Regional Differences

[NotUrsula]

Re: "pocketbook" ... in some places you will find that men carry them, too, because in some places a pocketbook is a wallet, not a handbag. (If you think about it, this makes sense: a wallet is shaped rather like a book and a man keeps it in his pocket.)

IME, "pocketbook" is usually a class thing. I've never heard an upper-middle-class person use the term, even in places where it is common. IME it is strictly a working-class term. The three people I know who still regularly use that term are my 81-yo St. Louisan MIL, my 81 yo BIL who is from rural Louisiana, and a former colleague who is 43 years old; he grew up working-class in rural Alabama.

"Dinner" = lunch is also a working-class thing, IME. Working-class folks are more likely to call the noon meal "dinner", while midde-class folks are more likely to call it lunch.

One of my favorite "class difference" examples is the way two couples will seat themselves riding in a car. Observational studies have been done of this, and it consistently sorts out the same way most of the time. Working class couples will have both men sit in the front and both women in the back seat, middle-class couples will sit with one couple in the front seat and one couple in the back, and upper-middle class and old money couples will sit with the couples split, so that Husband A and wife B are in the front seat and husband B and wife A are in the back seat, etc.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

This one might have already been mentioned... I came in way late on this thread. I am used to pushing a shopping cart up and down the aisles at Walmart...but there was this one girl (I am thinking she was from FL) kept calling it a buggy. I have also heard a lot of people in KY calling that a buggy too.

I still cal, it a buggy. That is definitely a southern thing. And a baby carriage is a buggy too.

 

[kbeverina]

In Michigan a tobbogan is a sled. Here in Kentucky, it is a winter hat (knit cap).

I had a roommate in college from southwestern VA and she always referred to a winter cap as a tobbogan. It took me and my other roommate from NY forever to figure out what the heck she was talking about--why would someone be wearing a sled on their head?

golfgal--I'm confused about the commuting thing--you said in another thread that, per capita, the twin cities have more commuters than DC. Wouldn't that mean you have a lot of commuter traffic there?

 

[U2_rocks!]

We have many cultural differences here in Barbados. We are a strange blend of British (from our past colonization and current Commonwealth status), African, Canadian (shared Commonwealth status and long-standing ties) and American (from pop culture). We also have uniquely Caribbean attitudes. But, even within this tiny island that is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, you will find many sub-cultural differences. People joke about needing passports to go and visit our northern parish, St. Lucy, and there is a definite "St. Philip" (a south-east parish)accent that I find hard to understand at times.

The average man on the street here would be shocked at many things on the DIS boards. Although I have encountered some things here that are strange to me, for the most part the influences we get from the U.K., Canada and the U.S. taught me many things before I ever joined the DIS. My university experience in Canada did also. Now I work with clients and service providers (banks, actuaries etc.) in the U.S. and Canada and can fit right in with anyone really. At home I can be quite Bajan (Barbadian), but I can also adapt to suit most situations. Most of you would probably not be able to tell from my writing that I am Bajan, except in some threads where I'm clearly in the minority over some issue or the other because of cultural differences. I will usually spell things the British way because that's what our school system is patterned on, but I have learned the American spellings as well and I may slip into those just to fit in, especially if I don't feel like dealing with the spelling police.

One example of our strange blend: when describing parts of a car, we will use the English "bonnet" (the front, where most engines are located) but then turn around and say "trunk" for the back (where the English would have said "boot")!

I carry a handbag - my purse is just for the money.

Something in a round bun is called a "cutter" - something in a long bun is a submarine (or sub).

Carbonated drinks are "soft drinks".

Liquor is sold everywhere, from supermarkets to convenience stores to small wooden shops at the side of the road. Having alcohol out in public is not illegal - people carry their own drinks to parks and beaches all the time, and drive with it in the car.

Weddings vary according to social group. A typical wedding in my circle takes place in the evening and consists of lots of dancing, drinking and eating (not sit down dinner, but heavy appetizers and buffet that you don't have to sit and eat with a knife and fork). But occasionally someone will do something different like get married on the beach at sunset and have a small cocktail reception. There will usually be a few kids milling around, but most people who bring kids will either send them home early with grandparents so they can enjoy the real party later on, or leave early themselves. Church weddings usually attract looky-loos who want to check out the dresses and flowers. Since all churches are public, you can't stop this - they don't come in the church anyway, they just wait outside.

