Regional Differences

[bluesaturn]

Some of us don't want to go to Europe. I wouldn't go if you gave it to me. No need to feel sorry for me. I guess I will just keep my closed mind.

The problem is saying you(You in general) feel sorry for people for different reasons. That isn't list regional differences. It is a degrading opinion.

FWIW< I know plenty of people that married later, they lived on their own traveled and guess what, they can't stand their spouses and either divorce them or find any excuse to be away from them.

We don't need your pity really, please keep it and put it somewhere where it may do some good.

Now this I find surprising. Why wouldn't you go to Europe, given the opportunity?

 

[momto2girls]

I definitely think that when you get married is regional. Neither way is wrong, just different.

I got married when I was 24 (almost 25) and I was SO embarrassed because I felt that I was getting married way too young. But DH and I had been dating for 3.5 years and knew that we wanted to be together. We were living in Florida (Tampa) and I had just finished graduate school. DH wanted to take a job in MD and we didn't want to move off together without being married. We did make a conscious decision to not have children right away though. I decided not to have them until I was at least 30. Two kids and almost 18 years later, it worked out.

Now all of my paternal family (grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles, etc.) from South Carolina thought I was an old maid and was never getting married. All of my cousins were married by 19 or 20 and started having kids soon after. Simply a regional difference.

 

[FireDancer]

Me (Ohio) - Mommy/Mom, Daddy/Dad, Grandma and Grandpa (differentiated by last name)

I was born and raised in Ohio and this is exactly what I use.

As for travel, I love it and I would go to Europe every year if I could. I want to go while I'm still young. I want to bike Tuscany (which I did), run the Rome marathon, kayak the fjords in Norway, bike up Alpe d'Huez, and stuff like that and it is much easier when you are young. at the same time I have no desire to go to the Caribbean and sit on a beach for a week. The closest I could think is going down there to sail or going to Belize and hiking the rain forests. I try to take at lest 4 or 5 trips a year but most are in the U.S. just because of cost. Trips to Europe, at least for now, have to be every 4 or 5 years. I didn't find the flight bad at all and definitely not bad enough to keep me from doing it. On the other hand if you don't want to do those things I don't think any less of you.

I am glad I didn't marry young. Even now I feel too young to marry and I'm 33. If you did and it was the right decision for you then good. It just wouldn't be for me.

This thread has a lot of "my way is the only way" which is kind of endemic here. Not everyone mind you, and not even everyone accused of it, but it is there.

 

[KrysiaG]

Back to regional differences, what about games/activities that are popular in your area?

I'd have to go with:
Corn Hole
Euchre
Bingo

I don't play any of them (well, euchre on occasion), but these are probably the top three around here. There are tournaments and fundraisers revolving around all three, and Bingo is a huge fundraiser for the local catholic churches.

Cornhole, yep!

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Gravy here is made from the juices of whatever meat you're cooking - so if you're roasting a chicken, you'll have chicken gravy. If you want it a bit jazzed up, you'll remove some of the juices and put in a saucepan on the stove with the chicken bits (neck etc.), onions, seasonings etc. Sauce is something not made with a meat base usually - like a garlic butter sauce, or honey mustard sauce. Spaghetti sauce is a tomato-based sauce made to put on spaghetti pasta, though it can be poured onto any kind of pasta really. Meat sauce is when the spaghetti sauce has mince in it as well (mince being ground beef).

That's the same for me

New things I learnt / thought of

-Proms don't exist here, homecomings neither

-Few people go to church or care which church you belong to (Was very hard explaining what a Methodist was when I used to try)

- Mums (Chrysanthemum) are funeral flowers , you see they in pots around All Saints day - and you never, never offer anybody a bunch of them

- Childrens menus are very rare, can only think of 2 places that do them. They eat like everybody else

- Any food not eaten gets left behind at the restaurant, no boxes, doggy bags, but portions are normal size so no need really to have much left over

- Soda be it coke, sprite, orangina is not drunk with a meal unless it's McDo. or similiar. Children drink water

- We don't have recipes that include cake mixes in the ingredients - you make a cake from scratch. Cake mixes are very very expensive/hard to find (sold at a 200-300% markup at least)

- Ovens are used for roasting things, grilling or baking cakes, cookies and the like
Stove top is for pan fried dishes or boiling/steaming things
Crockpots and slow cookers are unknown - We have pressure cookers though (evil things )

We work either 35 hour weeks and are paid for an hour lunch so 40 hours paid presence or some companies do 40 hour weeks (paid 45) and their employees get an extra day of a month.

