The Official Rhode Island Quirk Headquarters

[TinkerbellMama]

Inspired by another thread we nearly hijacked...

And in light of the huge popularity of the animated show "Family Guy"...

I'd like to start a collection of Rhode Island facts and oddities.

We've already mentioned Lo Numba license plates. There are people driving around with single-digit plates, and they are willed down through the generations. People have paid thousands of dollars to acquire some of these plates. Amazingly (and revealing much more about the true Rhode Island mentality), many thousands of dollars have been TURNED DOWN so the lo numba plates could remain on Grandpa's Buick! It's a total status thing, here! In related news, many RI folks have license plates which begin with their initials. For example, if your name is John Smith, you are very likely to have a plate along the lines of JS 473. No one really knows why, and not everyone has it (I don't, and neither does dh), but it's one of those strange RI things.

Semi-related:
Directions and driving are a big deal here. Directions are ALWAYS given with reference to businesses or even buildings/landmarks which are no longer in operation or standing. "Take a left where the Ames used to be..." And all of us know exactly what the person is talking about, too! I literally laughed out loud when Brooks switched over to Rite Aid, because I and everyone I know will continue to consider them Brooks and give directions as such. Many Rhode Islanders also fear driving more than 5 miles for pretty much anything. I (being a transplant) do not subscribe to this view, but it is a very popular one here in the Ocean State. It's such a tiny state that you could literally drive to every single town and hamlet in one day, so the scale for everything is much smaller. I guess that makes a five-mile drive seem like a 100-mile drive, comparitively.

Finally, we have a giant, blue termite, Nibbles Woodaway, stationed strategically along the side of I-95. It is HUGE. I am not kidding. He's the mascot for a pest control business. I could not make this stuff up. Google it for a good laugh...but don't tell any of us Roe Dylanders you're laughing at our expense, 'cuz we know some guys...

My son wanted to get in on the action, so he typed the following:
1111111111111111123456789123411123333456789

 

[JennyMominRI]

Semi-related:
Directions and driving are a big deal here. Directions are ALWAYS given with reference to businesses or even buildings/landmarks which are no longer in operation or standing. "Take a left where the Ames used to be..." And all of us know exactly what the person is talking about, too! I literally laughed out loud when Brooks switched over to Rite Aid, because I and everyone I know will continue to consider them Brooks and give directions as such. Many Rhode Islanders also fear driving more than 5 miles for pretty much anything. I (being a transplant) do not subscribe to this view, but it is a very popular one here in the Ocean State. It's such a tiny state that you could literally drive to every single town and hamlet in one day, so the scale for everything is much smaller. I guess that makes a five-mile drive seem like a 100-mile drive, comparitively.

You forgot the fact that all directions must include at least2-3 dunkin donuts references... Drive down Post Road until you see the 15th Dunkin Donuts.. Drive until you see another dunking donuts and make a left..That's our street.. Our house is the last one on the left, next to ,of course Dunkin Donuts..


You really do get to my house by turning at the Dunkin Donuts.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

You forgot the fact that all directions must include at least2-3 dunkin donuts references... Drive down Post Road until you see the 15th Dunkin Donuts.. Drive until you see another dunking donuts and make a left..That's our street.. Our house is the last one on the left, next to ,of course Dunking Donuts..


You really do get to my house by turning at the Dunking Donuts.

That is correct! We count DDs as others count traffic lights!

Also, we loooooooooooooove us some Dunkin Donuts! Our major sports arena is sponsored by them! My son recognized the Dunkin Donuts sign from a very early age, AND I DON'T EVEN DRINK COFFEE! There are just so many of them...you really can't escape the fever!

 

[dahirsh]

Finally, we have a giant, blue termite, Nibbles Woodaway, stationed strategically along the side of I-95. It is HUGE. I am not kidding. He's the mascot for a pest control business. I could not make this stuff up. Google it for a good laugh...but don't tell any of us Roe Dylanders you're laughing at our expense, 'cuz we know some guys...

I was pretty tickled to see that it's still there when I drove through a year ago. It's been several years since I was in the area, but I went to college in RI in the late 80's and remember it from then.

