Is Missouri part of "The South"?

[Aristocath]

I don't consider Missouri to be the South but then again, I don't consider Texas to be the South either. There are parts of East Texas that are like the South. But the rest of the state is nothing like that.

This summer we went on a massive road trip. We drove up to St. Louis, on to Niagara Falls (Canada), across to Boston, down through Plymouth, Hershey, Gettysburg, Manassas, and Williamsburg. We made a lot of stops along the way and came home through North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Let me just say Missouri was nothing like South Carolina. We stopped at all the state's visitors centers and I could not understand the nice lady from South Carolina because her accent was so thick.

Going through so many states in a relatively short span of time really makes you notice differences between states and regions. For example, driving through Illinois, Indiana and Ohio there are Cracker Barrels galore off the interstate, very easy to get to. But there wasn't a single easy to get to Starbucks along the interstate that entire time!

 

[KristaTX]

I've yet to discover where that us. Probably not far from Raw-lee, as my mom likes to call it.

That's not how you're supposed to pronounce Raleigh? I never knew that. I say Raw-lee, too. How is it actually pronounced?

 

[LuLuO]

That's not how you're supposed to pronounce Raleigh? I never knew that. I say Raw-lee, too. How is it actually pronounced?

Yep. Raw-lee it is.

 

[Imzadi]

Missouri is in the MidWest. All the weather people motion to it as part of the MidWest.

Florida is definitely "south" until you get to about West Palm Beach (on the Atlantic side). From there on south, it is definitely the sixth borough of NYC and therefore North. Gulf Coast and Central Florida is pretty much "south."

That is such an inaccuracy. Florida is where NYC has their winter vacation homes. Or where our elderly retire. But, it is not a 6th borough.

Actually Florida is just the Southeastern U.S. or part of the east coast.

This thread reminded me of something I saw recently that made me laugh:

Is there something wrong with that map?

I don't consider Missouri to be the South but then again, I don't consider Texas to be the South either. There are parts of East Texas that are like the South. But the rest of the state is nothing like that.

Texas is south, but I don't consider it or Florida part of the "Deep South." I think of plantation homes states as The South. I don't think either state had plantations.

 

[Pakey]

I lived in the deep south. I also lived in southern Missouri. I would not consider Missouri a southern state.

 

[Planogirl]

Missouri is in the MidWest. All the weather people motion to it as part of the MidWest.



That is such an inaccuracy. Florida is where NYC has their winter vacation homes. Or where our elderly retire. But, it is not a 6th borough.

Actually Florida is just the Southeastern U.S. or part of the east coast.



Is there something wrong with that map?








Texas is south, but I don't consider it or Florida part of the "Deep South." I think of plantation homes states as The South. I don't think either state had plantations.

Texas did have some plantations but not a lot compared to some of the other southern states. There were some in east Texas and even a few in the middle part of the state towards Houston and south of Houston.

Texas is a hard call. It has a bit of influence from a lot of areas.

 

[Golf4food]

Texas is south, but I don't consider it or Florida part of the "Deep South." I think of plantation homes states as The South. I don't think either state had plantations.

East Texas and North Florida certainly did have plantations and were part of the "deep South" back during the War of Northern Aggression.

Back during said War Missouri was a border state and fought for both sides and each side would claim it as their own.

Now days? I consider Missouri part of the midwest, though parts of it certainly have more in common with "the South" than with, say, Chicago.


Maybe we should just create a new area of the country and break part of the "midwest" away and create the "Bar-b-que Belt". It would encompass Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas.

 

[Planogirl]

Maybe we should just create a new area of the country and break part of the "midwest" away and create the "Bar-b-que Belt". It would encompass Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas.

Um, Texas has some mighty fine bbq too.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

Texas is south, but I don't consider it or Florida part of the "Deep South." I think of plantation homes states as The South. I don't think either state had plantations.

Florida had plantations - cotton, sugar, corn, rice - around the areas that are now Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and more. Just google "plantations in Florida" (but don't confuse it with Plantation, FL!).