 

[golfgal]

I had a roommate in college from southwestern VA and she always referred to a winter cap as a tobbogan. It took me and my other roommate from NY forever to figure out what the heck she was talking about--why would someone be wearing a sled on their head?

golfgal--I'm confused about the commuting thing--you said in another thread that, per capita, the twin cities have more commuters than DC. Wouldn't that mean you have a lot of commuter traffic there?

I am pretty sure I said DRIVE, not "commuter traffic" because we don't have a metro system-which is what most commuters in the DC area use (or the bus system). Yes, we have a lot of traffic but the point is that is MOVES along and you don't have the gridlocks you see in other metros. You can get through the Twin Cities metro area from one end to another, in rush hour, in 40 minutes, give or take a few minutes....People here complain to no end, as witnessed here, about a 20-30 minute commute where in other metro areas a 1-2 hour commute is COMMON. It is rare to have a commute here over 30 minutes unless you chose to live on the complete opposite side of the city from where you work (White Bear Lake to Plymouth would be one example of choosing to live far away from your job).

 

[Shmily1]

I've learned that people end a sentence with the word "with". I always want to say with what???

The amount people give for weddings is wild. Do they not have bridal showers ahead of time for the gift giving? I'm picturing they get back from their honeymoon and have nothing set up in the house because all the presents are still wrapped waiting to be put away.... When you invite someone to the wedding, you expect to pay for it instead of expecting that person to cover the cost of thier food to come to your wedding. I can't imagine getting paid back for having a wedding...

Being from the south, there are several things I'm glad we don't do that I've learned about on the Dis. I'm also glad that I'm sitting here at my desk drinking a coke. Not everyone from the south is habitually late or says slang words for commonly used terms though.

 

[tlbwriter]

Do they not have bridal showers ahead of time for the gift giving? I'm picturing they get back from their honeymoon and have nothing set up in the house because all the presents are still wrapped waiting to be put away....

Yes, when my husband and I got back from our honeymoon we had a lot of wrapped gifts to open. It's fun! One tradition in a few areas is to open the gifts at a family breakfast the day after the wedding (obviously not an option if you leave for your honeymoon right after the wedding).

 

[vwlizard]

I think thats the difference with where I live. We are the first "affordable" suburb outside of the city with a small town feel and good schools. People tend to live here so they don't have to put in the crazy hours. If they worked in the city, they wouldn't be getting home til after the kids are in bed. It also allows for 1 parent to stay home.

Many people work for themselves and start work early to be at home in time for dinner, etc. I'm always suprised at how many dads are at 4:30 baseball practices and hockey games.

It's not a better than/worse than debate. It's just that a lot of people here have given up things like fancy cars, fancier suburbs, expensive vacations,etc. to be able to do those things.

For example: My husband worked for a large, stable company near the city. He had a AWFUL commute. When a chance came along to switch to a smaller company and work out of the house (but was risky), but husband took it. Everything worked out great, but I don't think he would have been able to take that kind of risk if we were carrying the kind of mortage that we would have had if we lived closer to the city.

 

[mjkacmom]

The amount people give for weddings is wild. Do they not have bridal showers ahead of time for the gift giving? I'm picturing they get back from their honeymoon and have nothing set up in the house because all the presents are still wrapped waiting to be put away.... When you invite someone to the wedding, you expect to pay for it instead of expecting that person to cover the cost of thier food to come to your wedding. I can't imagine getting paid back for having a wedding... .

You have a shower a couple of months before the wedding. Actually, many couples live together before getting married, or at least have their own apartments or homes. In my area, if a couple was to marry in their early 20's, a pregancy would be suspected. Most go to college, and establish careers, before getting married. Not live with mommy and daddy, and they set up house with their new spouse.

It's really not covering your plate - it's just being generous. Let's face it, if a young couple is buying a new home, they're looking at a morgage payment of several thousand dollars a month. Most people here who have extravagant weddings CAN AFFORD THEM. They've worked hard, for several years after graduating college. We're not talking about kids with HS diplomas working at Walmart. I've never been to a wedding where the couple was under the age of 27.

