Are Northern Girls Really Different from Southern Girls?

[5Slays]

I honestly find it dishonest to look at someone, smile sweetly and then say “Why, bless your heart”

How fake! I would rather someone just tell me off

You say bless your heart after you have told them off. That way they don't feel so bad about it!

For instance..."You have one black shoe on and one blue shoe on, bless your heart."

 

[stashbin]

I think there is a definite difference between southern girls and northern girls. My first cousin was born in Alabama, raised in Alabama, then moved up North after college and has lived in DC for 20 years. When she comes home to visit, her attitude is sometimes quite nasty. It is almost like she looks at us as if we are ignorant. Now mind you that I have the same amount of college degrees that she has, but she still looks down her nose at me. Her accent is completely gone and she sometimes makes fun of us as if she never lived here. Very frustrating.
My DMIL is Puerto Rican and was raised in New York. Talk about pushy. She is a great MIL but she can be loud, rude, and pushy. Not saying that all folks from up north are that way.....

 

[chrisw127]

I find that Southerners have a strong regional identity that tends to make non-Southerners feel like outsiders and unwelcome.

I think that is very true. You don't find the same regional identity elsewhere. But I also think it's changing. More and more people are moving to the south from other parts of the country. There are enough Californians here, for example, that it artificially drove up house prices for a while because people would come here, see a 4000 square foot house for $600,000 and not even think twice they were so happy to find something they could afford, whereas people who'd been here for a while or were born here thought it was crazy.

 

[TwinsinCA]

Here's another thing: The cold. My husband grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI which is just ridiculously cold and after 20 years living in the south, even he thinks 50 degrees is COLD! I'm still shocked by the time my SIL tried to arrange a family vacation in Lake Tahoe one year. In the winter!!!! Can you imagine?

Yes. They have great skiing in Tahoe!

 

[Rora]

Being from the South, I have to say there is a big difference between Northern and Southern girls. I agree with what all the other replies have said. I think it just boils down to tradition of your region and your upbringing.

I'll admit it-- I'm one of those sugar-y sweet Southern gals who will say hello or smile at you even if I'm just passing you at the grocery store!

 

[c4a]

My family from Michigan thinks that we are "hillbillies" since we live in Missouri.

Now we might be rednecks....but HILLBILLIES?

When I go back East, I get called a "redneck hilljack".
Redneck is good.

 

[hentob]

Um, could this be in any way related to religion, perhaps? That's the elephant in the room in this conversation. People in the South (and especially in the Carolinas, I've found) tend to wear their religion on their sleeves, while your average Yankee most emphathetically does not.

One thing I noticed during our tour of the Piedmont Region was the lack of Catholic Churches, and more so, not one synagogue. It went Baptist Church, Methodist, Baptist, Baptist, and Presbyterian and then started off again with a row of Baptist Churches

As we were driving, I said to the realtor “So, you have a lot of Jewish people here, huh?” She didn’t get my joke, but it didn’t stop me from laughing

I am a Methodist, but I am jealous of our Catholic people that are relocating. Now they have a reason not to go to Mass

 

[Master Mason]

My Oldest went to West Virginia out of HS, he only lasted a semester, he said it was like living in a different world to h im.

 

[ead79]

I have lived in the South my entire life, and both of the colleges I went to were Southern schools. That being said, I live in a large suburb of Atlanta, so many of the stereotypical things associated with being Southern aren't found as much here as they would be in smaller towns.

In the Atlanta metro area, you will not find the "slower pace of life" at all. You'll find the typical rat race with horrible commutes found in other large cities. Many, if not most of the people I encounter aren't from the South originally. While people use Southern expressions (i.e. the word y'all, the phrase "bless her heart," etc.), you typically don't here strong Southern accents. People in this area certainly do not drive slowly, LOL!

Those of us in the area that are natives of the South do have certain things we do. Etiquette is emphasized in our upbringing a great deal--as a previous poster mentioned, promptly sending in your RSVP and sending a thank you note is very important. Monogramming things is very popular. Typically it's considered a plus to be a good hostess and invite friends to your home. We value doing things the traditional way and prize things like cherished family traditions.

All that being said, I don't remember choosing my friends in college based on where they were from. While I do politely smile (a small smile) at strangers if we make eye contact, I don't typically strike up conversations with strangers or be overly friendly. I'm thinking that sort of thing might be more common in smaller areas.

 

[JoBird]

Charleston SC girl--- left when I was twenty something with my Dh to move to Rochester NY. Huge culture shock for me. Huge.

While we were there, (three years) the only meaningful conversation I had with anyone ever was on 9/11. I was SHOCKED when I went to the grocery store that day- it was like someone had taken the South and planted them right there amongst me. People were friendly and talking- unlike the day before.
On 9/12, it all went back to the no eye contact, head down, don't speak to anyone sameness that was there before. It was truly strange, the difference the event caused.

