What should I expect different in the South?

[msb578]

So it's easy to see how important high school and college football are throughout the south.

When I was in Columbia right before A&M/USC, the one question I wanted to ask was: how do you play football in that August heat?

At the MK a week later, I got sick just from spending the day walking around

 

[MnMomtoboys]

What part of the South do you live in that fries most of their food? Because I was born and raised here and don't find that to be accurate. We like our fried chicken, true....on occasion. But they fry "fried chicken" up north too.

She lives in Minnesota, where life is perfect and the rest of the country is doing it wrong.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

She lives in Minnesota, where life is perfect and the rest of the country is doing it wrong.

hehe...

 

[EMom]

She lives in Minnesota, where life is perfect and the rest of the country is doing it wrong.

So she stopped at a truck stop or a Cracker Barrel and from that, thinks Southerners sit around eating fried food 24/7, grease dribbling down their chins on to their overalls? Alrighty then. That's like my BIL, who has never baked a SINGLE pie in his life, acting like he's the worldwide expert on pies because he watched a few episodes of Paula Deen.

 

[Disneychick75]

If I may, I'd like to address the first part. I have never referred to anyone as a yankee in a negative way. To me, a yankee is a person from up north, but not all areas up north. It's just another way to describe someone just like "southerner", "New Englander", etc. I rarely hear it as an insult. As to the second part...


I know that there are times when people say "Bless your heart" and actually mean "stick it in your ear"; however, there are many many times that they are being sincere. Often times, I hear it (and say it) in place of something like "poor thing" or the like. In those situations, which, again, I hear more often than the other, it is not used as an insult.


It's done in various places. But there are also places where some people don't even make eye contact when walking down the street and have heard that some see it as a challenge of sorts. Since I don't know where the OP is from, I thought I'd point that out just in case she wasn't used to it and might think it odd or even threatening in some way.

I never knew " Bless your heart" was used in an ugly way until I joined the DIS. If we say it, we mean it.
Yankee is not usually used in an ugly way unless the person has moved down south and acts like "we are so much better than you are ". Then, it's on but that has happened maybe once or twice that I remember.

OP here! Northern Ohio to Southern Alabama! We are very excited but nervous..

You should be fine. Get involved in Church or if you have kids, their school, if the town has a Newcomer's Club, join that. My husband taught at our local university and I can't think of one time when people from out of state were not happily welcomed to our town. Souther Alabama is beautiful. Enjoy and welcome to to the South!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Okay, I am from the South, and my DH is from 'up North'.
Tons of people from the Midwest and Yankees from the Northeast retire in this area. Better weather, endless golf, etc..

Love me some Southern Sweet Tea.
Not all tea is good Southern Sweet Tea.
McDonalds serves some of the best 'chain' sweet tea.
it is SWEET!!! And pretty 'smooth' too.

Okay, there are differences.
There have actually been many threads that have mentioned some of the more subtle differences.

I am from the South, but not the deep south....
The most that I truly know about Southern Alabama is that we pass thru there on the way to those GORGEOUS white sand beaches on the Florida Panhandle. During ideal conditions, they are absolutely 'Caribbean'. If you like beaches, at all, THIS will be the one thing that will have you thanking god that you moved to Southern AL!!!!!!

And, they do make some GOOD biscuits in AL!!!!!!

Some of the things mentioned here are much exaggerated.
But, especially in the deep south, and especially in more rural areas, some of them might still, in 2014, still be so very true that you will really, really, be amazed.

People DO talk here. That is def. true.
We have actually encountered people in our community that we have called "Town Talker". Generally these are actually retired men. Mornings are for coffee and biscuits at their favorite place, either local joint, or Hardees, or wherever, that go well into the day, and include talking man-talk and gossip amongst themselves, and approaching and talking to any other unsuspecting patron.

Church can be big. But not to the extent that is being mentioned here. But could def. be true when it comes to smaller more rural areas in the deeper South. And, even if this is not true, one can sometimes encounter those people who think it is their duty to 'evangelize'. My son has had a couple of people approach him and hand him pamphlets. (Really bothers me when they target kids!!!!)

Me, I love me some sweet tea.
I am sometimes 'fixing' (getting ready) to do something.
I can sometimes say Y'all.
I do not care "if/where you go to church".
I have not 'FRIED' food in years!!!!! (just very occasionally...)
I did recently get some wild caught Gulf Shrimp and fry it up. (OMG YUMM!!!) And, maybe once a summer I will bread some okra in cornmeal mix and fry it up for my son. (Again, YUMM!!!)
I do eat Grits, and occasionally brave the calories to make a hot skillet southern cornbread. (OMG, double YUMM!!!)
I am friendly and will talk to you... but generally will not 'approach' you in a way that most people, would not be comfortable with. (For example, in the grocery store, I saw a woman looking at the myriad of shredded cheeses, and I just openly pointed out to her that this one particular shredded Mozzarella is SO good.) Yes, we do eat Italian, and other foods.
I do eat at several chain restaurants.
There are just as many here as ANYWHERE.
But, very small rural towns, of course, could not support the amount of business they need to operate. But, in a short drive, I can visit almost any nearly-national chain that you could think of.

PS: My son has a REAL talent for copying different funny accents and sayings. Exaggerating the southern accent. If you want, send a PM, and your phone number... I could give you a quick call, and put him on the line. I guarantee you would be

 

[Disneychick75]

Okay, I am from the South, and my DH is from 'up North'.
Tons of people from the Midwest and Yankees from the Northeast retire in this area. Better weather, endless golf, etc..

Love me some Southern Sweet Tea.
Not all tea is good Southern Sweet Tea.
McDonalds serves some of the best 'chain' sweet tea.
it is SWEET!!! And pretty 'smooth' too.

