Regional Differences

[cornflake]

I learned that some people call any soda a Coke.. so they order a Coke and then the waiter says what kind and then they say Sprite or whatever.
I don't get why they say Coke when it juts leads to another question. Why not say Sprite to begin with?
Like I don't order "soda". I order what i want, specifically.

Also,I'm pretty sure this is not regional, but I was shocked to learn that people dish up food for dinner from pots onto the plates.
I had no idea that everyone didn't put the meat, veg, potatoes, whatever, into serving bowls and put them on the table.

I've always wondered the same thing about the 'coke' for soda thing. I've never actually heard anyone do it, but I don't live in the south, but I've heard about it and... why go through the rigamarole?

As for the dishing from pots on the stove, that is just.... tacky? I dunno, that's weird. What do people line up like the stove is a buffet? I can see it in the 'I left the stew warming on the stove til you got home' scenario but in a 'dinner time' for everyone scenario?

 

[design_mom]

As for the dishing from pots on the stove, that is just.... tacky? I dunno, that's weird. What do people line up like the stove is a buffet? I can see it in the 'I left the stew warming on the stove til you got home' scenario but in a 'dinner time' for everyone scenario?

Tacky? I'm not sure I'd go *that* far.

For a formal dinner party, I would probably put everything in serving bowls. But for every night dinner, I serve from pots to plates. (Our kitchen table is small and it means fewer dishes for me.)

Everybody doesn't line up with their plates at the stove, though. I assemble plates for everyone on the counter, then carry the plates to the table. (Think "restaurant" not "cafeteria line.")

 

[njmom47]

Oh yes, that "Jersey Girls Don't Pump Gas"...I had to learn driving to MB and driving home from FL and when we went to Cooperstown.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Jack & Jill parties, for one.

Other wedding differences I can't remember specifics about.

The whole soda/pop/coke business, which I knew about before DISBoards.

I'm sure there are others I can't think of.

 

[clarabelle]

Tacky? I'm not sure I'd go *that* far.

For a formal dinner party, I would probably put everything in serving bowls. But for every night dinner, I serve from pots to plates. (Our kitchen table is small and it means fewer dishes for me.)

Everybody doesn't line up with their plates at the stove, though. I assemble plates for everyone on the counter, then carry the plates to the table. (Think "restaurant" not "cafeteria line.")

Ditto -I dish it up and then put the plates on the table

Less dishes (don't have to wash serving bowls) and more importantly for us
Smaller portions
We don't need seconds!

If I have company I usually do serving bowls -either set out on a buffet or on the table

 

[cornflake]

Tacky? I'm not sure I'd go *that* far.

For a formal dinner party, I would probably put everything in serving bowls. But for every night dinner, I serve from pots to plates. (Our kitchen table is small and it means fewer dishes for me.)

Everybody doesn't line up with their plates at the stove, though. I assemble plates for everyone on the counter, then carry the plates to the table. (Think "restaurant" not "cafeteria line.")

No, no, sorry I didn't mean like that - then you're serving full plates as opposed to people helping themselves, that I don't find tacky or weird, that's normal.

What I thought the poster who first mentioned it meant was in a situation where you'd normally put things out for people to serve themselves, family style, it was all just left in the pots on the stove, as if they were serving dishes on a table, except pots on a stove. That's what seems... tacky to me.

 

[undertheradar]

I'm a native Floridian and I've never heard soda called "pop" here. I was under the impression that was more of a midwestern thing.

ETA: Yep, here's a map. No "pop" down here. http://popvssoda.com:2998/

That was what the kids from FL called it when we were in college in the early 80s. Looked at the map, there was green in FL.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As for the dishing from pots on the stove, that is just.... tacky? I dunno, that's weird.

Mostly we dish from the pot/baking dish/whatever in the kitchen and bring out the plates to the dining room table. Chili we put the pot out on the table. Why dirty another plate? It's just the 4 of us. No need to put on a show.

If we have people over, we usually put things on serving plaates, though.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

What I thought the poster who first mentioned it meant was in a situation where you'd normally put things out for people to serve themselves, family style, it was all just left in the pots on the stove, as if they were serving dishes on a table, except pots on a stove. That's what seems... tacky to me.

Ah. Never mind.

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

That was what the kids from FL called it when we were in college in the early 80s. Looked at the map, there was green in FL.

But as you can see, the majority is red and blue. Midwestern states are completely green. Pop is definitely not as common here.