 

[happily single]

Hey, I;m from RI and I beleive we are one of the few states where using your blinka is not required (a blinka is really your turn signal). We also have bubla's (water fountains) and coffee milk, which IS NOT A COFFEE WITH MILK IN IT. When snow is predicted the entire bread aisle will be wiped clean, as well as the milk area. What else??? Well, up in Woonsocket (a good 1/2 hour from me, which means you need to pack a bag) they park cars side by each

 

[JennyMominRI]

Hey, I;m from RI and I beleive we are one of the few states where using your blinka is not required (a blinka is really your turn signal). We also have bubla's (water fountains) and coffee milk, which IS NOT A COFFEE WITH MILK IN IT. When snow is predicted the entire bread aisle will be wiped clean, as well as the milk area. What else??? Well, up in Woonsocket (a good 1/2 hour from me, which means you need to pack a bag) they park cars side by each

We also like our *hot dogs* all da way

 

[dahirsh]

I remember coffee milk!

And I also remember finding the whole snow panic thing amusing. RI is part of New England, one would think they would expect a certain amount of snow each winter.

I was also telling a coworker today about how Chinese Restaurants serve bread or rolls.

 

[LisaB]

We don't have frappes or milk shakes they are called cabinets. We put r's where they don't belong and take them out regularly ie Soder Wawick a city in RI where Jenny is from. The Airport to old timers will never be Green or TF Greene but Hillsgrove the section of Warwick it is in. No the airport is not in Providence even though the code for it is PVD. We will know at least one person who worked at Almacs a long defunct supermarket chain. In RI there is no six degrees of separation but actually 1 or 2. If you aren't related to a politician you will know one personally. (ie my grandmother's cousin was married to a RI Senator and my other grandmother's sister in law's sister is grandmother to the mayor of Providence) The old mayor is a very much of a celebrity and he even has his own radio talk show and viewers still refer to him as Mayor Cianci even though he spent 5 years in the federal prison. We love chowda and the real kind is clear. We have hard shell clams call quahogs and we usually make stuffies out of them. We had iced coffee before it was fashionable to have it. Oh while we are the smallest state we have the longest state name State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations .

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Oh, and I wonder if non-Rhode Islanders know what "regular" means when you order a coffee at Dunkin Donuts?? Hint: it doesn't mean black!!

Do other places have 50-50 raffles??

I KNOW other places don't have Awful-Awfuls or know what a cabinet is (it's not furniture).

Some other places may put vinegar on their fries, though.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

We don't have frappes or milk shakes they are called cabinets. We put r's where they don't belong and take them out regularly ie Soder Wawick a city in RI where Jenny is from. The Airport to old timers will never be Green or TF Greene but Hillsgrove the section of Warwick it is in. No the airport is not in Providence even though the code for it is PVD. We will know at least one person who worked at Almacs a long defunct supermarket chain. In RI there is no six degrees of separation but actually 1 or 2. If you aren't related to a politician you will know one personally. (ie my grandmother's cousin was married to a RI Senator and my other grandmother's sister in law's sister is grandmother to the mayor of Providence) The old mayor is a very much of a celebrity and he even has his own radio talk show and viewers still refer to him as Mayor Cianci even though he spent 5 years in the federal prison. We love chowda and the real kind is clear. We have hard shell clams call quahogs and we usually make stuffies out of them. We had iced coffee before it was fashionable to have it. Oh while we are the smallest state we have the longest state name State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations .

You beat me to the cabinet! I always correct people who insist the airport is in Providence...I used to live 3 miles from there in Wawick. And my ex-boyfriend worked at Almacs!

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Oh, and I found out Buddy was out of the slamma (that's prison for those who don't speak Roe Dylandese!) while my son and I were at the playground on Blackstone Blvd. One of the houses opposite the park on Hope St. had painted BUDDY IS FREE!!! on a bedsheet and hung it out the second-floor window.

Speaking of houses, we also have triple deckas (not a sandwich, but a three-level, multi-family home).

OMG at this very moment I am hearing the parking ban siren!! Time to rush out to Stop & Shop before they close at midnight and snag some milk and bread!! Might not matter anyway, as our snow plow operators might strike tonight!!