 

[kbeverina]

I am pretty sure I said DRIVE, not "commuter traffic" because we don't have a metro system-which is what most commuters in the DC area use (or the bus system). Yes, we have a lot of traffic but the point is that is MOVES along and you don't have the gridlocks you see in other metros. You can get through the Twin Cities metro area from one end to another, in rush hour, in 40 minutes, give or take a few minutes....People here complain to no end, as witnessed here, about a 20-30 minute commute where in other metro areas a 1-2 hour commute is COMMON. It is rare to have a commute here over 30 minutes unless you chose to live on the complete opposite side of the city from where you work (White Bear Lake to Plymouth would be one example of choosing to live far away from your job).

Yes, you said the twin cities have more car commuters per capita than DC--which would make me think you have quite a bit of car commuter traffic there.

Most commuters don't use the metro here. Not sure where you're getting that from. Only 15-20% use metro, bus and rail combined.

 

[tlbwriter]

It's really not covering your plate - it's just being generous. Let's face it, if a young couple is buying a new home, they're looking at a morgage payment of several thousand dollars a month. Most people here who have extravagant weddings CAN AFFORD THEM. They've worked hard, for several years after graduating college. We're not talking about kids with HS diplomas working at Walmart. I've never been to a wedding where the couple was under the age of 27.

There's some more regional differences. In my area, a mortgage of several thousand dollars a month would get you a mansion. Not a McMansion, but a real mansion. Also, my SIL (in the deep South) was in her mid 20s and was the last of her friends to get married. Someone commented that the only single women available to catch the bouquet were "widows and children."

 

[kbeverina]

You have a shower a couple of months before the wedding. Actually, many couples live together before getting married, or at least have their own apartments or homes. In my area, if a couple was to marry in their early 20's, a pregancy would be suspected. Most go to college, and establish careers, before getting married. Not live with mommy and daddy, and they set up house with their new spouse.

It's really not covering your plate - it's just being generous. Let's face it, if a young couple is buying a new home, they're looking at a morgage payment of several thousand dollars a month. Most people here who have extravagant weddings CAN AFFORD THEM. They've worked hard, for several years after graduating college. We're not talking about kids with HS diplomas working at Walmart. I've never been to a wedding where the couple was under the age of 27.

I remember my roommate from NY (Rochester area) explaining the covering your plate thing to me. Our first post-grad wedding of one of our friends was in the Roanoke, VA area. Appetizers, definitely no liquor. Our friends from the NY, NJ area were just stunned and couldn't believe it, they had never been to such a wedding.

In Northern VA, I've been to a wide variety of weddings, there's really no norm, just depends on the couple and their families. But the southwestern VA weddings were always the cake and punch reception in the church type.

 

[Liberty Belle]

You have a shower a couple of months before the wedding. Actually, many couples live together before getting married, or at least have their own apartments or homes. In my area, if a couple was to marry in their early 20's, a pregancy would be suspected. Most go to college, and establish careers, before getting married. Not live with mommy and daddy, and they set up house with their new spouse.

It's really not covering your plate - it's just being generous. Let's face it, if a young couple is buying a new home, they're looking at a morgage payment of several thousand dollars a month. Most people here who have extravagant weddings CAN AFFORD THEM. They've worked hard, for several years after graduating college. We're not talking about kids with HS diplomas working at Walmart. I've never been to a wedding where the couple was under the age of 27.

There are legitimate reasons someone may live with their mother and father. No need to be so rude.

What do you mean by your area? Are you talking town or neighborhood? After reading all your posts (over the years), I've left wondering who works the McDonald's, dry cleaners, custodial jobs there?

 

[KristaTX]

You have a shower a couple of months before the wedding. Actually, many couples live together before getting married, or at least have their own apartments or homes. In my area, if a couple was to marry in their early 20's, a pregancy would be suspected. Most go to college, and establish careers, before getting married. Not live with mommy and daddy, and they set up house with their new spouse.

Wow. Sounds like a bunch of nosy, judgmental people where you live.

 

[mjkacmom]

There are legitimate reasons someone may live with their mother and father. No need to be so rude.

What do you mean by your area? Are you talking town or neighborhood? After reading all your posts (over the years), I've left wondering who works the McDonald's, dry cleaners, custodial jobs there?

Not just my town, lots of neighboring towns (towns are pretty small here). I live within 5 miles of homes worth millions of dollars, and public housing. We have city buses, so people who work those jobs typically don't own homes here. I have never come across another parent working at the retail shops here, although many own their own businesses, and work blue collar (landscapers, contractors, mechanics).

