Rallygirl's Dumb Questions About Regional Differences Thread

[samurainoir]

I think a good indication of geography is how folks refer to going to or finding a "bathroom". In other parts of the world that really confuses restaurant staff.

[4NDR01D]

I think a good indication of geography is how folks refer to going to or finding a "bathroom". In other parts of the world that really confuses restaurant staff.

I had a friend from England in grade 7 who always got reprimanded for asking to go to the toilet.

[Rallygirl]

One an offshoot of asking for the toilet, what do you take your dog outside to do? I have a cousin who thinks it is hysterical when we ask our dog if he has to go potty. Bart simply either has to potty or big potty. Mind you this same cousin asks their dogs if they have to peepoo. Does your dog just go "out" or do you have a another word for it?

[torgospizza]

There's no such thing as dumb questions.Just don't ask what Scrapple is made of(you don't wanna know.)

Here in central Missouri, there are counties that are largely of German ancestry and it's called panhas.

[Rallygirl]

Next question,...
This morning at Church while discussing possible desserts for an upcoming dinner, a member who recently moved up here from Alabama suggested blondies. She was met with the stares of twenty confused women because not a single one of us knew what she was talking about. She just kept saying, "You know,....blondies", and we all just sat there with blank looks on our faces. After much disbelief, she finally described them as kind of like brownies without chocolate. Do you have blondies where you live?

[TomStrong]

Oh yeah, I grew up in Alabama and blondies are pretty common, it's just a white brownie. Didn't know it was a regional thing. My wife makes toll house squares that are kind of in between the two.

[cjefferys]

Whoa, never even heard of "blondies".

We don't have a dog, so I have no idea about that, but it reminds me that when my great-grandmother had to excuse herself to use the bathroom, she would often say that she had to go "see a man about a dog". It must have been an old British colloquialism, because she always seemed to act like such a classic British lady. She passed away back when I was a teenager, but boy I do miss her.

[madmarva]

Great thread.

I was raised in eastern Arkansas near Tennessee and Mississippi which is southern as it can be, but now live in northwest Arkansas near the Missouri and Oklahoma borders, so there is a bit more of a Midwest influence, particularly with folks moving to the area to work in Wal-Mart and Tyson's corporate offices.

Coke was a generic term for all carbonated drinks for me when I was growing up, which seems to be a southern thing, but I now say soda pop or soft drink or use the brand to avoid confusion.

I use sack and bag interchangeably as well as tennis shoes or sneakers. Sneakers is more fun to say.


I eat pancakes. From reading Spider-man, I always wondered if there was any difference in pancakes and wheat cakes?

Rubberbands but aren't they becoming obsolete?

Sandwich rather than heroes, hoagies or subs, but those are much more fun names.

Yard and garage sale are used interchangeably.

convenience store was once interchangeable for gas station, but since there are very few places where an attendant still pumps gas, I go with convenience store.

purse but many ladies have a pocketbook in their purses.

restroom is regularly used in the south for washroom, but so is bathroom. The three are fairly synonymous.

Tea had always been iced tea to me until the last decade or so when some hot teas became more popular. My parents use lemon in iced tea, but not sugar, although sweet tea is common. Someone may have mentioned this but the sugar in sweet tea is best when brewed withe the tea, rather than added after the fact. A friend of mine always brought a big ol' jug of sweet tea to school for after football practice. After a scorching August afternoon practice, that tea was nector from the gods. So much better than a coke, or Gatorade or water. He always got the first couple of swigs, but was good enough to pass the jug around the locker room.

Barbecue in the South is the result of cooking pork, beef or other meats low and slow (hours) usually with a mixture of wood and charcoal. It's not just grilling outside as it is to some folks from other regions. A cookout is when we grill hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, chicken etc. outside.

When older folks in the South say shorts, they probably are referring to men's underwear rather than short pants.

[Rallygirl]

Barbecue in the South is the result of cooking pork, beef or other meats low and slow (hours) usually with a mixture of wood and charcoal. It's not just grilling outside as it is to some folks from other regions. A cookout is when we grill hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, chicken etc. outside.

In my corner of the world, meat on the grill is just that - grilling. Now, if you head to the fair and see a big sign for Barbecue or Barbecue Sandwich, what they actually mean is Sloppy Joes. If you are looking for a southern style barbecue, you want a slow-roasted sandwich.

[HardyGirl]

I have heard of blondies, but I'm not sure I've ever eaten one.

[Rallygirl]

Next question. I was watching TV as I was exercising this morning and saw yet another TV drama portraying every last person the deceased knew descending on their house for a luncheon afterwards. Why would you create all that mess and chaos in the home of someone who just died? Talk about making work for the family. Does this really happen anywhere?

Related question - I also frequently see graveside funeral services in TV dramas. In all my forty-five years, I have never seen that happen in real life. Same question, does this really happen, or only for dramatic TV?

Here, there will be a visitation at the funeral home the night before, and maybe another brief visitation just before the service. These visitations are for friends of the family to offer their condolences. Then there is the actual service for family and close friends, either at the funeral home or in a Church. Whichever place hosts the service also usually hosts a small "ham bun" luncheon afterwards.

[skid14]

here in the south we have graveside service. visitation at the funeral home usually the night/day before. theres usually a church service or funeral home service followed by the graveside service.

[cjefferys]

Related question - I also frequently see graveside funeral services in TV dramas. In all my forty-five years, I have never seen that happen in real life. Same question, does this really happen, or only for dramatic TV?

Here, there will be a visitation at the funeral home the night before, and maybe another brief visitation just before the service. These visitations are for friends of the family to offer their condolences. Then there is the actual service for family and close friends, either at the funeral home or in a Church. Whichever place hosts the service also usually hosts a small "ham bun" luncheon afterwards.

I've attended a couple graveside funeral services in the past. I've been to visitations and services at funeral homes too, I guess it's up to the wishes of the deceased and their family, but yes graveside funeral services do really happen.

[ubermanx]

Whoa, never even heard of "blondies".

We don't have a dog, so I have no idea about that, but it reminds me that when my great-grandmother had to excuse herself to use the bathroom, she would often say that she had to go "see a man about a dog". It must have been an old British colloquialism, because she always seemed to act like such a classic British lady. She passed away back when I was a teenager, but boy I do miss her.

I picked up the "see a man about a dog" from a British Tank commander. Been using it ever since ...

- Marty

[piecemaker]

Yes,graveside funerals happen.I've been to several.I think it depends on how the family wants to do it.My Grandpa on my mothers side had visitation at a funeral home in the town he lived,then there was a funeral procession to the cemetery 20 miles away and a graveside service held there.

My other Grandpa had a visitation and funeral at at funeral home in the town he lived.There was then a funeral procession to the National cemetery where they have whats called a Committal Service.Its not graveside but in an area at the cemetery called a Committal Shelter where he recieved Military Funeral Honors,which was the folding and presenting of the US burial flag,the playing of Taps and a 21 gun salute.