Differences between North and South

psychobilly cadillac wrote:

Also:

I've noted that population density has little to do with the soda v. pop thing.

I lived in southwest Missouri, which is WAY more populated than central MO and they called it pop with a twang that sounded like a Dwight Yoakum song, and in central/northern MO, they call it soda. These areas are much more rural.

St. Louis: soda

KC: either/or.

Both have the same latitude, roughly.

Mississippi: pop

Texas: soda or pop

Minnesota: Coke or soda

Sorry, I don't mean to argue about something as stupid as pop vs. soda vs. coke, but people in Minnesota do NOT call it coke or soda. It's pop. I've lived here (MN) all of my life (22 years) and everywhere I go, which is a LOT of places in Minnesota, it's pop. It's pop in Minneapolis, Duluth, International Falls, Marshall, Roseau, Thief River Falls, Brainerd, and Rochester. There are very very few people here who call it otherwise.

If you are truly from MA, then carbonated beverages are referred to as "tonic," a word that is rapidly going out of style. We could devote an entirely different thread to what the regional names are for milk, ice cream, and syrup mixed in a blender.

The person who cited NJ as a reason for NYC being filled with jerks . . . . I've heard that one before too and there is some truth (certainly related to traffic). Just remember its North Jersey, not the Philadelphia-based South Jersey folks.

I've lived everywhere and everywhere I go people are basically the same.

Why is it that in Massachusetts the bathroom light switches are outside the door to the bathroom? Everywhere else the on/off switch is inside the bathroom.

Is it mandated by a state building code? Why does Massachusetts go to such great lengths to protect it's citizens from the obvious?

When I moved from DC(even though DC is technically below the Mason/Dixon line, it seems to me to be a northern city) to NC I was shocked at the manners that the college students exhibited, i.e., opening the door for me, using ma'ams, sirs, thank yous consistently. This may be because I'm in a rural area, but I think it's a generality of the south. Let me tell you, good manners go a long way, folks. Is it shocking that once you get to know a southerner that they're just as jaded and/or suspicious and/or mean as a northerner? What a shock, it's called being human. At least the shallow attempt at being kind to each other is being made. Northerners would rather use active aggression, rather than passive aggression, to weed through the sea of humanity to find compatible friends. I enjoy the veil of kindness with a northerner's sense of caution and suspicion. Maybe the longer I live here, the more that suspicion of others will soften.

Golden Hen wrote:

I travel often and it stikes me as odd that while in Massachusetts if you make eye contact with a stranger it is regarded as being rude. Yet, in Louisiana if you don't make eye contact and offer a greeting then locals consider that to be impolite.

Why do Northerners deny your humanity while Southerners embrace it?

Making eye contact is a two way street. Are each of the two people considering the other one rude when they both looked at each other? I am not following the logic here.

I am originally from VT and I have spent a lot of time in five New England states, NY, PA, NJ, MD, DC, VA, NC, TN, and SC. The only time northern people were rude to me was if they were in an automobile. If they were not in a vehicle, they have never bothered me when I was running, walking, shopping, eating, etc. Most of them didn't open the door for me or call me sir, but that is not being rude.

Many more southerners have opened doors for me and called me sir. While they are usually more polite, I don't think they are any nicer than northern people. I do believe that southern people are more likely to give people they just met a chance, whereas northerners are more likely to be cold in the beginning, but once they get to know someone a little, they become friendly.

axd wrote:

I've lived everywhere and everywhere I go people are basically the same.

I was going to post the same thing. I'm originally from Maryland, but have lived in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Mississippi. I've also traveled the country pretty extensively. People are the same all over, albeit much more religious in the South.

Mrs. Masterbooner: Maybe the longer I live here, the more that suspicion of others will soften.

My suspicion has melted the longer I lived in NYC. The directness gives me more trust that people's words and actions tend toward more genuine, less scripted. And most who live here for a while seem to feel that while kindness is not universal in this town, it's at least fairly widespread; and when offered it's no "shallow attempt".