 

[RadioNate]

I learned that some people call any soda a Coke.. so they order a Coke and then the waiter says what kind and then they say Sprite or whatever.
I don't get why they say Coke when it juts leads to another question. Why not say Sprite to begin with?
Like I don't order "soda". I order what i want, specifically.

I once had a drink thrown at me while working at a counter service restaurant at WDW over this very issue. The guy ordered a "coke," so I rang up a Coke and when the person handed him the drink he was LIVID. She was from AZ and I'm from Chicago, we were dumbfounded. I apologized, stating that I thought he had ordered a Coke. He replied that he did. So I asked what the problem was? That is when he launched the drink at me, just threw it right at me. He was ranting how I was so rude not to ask what kind of coke he wanted. I just stood there shell shocked because I did not get it at all. Other CMs had got a manager and they dealt with it. The other girl and I kept asking him to just tell us what drink he wanted and we'd get it, no problem, but he was so unbelievably angry.

Another guest, who witnessed it, was from Tennessee and explained what happened.

 

[clarabelle]

I've always wondered the same thing about the 'coke' for soda thing. I've never actually heard anyone do it, but I don't live in the south, but I've heard about it and... why go through the rigamarole?

As for the dishing from pots on the stove, that is just.... tacky? I dunno, that's weird. What do people line up like the stove is a buffet? I can see it in the 'I left the stew warming on the stove til you got home' scenario but in a 'dinner time' for everyone scenario?

I am in the South -and if we are discussing soda in general we often use the word "coke" as a generic term (we are loyal coke people here)
But if we are in a restaurant -most people I know say what they mean
"sprite" "diet coke"

 

[tlbwriter]

The odd one to me since I've moved here is that Florida is not considered part of "the South". Honestly-how much further south can you get?

But "the South" isn't only geographical, it's also cultural. And I think to a lot of people, Florida has a different culture from the rest of the south.

To me, the most amazing regional difference isn't something I first learned on the Dis, but it's certainly discussed in depth here - the amount of money that's spent on weddings in some areas, and (consequently?) the amount of money guests are expected to give as a gift. I've had years where I'll go to 4 or 5 weddings in one summer, and I don't know what I'd do if I were expected to shell out $2K for wedding gifts! But, I guess getting such large cash gifts does make it possible to throw that huge expensive wedding.

 

[momto2girls]

The thread is about regional differences. I've only lived in urban areas and I've never know a SOUL who owned a horse.

I've read several threads of people who own horse here on the DIS. I LOOOVE them and it just blows my mind to actually have one as a pet.

Ahh, that makes sense. If you've only lived in urban areas, you probably haven't met any horse owners. For the record, it is cool to have one as a pet. Although, for the record, I don't live on a farm/ranch. I live in a neighborhood and the horse is boarded at a stable a few miles away.

 

[Mkrop]

We have a similar issue in Jersey. You go "Down the Shore" not "To the Shore".

 

[emma'smom]

I took a present to my first NYC wedding....it was a big Tiffany box...and people looked at me like I was nuts. I'm from Ohio and nobody clued me in. The bride was very gracious though...

Weddings where people bring actual presents for the bride and groom and where the reception consists of cake and punch.

 

[undertheradar]

But as you can see, the majority is red and blue. Midwestern states are completely green. Pop is definitely not as common here.

Funny, we lived in SW Ohio for 13 years and never once heard soda called pop!

 

[Katieinwonderland]

The big thing for me is weddings. The food, the open bar, the gifts etc - it's all so complicated! DH has college friends who live all over the country now, and we have three weddings to go to before Christmas - one in CT, one in MD and one in TN. I have no idea what to give! Do we give different amounts because they all live in different places? Or do we give the same in case they take notes? Do we take gifts to the weddings? Or do we get a gift from the registry AND give money? I can see myself going broke over trying to give the right amount to these people and worrying so much I go totally overboard!

 

[Plannin'Shannon]

Funny, we lived in SW Ohio for 13 years and never once heard soda called pop!

I know what you mean, my father was born and raised in Indiana and he never called it pop either. I did hear it all over Michigan though!

 

[KrysiaG]

Weddings where people bring actual presents for the bride and groom and where the reception consists of cake and punch.

This thought totally blows me away.

Do people not register for wedding gifts in NJ?

Here, everyone registers for gifts at a multitude of stores and receives a ton of gifts off the registry.