Questions Northerns always ask when thinking of a move to the South

WV Sawmiller · June 15, 2017, 07:23:01 PM

Not wanting to offend our northern brethren (And since I moved to WV I am no longer sure where we fit in the mix with a state that split off and joined the union but a big old Confederate memorial in the town square - but that's another story) but Dad always said we shipped our Riff Raff to ___ (I will not list the exact state lest I offend a specific group/state) and improved both places. :D ;D

I would suggest to folks moving anywhere south of my current location to be sure to buy light colored vehicles with light upholstery and be prepared to pay big electric bills (which may be offset from the high heating bills they were already used to paying in the northern winters.

As to the bugs you are not going to convince me the bugs down South are really that much worse than the blackflies and mosquitoes in the far north areas either.

snowstorm · June 15, 2017, 08:27:24 PM

Quote from: Sixacresand on June 14, 2017, 10:18:16 PM
A guy from Germany who was Visiting middle Georgia on company business sent an email asking if he needed to rent a four wheel drive vehicle at the Atlanta airport to get to our plant.

sorta like the guy that came to maine on bussiness in feb. after picking up his rental car he went to the hardware store and bought 3 shopping carts of tube sand . true story

POSTON WIDEHEAD · June 15, 2017, 11:12:31 PM

Quote from: WDH on June 14, 2017, 07:34:47 AM
The best way to solve this "questions" problem is for y'all to stay up there.

smiley_clapping materhead smiley_applause smiley_deadheader alligator

Darrel · June 16, 2017, 10:00:26 AM

Ain't from the south, never been there, not from the north neither, but I do like grits! Can I come? ;D

YellowHammer · June 16, 2017, 11:03:17 AM

Living in the South is more of a state of mind than a place. Ain't no place better.

When I was on a trip to Japan, everybody on both our American and Japanese envoys was being so dimplomatic and courteous. Everything had to be just so. There was one of those 5 foot diameter, big world globes sitting in the floor, and I walked over to it, spun it around and told the Japanese Senior Officer that the globe was mounted incorrectly and they should fix it. Of course, this provoked an immediate concerned reaction and when they asked what was wrong, I said that everybody knows the center of the world runs through Alabama, and they should remount is so that is spins though there, instead of the poles.
Everybody got a good laugh, except that I meant it. :D

We had a customer from "up North" drive in the other day and ask since we were a sawmill, did we also sell fresh eggs from our chickens. I looked around and asked him if he saw any chickens, because we don't have any, and if we did it would have been news to me. ??? He said that he thought everybody "down here" raised chickens. :D. He then he asked if any of my neighbors had chickens and sold eggs, and I was about to get a aggravated with him until I realized one of my neighbors did sell chickens and eggs. :D. I told him to drive down their gravel driveway real slow, so the neighbors wouldn't think they were "revenuers" coming to bust up their mooshine still.

Grizzly · June 16, 2017, 11:16:31 AM

I mostly enjoyed trucking in the south but I always got a bit uncomfortable with them waitresses putting their hands on my shoulders and calling me sweetheart and such things. I finally asked other drivers and was told "that's just southern hospitality!". So I may visit again but next time I'll be prepared. ;D

WV Sawmiller · June 16, 2017, 12:22:32 PM

Griz,

Reminds me of the first time I got a haircut in Okinawa while stationed there in USMC. The barber started beating on my neck after she cut my hair and I thought she was mad at me. Come to find out they always give a neck massage after a haircut. It actually felt real good after i realized I was not being used for karate practice.

In Saudi I got a haircut form a Turkish barber and he got a button and thread (like we used to buzz with when I was a kid) and used it to wind up and pull the fuzz off my cheeks. Stung a little but sure was smooth after.

I Dubai a few years back on my way home from Afghanistan I got a haircut and the barber stuffed my ears and nostril with what looked like a Q-tip coated with bikini wax and jerked the hair out of them. Kind of smarted in the nose and he broke one off in my right ear and I thought I was going to have to pull it out with my Leatherman but he finally freed it. My wife said it helped reduce my snoring till the hair grew back.

Different cultures have different views on what is socially permissible and acceptable and can be a little unnerving to the uninitiated. Heck, a lady in Indy once looked at me funny when I asked her to put cole slaw on my hot dog. She reluctantly complied but said it looked disgusting.