Okay, there are differences.
There have actually been many threads that have mentioned some of the more subtle differences.

I am from the South, but not the deep south....
The most that I truly know about Southern Alabama is that we pass thru there on the way to those GORGEOUS white sand beaches on the Florida Panhandle. During ideal conditions, they are absolutely 'Caribbean'. If you like beaches, at all, THIS will be the one thing that will have you thanking god that you moved to Southern AL!!!!!!

And, they do make some GOOD biscuits in AL!!!!!!

Some of the things mentioned here are much exaggerated.
But, especially in the deep south, and especially in more rural areas, some of them might still, in 2014, still be so very true that you will really, really, be amazed.

People DO talk here. That is def. true.
We have actually encountered people in our community that we have called "Town Talker". Generally these are actually retired men. Mornings are for coffee and biscuits at their favorite place, either local joint, or Hardees, or wherever, that go well into the day, and include talking man-talk and gossip amongst themselves, and approaching and talking to any other unsuspecting patron.

Church can be big. But not to the extent that is being mentioned here. But could def. be true when it comes to smaller more rural areas in the deeper South. And, even if this is not true, one can sometimes encounter those people who think it is their duty to 'evangelize'. My son has had a couple of people approach him and hand him pamphlets. (Really bothers me when they target kids!!!!)

Me, I love me some sweet tea.
I am sometimes 'fixing' (getting ready) to do something.
I can sometimes say Y'all.
I do not care "if/where you go to church".
I have not 'FRIED' food in years!!!!! (just very occasionally...)
I did recently get some wild caught Gulf Shrimp and fry it up. (OMG YUMM!!!) And, maybe once a summer I will bread some okra in cornmeal mix and fry it up for my son. (Again, YUMM!!!)
I do eat Grits, and occasionally brave the calories to make a hot skillet southern cornbread. (OMG, double YUMM!!!)
I am friendly and will talk to you... but generally will not 'approach' you in a way that most people, would not be comfortable with. (For example, in the grocery store, I saw a woman looking at the myriad of shredded cheeses, and I just openly pointed out to her that this one particular shredded Mozzarella is SO good.) Yes, we do eat Italian, and other foods.
I do eat at several chain restaurants.
There are just as many here as ANYWHERE.
But, very small rural towns, of course, could not support the amount of business they need to operate. But, in a short drive, I can visit almost any nearly-national chain that you could think of.

PS: My son has a REAL talent for copying different funny accents and sayings. Exaggerating the southern accent. If you want, send a PM, and your phone number... I could give you a quick call, and put him on the line. I guarantee you would be

Maybe I should have qualified my statement about Church- I meant Church and school are a good way to meet people in the community. Whether someone attends Church or not is their business.

 

[tinatark]

Food (sometimes the best in town!) at Gas Stations!

Just saw, you're moving to L.A. ! Lower Alabama... I think the Redneck Riviera is near there!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Hey, DisneyChick
My comments were based on a few earlier post.
I know that your post was nice and well-meaning!!!!
Definitely no offense taken, or intended!
No problem!!!

 

[Happy Snowman]

She lives in Minnesota, where life is perfect and the rest of the country is doing it wrong.

 

[Happy Snowman]

What part of the South do you live in that fries most of their food? Because I was born and raised here and don't find that to be accurate. We like our fried chicken, true....on occasion. But they fry "fried chicken" up north too.

It's as accurate as everything else on this thread ...head over to Mississippi...

 

[RitaZ.]

She lives in Minnesota, where life is perfect and the rest of the country is doing it wrong.

 

[luvsJack]

This part really bothers me.

Unless South Alabama is eztremely different than South Mississippi (and since I am maybe an hour from the border, its not that different), its not like the pp describes.

Such things do exist but the kids that go are in the minority--extreme minority. And there is no connection to high school teams, squads or other organiations.

And to clarify the church thing, the OP will most certainly be asked and possibly invited but there is no shunning or pressure or any such thing. Its just making conversation. There are a lot of churches in the south and of all different faiths. A lot of community events tend to center around one church or another.

Op, I love South Alabama. We spend a lot of time there. Gulf Shores is a fun and beautiful vacation spot. We are lucky enough to live close enough to go for day trips.

 

[madge]

Still? It was like that when we were stationed in Alabama in the late 80's.

yes ... oh, yes. I was so sad when my daughter outgrew the bows and smocked dresses. I loved them.

Sorority rush in the SEC is hard core like the football.

 

[EMom]

It's as accurate as everything else on this thread ...head over to Mississippi...

So do you live in Mississippi, are you claiming people in Mississippi (and the South in general) subsist on fried food, or both? Just for clarification.

 

[EMom]

yes ... oh, yes. I was so sad when my daughter outgrew the bows and smocked dresses. I loved them.

Sorority rush in the SEC is hard core like the football.

Oh yes, the smocked dresses for little girls are still worn, especially to church. I passed on DD's to other little girls and I'm sure they are still making the rounds. And bows? They may never go out of style. They just grow up and wear CHEER bows.

 

[luvsJack]

It's as accurate as everything else on this thread ...head over to Mississippi...

Lol. Not even close.

 

[twinboysmom]

It's as accurate as everything else on this thread ...head over to Mississippi...

Uh no, it's really not. Since you are super familiar with me then you know I lived in Mississippi for 10 years before our recent move to Texas. My DH I was born and raised theire and a resident of over 40 years. We have lived in the southern part of the state and in the capital. Two totally different areas. While there might be some small subcultures that fry a lot the majority of food is not fried.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Aqua net and houndstooth. Lots of it!

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Y'all can be a singular and plural word all in the same, depending on the context of the sentence.

I saw y'all driving the other day = 1 person

Y'all coming for supper ? = 2 or more people

When all y'all coming ? = more that just a few people