But to each her own. I can understand that both the politeness and the scripted predictability of the politeness are comforting.

Awesome Southerner wrote:

My problem comes when someone takes it upon themselves to move to either region with an attitude that their views are the superior ones, and that it is their job to change all those around them.

No doubt this is aggravating. However, be aware that this is a good synopsis of what has happened on a national scale since the rise of social conservatism in the Republican party: an export--and legal codification--of bible-belt culture to the rest of the nation, much of which views this trend as an abrogation of the individual liberties upon which our nation is founded. As a Republican, I also view it as a dilution of traditional conservatism, by which I mean hard-headed fiscal policy, foreign policy realism, and social moderation--all of which have taken a back seat to non-issues like gay marriage.

Also, the generalizations here are appalling. I've got friends from Alabama, Tennessee, and NC who are great, genuine people. I've got friends from NYC who are laid back and friendly. The nicest people I know, collectively that is, are from central Pennsylvania. As others have said, by and large people are the same everywhere.

BillCarr wrote:

The person who cited NJ as a reason for NYC being filled with jerks . . . . I've heard that one before too and there is some truth (certainly related to traffic). Just remember its North Jersey, not the Philadelphia-based South Jersey folks.

Beat me to the punch. Grew up in a Philly-SJ suburb, lived a few years up in North Jersey. Pretentious, spoiled pricks and loads of Guidos. It was hell.

Terrible Education.... and Poverty... Is a black thing not a southern thing!

Cant say that! wrote:

Terrible Education.... and Poverty... Is a black thing not a southern thing!

Are you saying there are no poorly educated, financially disadvantaged white people in the south? Seems a bit of a stretch. Actually, make that a long stretch.

Really? You're not aware of whites in places like Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina with those problems?

Transplanted New Yorker here, living past 6 years in Oxford, Mississippi.

I hate to point this out, but except for the bug-comment (and they're much worse in Minnesota during the summer than they are down here), pretty much everything you say is true for great swaths of the white working-class Northeast and Midwest. Liberal as Massachusetts is, it's worth remembering those school busing riots in Boston in the mid-70s. Martin Luther King was shocked when he confronted the racism of suburban Chicago whites.

There's nothing particularly fake about the endemic friendliness down here. By the same token, I knew a lot of friendly people back in New York--city and suburbs. It's also true that the friendliness up there sometimes had an edge, like family members who rag on you a little as a way of being affectionate.

"Cant say that!" has clearly never seen the undeveloped heart of Appalachia. But s/he's apparently also never seen the apostrophe key either.

You are definitely right on the spread of social conservatism. Much of the hate for both liberals and conservatives stems from people shoving ideas down your throat and condemning you if you do not subscribe to their views. I think we could profit on this though, by having boxing matches between street preachers and PETA members.

As a Southerner, I can tell you that I do not like most people I encounter on a daily basis. But, in the South, it is not acceptable to go around like Phinneus Gage yelling at people for social wrongs, whereas this is more acceptable in a place like New York. People everywhere feel the same dislike for others; the question is whether you decide to turn the other cheek or say something. To me, when you are rude towards another instead of turning the other cheek, that is the same as shoving your own personal views down that persons throat regarding behavior and such. Hence, the point above.

Blowing Rock Master wrote:

stuck in the south wrote:

the problem with the south is it's a bunch of pu$$ies that want to pretend to be nice, but all they do is talk crap if you don't fake your politeness.

Well bless your heart, you douchebag.

i have heard the same exact sentiments from good southern friends about their culture.

rustyrockets wrote:

uncola was my idea wrote:

because Dixie calls it pop instead of soda like a normal person

My grandpa who lives in ohio(North) calls it pop. I live in florida(south) and call it soda. Does that prove you are an idiot?

ohio is not the north. the north starts at the mason dixon with most parts of pennsylvania left out. pa, de, nj, ny, conn, ri, ma, vt, nh, me.

Cleveland is certainly the north...Cincy is not