My OH works like that - 8 hour days, 5 days a week and on top of the 25 paid holiday days that everyone gets he gets 15 extra days off a year

-Gas is something you pump yourself always - there is never anyone else going to do it for you

- People either have a list with presents on it at a store and you buy a gift from there or an urn at the reception where you put an envelope with cash (if you want to be anonymous ) or a cheque in it.

We don't have fixed amounts or the idea of paying your plate

 

[BellvilleDad]

Now this I find surprising. Why wouldn't you go to Europe, given the opportunity?

I agree with mhsjax. I don't have any interest in visiting Eurpoe, either. I'm sure it's beautiful and very nice, but there's lots of that around here, too.

 

[mhsjax]

Now this I find surprising. Why wouldn't you go to Europe, given the opportunity?

I just don't care to. Plus all the friends that I have, that have gone, are glad they did it, but the plane ride over was horrible and cramped and long. Most say been there done that. Now, I wouldn't let their opinions talk me out of going, but when you don't really have any desire to go, this only helps the case. My dad didn't care about traveling either. Give WDW, a cruise to the islands, the Carolinas, and the beach. I am just fine and more than satisfied.

OH wait, forgot one more. New York city, well most places in the US are good, but I still don't have burning desires to see most of them either.

 

[KrysiaG]

lol I hadn't either, until I moved down here.

Another thing. Up in Michigan we said "Peek-a-boo" to play with babies and here they say "Peep-eye".

Oh, and they say Pat-a-Cake different from how I learned it in Michigan, too.

Yuk! I don't like Peep-eye at all. What part of Kentucky are you from?

I am in Cincinnati (all my relatives/grandparents/parents are from KY) and have never ever heard the term Peep-eye.

It sounds creepy and reminds me of "stink eye" or something. LOL!

 

[bluesaturn]

I just don't care to. Plus all the friends that I have, that have gone, are glad they did it, but the plane ride over was horrible and cramped and long. Most say been there done that. Now, I wouldn't let their opinions talk me out of going, but when you don't really have any desire to go, this only helps the case. My dad didn't care about traveling either. Give WDW, a cruise to the islands, the Carolinas, and the beach. I am just fine and more than satisfied.

OH wait, forgot one more. New York city, well most places in the US are good, but I still don't have burning desires to see most of them either.

I have to say this attitude is very different to me. I don't know anyone that doesn't have some desire to see other countries and other parts of the US. They might not have the means nor the time, but usually there is some interest.

It might be because I know a lot of people who are immigrants or children of immigrants. For them the plane ride to Europe is actually very quick compared to the flight to Asia. Also many people here work for the government and perhaps do international business or traveled at some point for work.

 

[KrysiaG]

I just don't care to. Plus all the friends that I have, that have gone, are glad they did it, but the plane ride over was horrible and cramped and long. Most say been there done that. Now, I wouldn't let their opinions talk me out of going, but when you don't really have any desire to go, this only helps the case. My dad didn't care about traveling either. Give WDW, a cruise to the islands, the Carolinas, and the beach. I am just fine and more than satisfied.

OH wait, forgot one more. New York city, well most places in the US are good, but I still don't have burning desires to see most of them either.

Oh gosh, the European trips I have taken (France, England, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy) are some of the BEST vacations I have ever taken in my life. Never even considered the plane ride being a deterrant or even a negative from the trip. I miss Europe. I can't wait to visit again as soon as we have the extra time and $.

Don't get me wrong, I love my tropical vacations on the beach too. But, there is no vacation like a European one to me. (Not considering the magic of WDW or anything, because of course that is something special too).

 

[lynn_s]

I don't think this has been mentioned...

I didn't know until I was in college (NY) that you could get banana pudding from a box.

I got really strange looks the first time I made real banana pudding (from scratch, with cut up bananas and nilla wafers in it) for my friends. They were converted though.

It evened out though - I had no idea what bagels and cream cheese was before then. Lifelong convert on those!

(Yes I'm getting old - bagels are everywhere now I think)

BTW, my favorite coke is diet Dr. Pepper.

 

[malibuconlee]

That is true. I have never called it an entrance ramp, but an on or off ramp. I guess exit popped in my head because that is what the sign says, there is not one that says entrance as you get on So does anyone call part of their highway/freeway/interstate the bypass? We do call part of one of our state routes (highway?) that, so I just wondered.You bypass going through the city (which is more of a town) so I guess that is why it is called that.

