No matter where you live in the world, there are always different cultures to experience when you travel. That holds true even when you are traveling within a country like the United States. From the accents to the food, you can definitely tell when you are in the South verses the rest of the U.S.
Here are 7 ways that you can use to tell that you are in the South:
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Southern Accent & Dialect – The undeniable Southern accent is one that you just can’t hide. I think the accent compliments the Southern charm and lifestyle. Yes, we draw out some words, cut the ending off of others and use our own slang but you can always tell that we are proud of our Southern roots because we don’t try to hide it.
Weather – Oh it gets hot and humid, very humid I must say but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We don’t like the mosquitos or gnats either but we definitely don’t like the freezing cold. If the weather forecast shows even a sign of a dusting of snow coming our way, we’re off to the grocery store to make sure we’ve got everything we need. Sure our seasons get mixed up and you don’t know what to wear but once it’s hot, you will know it by the humidity.
Phrases – I believe the phrase that the South is most famous for is “bless your heart”. That phrase can have different meanings depending on how you say it. It can be said as showing true empathy for someone or it can be a nice way of insulting someone. If you are from the South, you know what all these little phrases mean but if you’re not, you might want to check out my Southern Sayings collection.
Sweet Tea – The preferred drink of the South. Sweet tea is a Southern favorite and most restaurants (especially in the South-East) offer it as first choice. Just a word of caution – it’s not wise to drink sweet tea at the beach because the water is more salty which ruins the flavor.
Food – Yes it’s true, we fry about anything and everything. We love Duke’s mayonnaise, biscuits & gravy and grits. We take pride in our comfort foods and the best way to experience it is to go to a big Sunday dinner with family and friends. You can even check out our Southern food traditions to bring good luck into the New Year here.
Manners – Whether it’s called Southern charm or Southern etiquette; we are raised to: always hold the door for the next person, address people using ma’am and sir, knock before opening a closed door, stay humble, help people when we can and to always say please and thank you. Showing and giving respect is a big deal to a true Southerner.
Friendliness – It is normal to be addressed as honey, sweetie and sweetheart by a Southerner. We’re not trying to flirt, we are just accustom to it. We like shaking hands and hugging people so beware. We say hey to strangers and wave at people as they pass by down the back roads. We don’t mean no harm, we just like being friendly.
Now do all 7 of these ways apply 100% of the time to every where you visit in the South? By no means but it is true for the Southern culture in general. If you have never visited the South, I hope you plan a trip soon so that you can experience the Southern hospitality that we are famous for.
Visit the recipe category at the top of the page to check out some more great Southern recipes. Leave a comment below with your Southern observations (be nice, please). Sign up on the home page to receive one weekly email from Ssouthernlifestyle and as always have a blessed day!
Love this!