TKehl · June 16, 2017, 01:18:29 PM

I always figured if you could get sweet tea you were in the south, and if the waitress called you "hun", that's the deep south. :D

Had a guy coming to my place that managed to get cell signal to see if he was at the right place. Asked if we lived in a mobile home, had old cars, and dogs. I said Yup. He said he was at my place. I looked out the window and said he wasn't. Turned out he was at the neighbors two houses up the road. ;D Told him he needed to be more specific about what kind of dog out here. :D

paul case · June 16, 2017, 02:26:26 PM

Howard,

Your stories about haircuts reminds me of a Ray Stevens' song, ''When you get a haircut you better go back home, get a barber you have known''.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PnIuo4diqY

PC

gspren · June 16, 2017, 02:33:22 PM

You don't need to be too far south to hear "Hun", I worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD which is only 30 miles south of the Mason Dixon line and when I was 50 years old and got an office job it came with a secretary that called everyone hun. One Sunday evening there was a message on our home phone that went "Hey Hun I'm going to be a little late tomorrow", luckily my wife also knew her so wife just laughed and said that's Ruthie.

florida · June 17, 2017, 10:08:37 AM

One of the benefits of living in south Florida is that we only have two "industries" home building and tourism and those two are closely related. The Northerners and Canadians come down for a warm vacation, fall in love and buy a house. Obviously the main benefit is that we all work in one of those two industries. The main benefit is that due to the tourists and Yankees we have the best mosquito control in the world. In spite of living in what is really mostly swamp they just aren't a problem. I can't even remember when the last skeeter bite I had. So when people ask about bugs I tell them we don't have any.

WV Sawmiller · June 17, 2017, 11:01:56 AM

Paul,

Ray Stevens came to mind as I was writing my recollections. We had a Norwegian exchange student who collected all his stuff while she was here and on her return visits. I think her favorite was "Eric, the Awful" followed closely by teaching Charlene to drive and the little blue-haired lady in the Oldsmobile.

TKehl,

Your comment reminds me that Northerners coming south also need to know it is permissible and expected to put more than 2 ice cubes in a glass of tea. We had a German daughter (another exchange student) who got hooked on a glass full of ice while she lived with us for the year and I packed 3 extra ice trays in her bags to take home with her when she went home. (She also had a pair of yardstick marked suspenders from Lowes for her grandpa and a coonskin cap to wear when she got off the plane so I figure we trained her well in the time we had her.) For some reason up north and in Europe people don't understand about the proper use of ice. If your nose does not get cold draining the glass you don't have enough ice in it.

derhntr · June 28, 2017, 05:23:17 PM

Never knew what order these fall in you'uns, us'uns an we'ins. ;D

btulloh · June 28, 2017, 06:15:27 PM

I hear more people from all over using "y'all" now. They should teach proper usage in school, 'cause it can be tricky.

People from the wrong part of the country think we use "y'all" to refer to not only the collective "you all", but also to an individual. I can see where they would make that mistake, but generally it's always used to refer to the collective, not the singular. (I think the exceptions occur because someone from The South has been watching movies or tv with Southern characters played by people from Hollywood.)

To clarify, if I was talkin' to John (all by hisself) when I was gettin' a Yoohoo at the fillin' station, I might say: "So what are y'all doing for the holiday?". If someone from the wrong part of the country heard me, they would think I was referring to John in the singular as "y'all". People from down here would know that I was asking "What are you and Bettie Jane and the kids doing for the holiday?".

So that's how it works. "Y'all" is not used to refer to a single person, but is often used when addressing a single person who's family or friends happen to be somewhere else at the moment. It's that simple, y'all.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · June 28, 2017, 08:36:17 PM

Quote from: btulloh on June 28, 2017, 06:15:27 PM
I hear more people from all over using "y'all" now. They should teach proper usage in school, 'cause it can be tricky.

People from the wrong part of the country think we use "y'all" to refer to not only the collective "you all", but also to an individual. I can see where they would make that mistake, but generally it's always used to refer to the collective, not the singular. (I think the exceptions occur because someone from The South has been watching movies or tv with Southern characters played by people from Hollywood.)

To clarify, if I was talkin' to John (all by hisself) when I was gettin' a Yoohoo at the fillin' station, I might say: "So what are y'all doing for the holiday?". If someone from the wrong part of the country heard me, they would think I was referring to John in the singular as "y'all". People from down here would know that I was asking "What are you and Bettie Jane and the kids doing for the holiday?".

So that's how it works. "Y'all" is not used to refer to a single person, but is often used when addressing a single person who's family or friends happen to be somewhere else at the moment. It's that simple, y'all.

I don't get it. :D :D :D

WDH · June 28, 2017, 09:10:57 PM

"Do you think that I will get redbugs?"

Yes :D :D :D.

POSTON WIDEHEAD · June 28, 2017, 09:20:20 PM

Quote from: WDH on June 28, 2017, 09:10:57 PM
"Do you think that I will get redbugs?"

Yes :D :D :D.

OMG! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Peter Drouin · June 28, 2017, 10:03:05 PM

Red bugs?

YellowHammer · June 28, 2017, 10:25:31 PM

Quote from: POSTONLT40HD on June 28, 2017, 09:20:20 PM
Quote from: WDH on June 28, 2017, 09:10:57 PM
"Do you think that I will get redbugs?"

Yes :D :D :D.

OMG! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Only if you set down on the stoop. O'course, southerners know to lookit before they set.

LaneC · June 29, 2017, 08:54:10 AM

Don't forget about fire ants. You best be looking real close at whatever you are about to sit on or kneel on. they will leave pretty little white bumps all over you :D. ( :D everywhere they bite, a little bump that looks just like a pimple pops up and itches as well as hurts ) (The explanation is for our Northern friends)