What does everyone call their parents and grandparents?

Mom/Dad or joking or having fun, Mommy or Daddy lol. I called my Grandparents Grandma/Grandpa Last name, but on one side my cousins called my Grandparents Mamaw and Papaw First Name. My children call their Grandparents Grandma/Grandpa first name, except their Great Grandma, she is Granny to everyone lol.



There are two I think around us. They are kinda far and the movies do not start until what I think is too late for kids 9:00. I know there is one about 45 min away. I am not sure if they are open year round, but I would not think so.

Another difference is Disney has an annual pass, Kings Island has a season pass, because you can only go April- Oct.

My small town growing up had a "bypass". Yep, it passed by the town without going thru it. They are building one now for the next town over. Thank God! It was the longest most drawn out town to drive thru for not bigger than it is population wise!

 

[punkin]

I don't think this has been mentioned...

I didn't know until I was in college (NY) that you could get banana pudding from a box.

I got really strange looks the first time I made real banana pudding (from scratch, with cut up bananas and nilla wafers in it) for my friends. They were converted though.

It evened out though - I had no idea what bagels and cream cheese was before then. Lifelong convert on those!

(Yes I'm getting old - bagels are everywhere now I think)

BTW, my favorite coke is diet Dr. Pepper.

Here's another regional difference. Bagels outside of NY are really just rolls with a hole in the middle, not real bagels.

 

[tvguy]

They are red light cameras installed to catch people blowing lights or not stopping behind the stop line before making a right on red. Even though it's a moving violation, it has no impact on your insurance and since it's impossible for the driver to be identified there's no points or anything. It's half revenue generator for the county or city and half deterrent.

It can take a few weeks to get the ticket so your friend may get one if this didn't happen too too long ago.

Sure isn't that way in California. They get a nice tight shot of the driver, so it is VERY easy to identify the driver of the car, plus a photo of the license plate of the car, plus photos of the violation from 4 directions.
It does put points on your license, and it does increase your insurance. But you are right, it has turned more into a reveune generator for cities, not a safety issue.

 

[Michelle67]

This is a really good description. It's probably changing as more people stay here after growing up here, but when I was younger, most people's parents worked for the government. And they weren't from here (the parents). People moved here to work for the government and we lived in suburbs that didn't exist just a few years before.

This is a really good point, and applies to where I live as well. We have three major military installations within about a 50 mile radius, then there's people who move up here because of Boeing, Microsoft, Weyerhauser, etc., so a great many of the people you meet here are not actually "from" here. I was born on the opposite coast, myself, and neither of my parents were born here either.

Back to regional differences, what about games/activities that are popular in your area?

I'd have to go with:
Corn Hole
Euchre
Bingo

I don't play any of them (well, euchre on occasion), but these are probably the top three around here. There are tournaments and fundraisers revolving around all three, and Bingo is a huge fundraiser for the local catholic churches.

I don't know what in the world Corn Hole even is, except around here it's a really, really nasty thing to say. I don't know what Euchre is either.

Bunco, Canasta, and Rummy (not necessarily Gin Rummy) are popular games here. I play all three with my friends. We play Wild Rummy, not Gin Rummy. We (my friends and I, don't know if it is an overall popular game) also play Train Dominoes, a variation on regular dominoes. My grandmother (in OKC) is the Domino queen. She's 95 years old, and she will WHIP YOUR BUTT. She'll tell you so, too...then cackle.

How many of you still have Drive-in theatres? We still have one (used to have 2 when I was a kid). It's open year-round because it's always warm here.

I thought they all went extinct. When ever I see the remnants of an old Drive-in theatre parking lot, it even looks like an old dinosaur grave yard, with the poles and hilly grooves & trench lines in the ground.

Interesting to find they are still around. I still like the concept. No worrying about hearing strangers in the car next to you talking throughout the whole movie. Also, you can bring anything you want to eat. If they turned the events into tailgate parties, like at baseball games, where people get to BBQ & grill foods before the movies start, to would probably catch on again as a real "event" to do.

There are three drive ins that I know of on this side of the state. One of them is about 15 minutes from my house and we love to go there, weather permitting (big consideration here, all year long). They are not open year-round. It's the best way in the world to go to movies with kids, IMO, for reasons Imzadi mentioned. All kinds of things come out of people's vehicles, including ours. We don't set up barbecues, but they'd probably let ya. The only "rule" I've ever seen them enforce is that the huge vehicles have to park in the back few rows, so people in smaller vehicles can see. Several cars worth of people do meet up and more or less make a tailgate party out of it. We pull out lawn chairs, coolers, etc and set up camp. Love it. BTW, they don't use the speaker poles anymore. They broadcast on available radio bands, and tell you at the gate which one to tune in to to get your soundtrack. We bring portable radios so we don't have to use the car battery. Ipods etc work, too.