I feel sorry for people who went from their parents' homes to their married homes. A chapter of life was missed.

 

[golfgal]

Yes, you said the twin cities have more car commuters per capita than DC--which would make me think you have quite a bit of car commuter traffic there.

Most commuters don't use the metro here. Not sure where you're getting that from. Only 15-20% use metro, bus and rail combined.

Top 10 commuter cities
Where the most residents commute to work on buses, trains and light rail.
City State Public transit users % of workers
New York NY 1.87 million 54.6%
Washington DC 94,260 37.7%
San Francisco CA 124,738 32.7%
Boston MA 80,141 31.7%
Philadelphia PA 139,247 25.9%
Chicago IL 293,703 25.3%
Baltimore MD 48,252 18.9%
Seattle WA 51,259 17.0%
Oakland CA 27,114 16,5%
Portland OR 34,195 13.3%

http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/13/real_estate/public_transit_commutes/

Washington, D.C. has the second highest percentage of public transit commuters in the United States, behind only New York City.[2]
Commuters have a major influence on travel patterns in Washington, D.C. 671,678 people are employed in Washington, D.C., with only 28% commuting from within the city. 18.7% of people working in Washington, D.C. commute from Prince George's County, Maryland and 14.8% from Montgomery County, Maryland. 13.2% come from Fairfax County, Virginia, 6% from Arlington County, Virginia, and 3.5% from Alexandria, Virginia. Smaller numbers of commuters come from the outer suburbs, including 2.4% from Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and 2.3% from Prince William County, Virginia, 1.6% from Charles County, Maryland, 1.3% from Howard County, Maryland, and 1% from Loudoun County, Virginia.[1] Of the 260,000 Washington, D.C. residents that were employed as of 2000, 24% commute to jobs in Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties, as well as Alexandria.[1] Of those that work in Washington, D.C., 44.8% drive alone to work, 21.2% take Metro, 14.4% carpool/slug, 8.8% use Metrobus, 4.5% walk to work, 2.7% travel by commuter rail, and 0.6% ride their bicycle to work.[3] 35.4% of households in Washington, D.C. do not own a car.[4]

http://factfinder.census.gov/servle...e=ACS_2004_EST_G00_&_lang=en&_ts=170243153266

 

[Robinrs]

I think a lot of people are confusing class with region. There are several classes within regions and they all don't have the same experiences or ways of doing things.

 

[KristaTX]

Wow. Sounds like a bunch of nosy, judgmental people where you live.

I feel sorry for people who went from their parents' homes to their married homes. A chapter of life was missed.

__________

 

[spacemountainmom]

I am pretty sure I said DRIVE, not "commuter traffic" because we don't have a metro system-which is what most commuters in the DC area use (or the bus system). Yes, we have a lot of traffic but the point is that is MOVES along and you don't have the gridlocks you see in other metros. You can get through the Twin Cities metro area from one end to another, in rush hour, in 40 minutes, give or take a few minutes....People here complain to no end, as witnessed here, about a 20-30 minute commute where in other metro areas a 1-2 hour commute is COMMON. It is rare to have a commute here over 30 minutes unless you chose to live on the complete opposite side of the city from where you work (White Bear Lake to Plymouth would be one example of choosing to live far away from your job).

In reality, we live near 3M. DH drives 13 miles to get to work and then drives from White Bear to Plymouth to do his job. We actually live near the workplace....the work just does not happen there.

The Twin Cities does have congestion and gridlock. Just because it is not as bad as California does not mean it does not exist. Those of us who have lived here our entire lives DO consider a 20-30 minute drive when it should take 10 minutes to be a pain in the rear. Both my dh and I have sat (not moving) in traffic while you claim the worst that ever happens is that you slow down to 40. That is not the reality that we deal and have dealt with.

 

[spacemountainmom]

You must have worked at 3M?



We call them Tenna-shoes, too. Sneakers sounds...geeky...to me!



I'm a Pioneer, too



I lived right by Golfview when I lived in WB. And I LOOOOOOOOVE Donatelli's....the dunkers are the best!

No, I didn't work at the Mining. I live near there and worked down under the Lafayette Bridge for many years. My office then moved over off of 35E and Roselawn area. I was describing my commute home, which always was MUCH worse than the morning drive.