That said- I see a lot of differences- we've lived in Pittsburgh, Rochester and in Arkansas- there are differences in people for sure.

My girlfriend from Buffalo told me that what she found confusing with Southerners was when you meet someone from Down South, they say "Hey, how are you, so nice to meet you, what church do you go to dear??"
And she just really had a hard time once when I called her daughter "A mess". She got a really weird look on her face and I immediatley recognized that she didn't understand that I was being sweet-- saying her daughter was too cute- being a sassafrass --- definitely NOT a bad thing.

Oh and the other big thing I've noticed--- dressing babies!!!!!!
Babies should have on smocked clothing- and if the baby is a girl, the bow in her hair should be at least twice the size of her precious head.



Jo

 

[madge]

Wait a sekun, yew got sum drool on yer chin thar. Lemme wipe it off wif my flardy tahl.

LOLOL!!

I totally agree.

You can also get away with saying ANYTHING about ANYONE if you just add 'bless his/her/their/it's heart'.

this always cracks me up, but it's so true ..

 

[BillSears]

Of course there is a difference.

Well east coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when Im down there

 

[Enchanted_Mama]

yes, I think so. I grew up in the NE and attended freshman year of college in KY. I had a *very* hard time connecting with the girls I met there. In fact, my only three friends were from the NE! I transferred to a school in NY after freshman year and felt much more 'comfortable' there.

 

[stashbin]

Now see, that doesn't sound like the south I am from. I am used to everybody talking to everybody. I guess because I live in the south in a little "big" town, I look at every opportunity to meet people a good thing.

 

[c4a]

yes, I think so. I grew up in the NE and attended freshman year of college in KY. I had a *very* hard time connecting with the girls I met there. In fact, my only three friends were from the NE! I transferred to a school in NY after freshman year and felt much more 'comfortable' there.

Well, this Kentucky girl would like to give you a hug and apologise that we weren't to your liking. If I had met you then, I would have smiled, looked you in the eye, & given you a friendly nod.

And just like the whole South-different areas bring different things. Lexington (UK) is more "Old South"...very traditional, very laid back. Louisville (UL)is more "Northern" feeling...probably because it is a Big City. Murray State & WKU are more small town, everybody knows everybodies business feeling. I do apologise if we offended ya' though.

 

[kellyg403]

I agree with all the posts...I am a Southern girl, and I just kinda feel like there are differences. Like another said, manners and etiquette are so important. My mom has a fit every time one of the boys comes in her door with their hat on. I do wave to all my neighbors when I am walking or a car passes on the street. Just something we always do.

My ex's family is from Philly, I didn't think we were too different other than the accent! While, they have a large family they don't seem to be as close. Heck, I know members of my family that are three times removed and still consider them family. They didn't even really know first cousins. I thought that very odd.

Anyway OP, I am sorry she wants to change from ECU...Gooo Pirates! I hope that her next school experience is much better!


Kelly

 

[sandy6879]

First, I'll agree with the poster who said that things are done faster in the north overall. I speak to people from around the country and I'll get comments on how fast I talk from those who live down south. I also get EXTREMELY frustrated by how slow things can go in some areas of the country.

I think you're going to see extreme differences when in areas that aren't big cities. There are regional differences. I don't necessarily think people up north are rude, but we do tend to be a bit more guarded than in other areas.

I'm born and raised in CT but I've been traveling for years so I can see the differences. That said, we'd love to move and are slightly concerned about the differences we'll encounter when we do.

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

Oh and the other big thing I've noticed--- dressing babies!!!!!!
Babies should have on smocked clothing- and if the baby is a girl, the bow in her hair should be at least twice the size of her precious head.



Jo

HAHA! SO true!

 

[brockash]

One of my nieces started college at East Carolina University in the fall. She loved the campus, the classes, etc. In the beginning she was homesick but seems to have gotten over that part....perhaps. That said, she has reapplied to a university that she was initially accepted to here in the north east. Her excuse, Southern girls are different from northern girls. She has made some friends there. Some girls go home for the weekend, etc but her complaint is, even the girls she is friends with are "different". She hasn't really been out of New England, except for short vacations. I don't think she is particularly shy. One of her best friends from high school is attending the university that she wants to transfer to but she says "this isn't the reason" she wants to go. IMO, it is hard to believe that there are regional differences so big that they can't be transcended by being friendly. Any thoughts? If you are from the south, are northerners that different and visa versa?

I lived half of my childhood in PA and the other half in CO, and never really noticed a difference in ppl. (at least not too much.) My DH is in the Army and right after we got married we had to move to AL. -I will say that yes to me there was a definate difference. To me it's the mindset... I feel like all the ppl. I met down there had a totally different mindset then from where I'm from. They were friendly, but yes it was very different.

 

[brockash]

If there is a party, there WILL be punch! If it's a wedding there WILL be a groom's cake (which they don't do up north and my DH's family found totally baffling).

Out of curiosity what is a "grooms cake?" Is it just like another wedding cake that the groom picks out