Sure isn't that way in California. They get a nice tight shot of the driver, so it is VERY easy to identify the driver of the car, plus a photo of the license plate of the car, plus photos of the violation from 4 directions.
It does put points on your license, and it does increase your insurance. But you are right, it has turned more into a reveune generator for cities, not a safety issue.

Here too. All of the above. The one that came to my house didn't do the latter, because it's considered a non-moving violation (missed toll...transponder issue).

 

[luvtheworld16]

Corn hole and Bingo are popular here.

There are two different drive-in's within 20 miles of here.

Another regional difference - usually people from this area won't say "within 20 miles of here" most people would say "within a half hour" of here. This area tends to measure distance by the time it takes to travel instead of miles.

 

[Imzadi]

I don't think this has been mentioned...

I didn't know until I was in college (NY) that you could get banana pudding from a box.

I got really strange looks the first time I made real banana pudding (from scratch, with cut up bananas and nilla wafers in it) for my friends. They were converted though.

That reminds me, I've never had bread pudding. It sounds horrible. I don't know if it's regional, but I've never heard of bread pudding until I was in my 30's. I think I was in CA at the time.

Here's another regional difference. Bagels outside of NY are really just rolls with a hole in the middle, not real bagels.

Yes, it's amazing what passes for bagels in other parts of the country. AND the refrigerate them where they become doughy and rubbery!!!

I was at the Seattle airport. The clerk let me feel their version of a "bagel." I could tell by the feel that it was a rubber ball of dough. I asked if I could just have a toasted English muffin instead with cream cheese and smoked salmon. They couldn't understand the concept of cream cheese and smoked salmon or (lox.) I thought Seattle is a seafood city. So I thought they would have heard of the combo of cream cheese and smoked salmon before? I guess there are no Jewish people in Seattle? They screwed up & gave me cream cheese and anchovies!


I bet most people outside of the NYC/LI/NJ area do not know what a bialy is.

 

[Imzadi]

There are three drive ins that I know of on this side of the state. One of them is about 15 minutes from my house and we love to go there, weather permitting (big consideration here, all year long). They are not open year-round. It's the best way in the world to go to movies with kids, IMO, for reasons Imzadi mentioned. All kinds of things come out of people's vehicles, including ours. We don't set up barbecues, but they'd probably let ya. The only "rule" I've ever seen them enforce is that the huge vehicles have to park in the back few rows, so people in smaller vehicles can see. Several cars worth of people do meet up and more or less make a tailgate party out of it. We pull out lawn chairs, coolers, etc and set up camp. Love it. BTW, they don't use the speaker poles anymore. They broadcast on available radio bands, and tell you at the gate which one to tune in to to get your soundtrack. We bring portable radios so we don't have to use the car battery. Ipods etc work, too.

Wow! That is so cool. Drive-ins should really use that as an advertising gimmick. They would really take off again all over the country.


I think one of the last Drive-in movies we saw was the "Dusk-to-Dawn" special where they showed all FIVE Planet of the Apes, movies. We showed up 8pm, at sunset and truly did leave at about 5am, when the sun rose & the movie ended.

I remember thinking it would be so cool when all 3 Star Wars films finally got released, to see a "Dusk-to-Dawn" viewing of that. But, by the time, The Empire Strikes Back, came out, drive-ins were extinct around here.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Yuk! I don't like Peep-eye at all. What part of Kentucky are you from?

I am in Cincinnati (all my relatives/grandparents/parents are from KY) and have never ever heard the term Peep-eye.

It sounds creepy and reminds me of "stink eye" or something. LOL!

I live in Lexington (central Kentucky) and went to high school in Carrollton (abt an hour away from Cincinnati. I hear it both places.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I have to say this attitude is very different to me. I don't know anyone that doesn't have some desire to see other countries and other parts of the US. They might not have the means nor the time, but usually there is some interest.

It might be because I know a lot of people who are immigrants or children of immigrants. For them the plane ride to Europe is actually very quick compared to the flight to Asia. Also many people here work for the government and perhaps do international business or traveled at some point for work.

I would love to go to Europe. I mean, really, really love to go. It's just not in our budget.