marv]

Oh, I just thought of one...I grew up calling the thing you wipe your nose with a "Kleenex". My son came home from first grade calling them tissues. He explained to me that Kleenex was a brand, they should be called tissues. I guess he's right...

[KimandMark]

I can't believe that no one from western NY has mentioned Zweigles White Hots. They're white hot dogs, not red, sometimes called porkers or coney's. The best!!

[ProChristo]

I just stumbled onto this thread and had to jump in.

I grew up in rural Illinois, about 50 miles across the Mississippi from St Louis, where I now live.

We eat supper.

We drink soda. My hubby and I usually call it pop, since he is from PA and my parents grew up in Indiana.

We have drive-up Liqour stores. You can buy any type of Alcohol just about anywhere. I do know a town in Illinois that is totally dry, it is home to a Methodist College- where the band "Jars of Clay" got together. Most other towns you cannot buy any liquor between midnight and noon on Sunday. Apparently God doesn't care what happens after noon. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Growing up, it was not unusual to see two cars side by side in the street with windows rolled down with drivers chatting away, often with other people standing in the street "catching up". This could last for a really long time, and if you got behind them, you either A)backed up and went another way B)waited in your car C)got out and joined them.

A horn honk also meant one of many things, including "You're hot!", "Hello","Nice car", New car?", and "Come over when you're finished at the Wal-Mart". It never meant anything rude till I moved into the city. Now its a different story.

Sales tax in Il and Mo is set by your town. IL does not pay property tax on cars, but MO does. Nothing is exempt from sales tax, but in IL you can finance it when you buy a car. In MO you must pay it up front.

Ketchup is usually served on fries around here, but I prefer Mayo.

St Louis is nutty about: Thin crust pizza with Provel cheese(the velveeta of the Italian community) instead of Mozzerella. Barbeque- especially BBQ pork steaks and Brats, and Frozen Custard stands-The best being Ted Drew's. It is practically mandatory by law that you must go to Ted Drew's after a Cardinal's Game.

We love our sports teams, but are usually pretty civilized about it.

I prefer homade noodles on my mashed potatos (this is unusual in these parts, but my Indiana born Grammy has always done it this way. Once you have my Grammy's noodles, you'll kiss your gravy goodbye!!!)

In the town I grew up in, nobody drives a foreign car. Nobody even sells them. That would be totally un-American and un-Patriotic.

In my hometown Wal-Mart is the best place for happy hour. People go there for entertainment. At least Wal-Mart made it a 24 hr Supercenter. Unfortunately it practically put our other 2 groceries out of business, and our office supply store turned into an antiques shop within 6 months. Sad.

We have funeral homes instead of funeral parlors. Growing up we had one for Catholics and one for Protestants. I thought everyone did it this way.

Pot-lucks are mandatory for making any decision at church.

We don't have blue laws.

My husband has not found wings worth eating around here, therefore when we go to PA to see his folks, we must eat at Quaker Steak and Lube in Cranberry Township at least once. My Sister brought him some Hooter's wings once, which he liked alright, but we will not be dining there due to the environment.

Hope this was interesting!
Amy

[ 01-31-2003, 10:58 AM: Message edited by: Prochristo ]

[simbarel]

Mainah he-yah.

Fluff: yes
Fluffernutter: yes, please
Four way intersections: no difficulties noted
Carbonated beverages: soda
Your dad's sister: [AWNT]
Convenience store alcohol: beer, wine until 1am
Grocery store alcohol: beer, wine, liquor until 1am
Last call: 12:45am
Gasoline: full service stations woefully rare
Seasons: 4
Red Sox fans: many
Yankees haters: equally as many
Wicked: very e.g. "We say 'wicked' a wicked lot here." "This lobstah's wicked decent."

In at least some parts of Quebec, fries are normally served with a side of "sauce" (brown gravy). Not only are they the best fries around (fried twice, the way they're supposed to be), but the sauce is tasty, too.

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">This is called Poutine and is to blame for the extra 20lbs I came home with when I studied in Quebec City for a semester. It also comes with little bits of Petit Gaspesien cheese, and is to *die* for.

On a recent trip down South my boyfriend (a former Vermonter) busted a gut when the cashier offered a "sack" for his grocery items. Here, we call them "bags."

[ 02-06-2003, 07:19 PM: Message edited by: simbarel ]