Oh, and regarding politics...we are SO schizophrenic about it!! We are a blue collar, blue (Democrat) state for sure, but we have a Republican governor and a liberal, gay mayor in our capitol city, which is filled with upper middle class intellectuals as well as immigrants. Many people like both of 'em! And the aforementioned Mayor Cianci, whom most people admit was involved in criminal activity including mob ties, is generally well-liked anyway because he revitalized the downtown (which is, by the way, GORGEOUS and full of life these days).

 

[TinkerbellMama]

bump

 

[paras4ri]

I'll play!!!

You forgot the fact that all directions must include at least2-3 dunkin donuts references... Drive down Post Road until you see the 15th Dunkin Donuts.. Drive until you see another dunking donuts and make a left..That's our street.. Our house is the last one on the left, next to ,of course Dunkin Donuts..

You really do get to my house by turning at the Dunkin Donuts.

Same for us, you either take a left after DD or the last right before DD.

That is correct! We count DDs as others count traffic lights!

Also, we loooooooooooooove us some Dunkin Donuts! Our major sports arena is sponsored by them! My son recognized the Dunkin Donuts sign from a very early age, AND I DON'T EVEN DRINK COFFEE! There are just so many of them...you really can't escape the fever!

Sorry...it is, was and always will be the Providence Civic Center to me.

You beat me to the cabinet! I always correct people who insist the airport is in Providence...I used to live 3 miles from there in Wawick. And my ex-boyfriend worked at Almacs!

I live in Wawick....or Warrick as some say.....close to the airport near the old Almacs in Buttonwoods.

In Bah-stin people paaak their caahs but in Little Rhody we pok are caaas.

The fight song for the University of Rhode Island goes as follows:

I'm Rhode Island born and I'm Rhode Island bred,
and when I die I'll be Rhode Island dead!

 

[only1alexa]

I'm loving this thread! Not because I'm from RI but because I was supposed to be sent to a seminar there (the powers that be changed their minds though ) and I spent so much time checking out things to do/see in the state that I've decided I need to take a rode trip to visit relatives in CT, check out all of RI, and make my way to the sacred playground in MA(Fenway Park). I also recently received a call from a Providence cop; I usually work and half listen to whomever is on the phone but I had to REAAAALLLY listen because I didn't get half of what he was saying the first time around. I was preoccupied and my RI to NJ translator wasn't immediately activated.

 

[froglady]

. We will know at least one person who worked at Almacs a long defunct supermarket chain. QUOTE]


ALMACS went out of business?

In HS, I knew at least a dozen people who worked there.

I guess I've been out of RI too long.

 

[Ragnrok23]

I live in SE Mass (work in RI), but every morning I have:

a coffee milk (from autocrat sryup)

and a "regular" coffee from DD (that's cream and sugar)

And we were just talking in work the other day how RI people are the only ones that still giver directions by what "used" to be there

 

[LUVMYTINK]

Oh, and I wonder if non-Rhode Islanders know what "regular" means when you order a coffee at Dunkin Donuts?? Hint: it doesn't mean black!!

I was very tempted the first time I ordered a coffee from DD down here to say "large coffee, regular" (hadn't seen a DD for about 5yrs prior No where we lived prior was near one) but I wasn't sure if they say that here or not. I just play it safe and say "large coffee, cream and sugar."

I KNOW other places don't have Awful-Awfuls or know what a cabinet is (it's not furniture).

I know what those are. I used to work at a Newport Creamery during HS when my dad was stationed up in Newport. I remember during the summer time (with all the tourist) if someone ordered a milkshake we had to ask if they wanted ice cream in it or not.

 

[npmommie]

OMG this thread is too funny!!
We lived in RI for a few years........on Post Road no less, i shopped at Almacs, and drank awful awfuls!!!

 

[happily single]

I was also telling a coworker today about how Chinese Restaurants serve bread or rolls.[/QUOTE]


You mean in other parts of hte country they don't serve bread and butter at Chinese resturants?

 

[happily single]

I just found a thread on "how do I make gravy" and I immediate began thinking, ok, brown some brachiole in oil, add garlic and tomatoes, then I realized, only Rhode Islanders call tomato sauce gravy, right?>

And I can't belive no one has mentioned saugy dogs.. Yummy, love the crunch