 

[ZellyB]

I've lived in Missouri my entire life and have always considered myself a Miswesterner. I live in the southern portion of the state, and while you may begin to hear drawls down here, the Midwest twang is still far more prevalent. People in this part of the state absolutely do not consider themselves to be part of the South.

 

[Jennasis]

That's not how you're supposed to pronounce Raleigh? I never knew that. I say Raw-lee, too. How is it actually pronounced?

Yep. Raw-lee it is.

It's Rah-Lee. (From a girl born and bred on Long Island, NY for 26 years and now living in lovely NC).

 

[My2Cinderellas]

St Louis and Kansas City are definately NOT southern but the half of the state below I-70 is,

that's how I see it too. While the state is considered part of the Midwest, southern Missouri has a whole lot more in common with Arkansas than Iowa. The geography changes, the accent changes, and more. My parents retired to central Arkansas and I drive thru there a few times a year. KC is the line
Of demarcation for me.

 

[Toystoryfan32]

I have lived here all my life and I have never heard anyone refer to it as the south. We are from the MidWest. I am originally from Kansas City and now live in the southern part of the state. The phrases people use in this part of the state crack me up. Until I moved to this area I had never heard "youins" instead of "you all" and "of a morning" instead of "in the morning". lol I love it here though!

 

[NotUrsula]

Most Missourians consider the Bootheel region to be somewhat culturally Southern, mostly in terms of the food and the accent, which is definitely less flat than you would find in the STL area.

Historically the "South" designation comes from the Civil War, when the state government of Missouri was largely on the side of the Confederacy.

 

[wvjules]

Something else related that drives me insane is when people say "the Carolinas". What is that, some new state as yet to be invented? I bet that anyone that is actually from NC or SC NEVER says this I know I don't. The two states are very different and actually have little in common.

I don't understand East Carolina University either. lol

To me the South is VA, GA, NC, SC, AL, MS, TN and maybe LA.

 

[MNFootballMommy]

Born and raised in Missouri, lived a few years in the Deep South and now transplanted in Minnesota for 12+ years...Missouri is NOT "The South" and does not have southern accents UNLESS you are from Southern Missouri...then all bets are off. Even then, the accents are nothing like the Deep South. Minnesota accents are...unique, as are some of their words and phrases for other things. (i.e., hot dish = casserole )

 

[Minnesota!]

I consider it the midwest...but my grandma in law (from Kansas City) would say south. She had a drawl, they have amazing "southern food" (BBQ, greens, cornbread, etc). It seems different there than here (whereas WI, IA, MN, NE, IL, OH, IN., all feel very similar to MN)....but I still consider it Midwest.

 

[Minnesota!]

I don't know who you talk to in Missouri that has a "Southern Drawl" but I grew up in Kansas City and the only "accent" you'd hear is Midwestern twang. St. Louis folks seem to have it a little more. Sort of "Chicago Light" in the accent. All definitely Midwestern. (Think "WARSH" for "wash".)

We had a kid in my elementary school from Minnesota. HIS was the strangest accent we ever heard. I actually really liked it and still love a Minnesota accent...I can imitate it well and think it's open and homey.

Seriously, though, you need a geography lesson if you're lumping any Midwestern state in with the "true" South.

DH's grandma (and all her family) who were born and raised in Lee's Summit, Independence, and Raytown...all had southern accents. They drawled. And they admitted it.

Something else related that drives me insane is when people say "the Carolinas". What is that, some new state as yet to be invented? I bet that anyone that is actually from NC or SC NEVER says this I know I don't. The two states are very different and actually have little in common.

They say the same about "the Dakotas", too.

That's not how you're supposed to pronounce Raleigh? I never knew that. I say Raw-lee, too. How is it actually pronounced?

It's Rah-Lee. (From a girl born and bred on Long Island, NY for 26 years and now living in lovely NC).

Rah-lee and Raw-lee are pronounced the same to me....????

 

[Imzadi]

Rah-lee and Raw-lee are pronounced the same to me....????

It's the Lawnguyland accent.

It's the difference between AH (which is what the Dr. makes you say when you stick out your tongue) and AW (when you see something really cute.)

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

Heck, I grew up in Alabama. We considered anything north of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to be Yankee territory!