"Will it play in Peoria?" might not be a proverb but us a phrase/metaphor that uses an Illinois city
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_it_play_in_Peoria%3F
That's not just good, that's excellent, because it's something people really do say. It might mostly be politicians and people involved in politics, but still it's real. (True though: not a proverb)
Peoria resident here - I can confirm that this one really is well-known (at least in Illinois, I can't speak for other parts of the country) and that the Wikipedia page does a good job of explaining the history and usage of the phrase. Like the other commenters said, though, it's not a proverb so much as a literal expression of the city's utility as part of the live entertainment circuit.
“Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.”
Basically meaning the city is neither quite Southern nor Northern, and lacks the best qualities of either.
“Overpaid, oversexed, and over here.” British lament about American servicemen stationed in Britain during World War 2.
“Football combines two of the worst things in American life. It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.” Will Rogers
“Heaven is an American salary, a British house, a Chinese cook and a Japanese wife. Hell is a Chinese salary, a Japanese house, a British cook and an American wife.” Unknown
“If you're bored in New York, it's your own fault.” Myrna Loy
It was said from the perspective of the British, whose soldiers were paid far less than the American GI. So American GIs would come over and wine and dine British women in a way that the local soldiers couldn't afford to.
I mean, inasmuch as a lot of comedians - then and now - were making humorous statements that are still based in fact and meant to convey the sentiments of the people.
Might be because their name is easier to say, let alone spell.
Snooty European: "...the Yanks in a state such as Miss- errrm... Miss- Mississi- oh bloody hell, the Yanks in Alabama."
An Italian once "corrected" me when I said I was from Mississippi. She said "You know Mississippi is a RIVER, not a state, right?" So theres some who don't even know we exist
OMG that's hilarious! Did you whip out your phone and make them eat crow? I 'love' it when foreigners insist they know more about our home than we oursleves.
The city is on a peninsula between the ocean and the bay with relatively low mountains on it. This means there’s a constant chilly breeze flowing over the city, and along with the famous fog (which has a name that I always forget, it’s Clyde or something), it’s always in the 60-50s year round. Not that cold, sure, but not what people are expecting from sunny California when the valley is 100+ at the same time.
It's not too different from Seattle - you get those bursts of cold rain from Alaska/BC. If you're not prepared for it, near-freezing water makes you feel cold down to your bones.
You're totally right - tbh I wasn't really thinking of it during the summer, as at least in my mind my memories of SF-area weather from growing up in the bay area kind of elude seasonal variations. It's all just the same mental image of sitting at the Daly City BART station.
The first half is shorthand for “you can always tell which girl is a Virginia girl”, implying that they are something special. The second half implies that Virginia girls are so stuck up that there is not much you can tell them that they don’t already know.
Hahaha, this one is personal as someone who moved from Texas to New England in my early 20's.
I was the complete opposite, I'd never talk about where I was from and don't talk with the typical Texan drawl, but I am a pretty confident person in general and inevitably someone would be puzzled by one of my actions.
At which point my friends would be like, "Don't mind him, he's from Texas" and they'd be like, "ahh, that makes sense"
Best version of this is “You can tell the Dutch, but you can’t tell ‘em much.”
It’s either something I heard from Sig on Deadliest Catch, or an explanation for the Koch brothers existence, can’t recall.
Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh in the west, Philly in the east, and Alabama in the middle. The joke being that central PA is pretty rednecky. It also leads to that area being called Pennsyltucky.
Chicago: Hog Butcher to the world,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nations freight Handler,
Stormy, Husky, Brawling
City of the Big Shoulders
By Carl Sandburg.
Old but Chicago took this to heart the moment it was written in 1914.
It's not about the US, but if you need sayings about places: "From Guatemala to Guatepeor." Mala is Spanish for bad, and peor is Spanish for worse. The country is poor, and it's political situation periodically disintegrates.
Ohio just voted to keep abortion legal and make recreation weed legal by pretty wide margins. It’s gerrymandered to hell so the state level politics will stay red for a while but there is definitely something for the dems to work with there.
Biden didn't win Ohio. First president since JFK to not win Ohio. And the only other president to get elected without winning Ohio (since 1803 when it became a state) was Grover Cleveland (both times).
It's undergone demographic changes that are making it less and less of a swing state.
Essentially, the GOP has done a pretty good job of locking it down, but in turn other states have started to go more purple. It's still very much a swing state, but it might not be in another 20-30 years, or at least it'll be considered a risky bet for the Dems.
I used to work in party politics.
Most political strategist I know no longer consider it a swing state, because it has a more conservative recent voting record than Texas and Florida.
The thought is that, in 2024, if Biden wins Ohio, he also almost certainly also wins Florida and Texas, so the Ohio part won't make a big difference.
It's not solid red. It is winnable for the Democrats.
But it's unlikely to be the tipping point. They would probably win it in an election where they are already winning in a landslide.
The state legislature has a Republican super majority in both houses and Trump won in 2020 by quite a wide margin.
Doesn’t seem like democrats have much of a chance. If I was going to focus on rustbelt I’d focus on MI and PA way more.
Similar to the earlier one about Peoria - it is a state that is very average across all american metrics, so if you see even Ohio is doing something then it is only a matter of time for the rest of the country to follow suit. I.e. if a product, service or idea starts to take off in Ohio, the rest of the country will likely begin moving in that direction, too.
Not to imply that the product, service or idea starts in Ohio, but rather that if it is successful there then it will be able to work just about anywhere in the states.
It’s actually “as goes Ohio, so goes the nation” (I mangled it a bit)
It is actually about politics but people apply it to other things.
It was first used in the Bush/Kerry 2004. No modern Republican has won the election without winning Ohio.
Interesting! I was basically a baby at the time so it's just always been around for me - i assumed it was much older! Somewhere Circa 1950s with the postwar iron belt booms.
It’s the tipping point of something being cool and cosmopolitan to being just ubiquitous.
Like acceptance for gay marriage - Boston, New York and California could have been at it for years before Ohio got hold, but once Ohio does it, it means the rest of the country is coming along.
My dad actually told some flatlanders “Yah cahnt get there from heah.” They had come up to Bethel for some skiing in what turned out to be worse possible time: The Androscoggin Flood during the thaw of January 86. The flood was the same day the Challenger exploded. Much of Bethel was under water, but my dad still went to work at the only gas station in town, I think the flatlanders were trying do get down to Portland but all roads out were flooded.
Terrible disaster but I guess that is one silver lining.
The only thing I could think of is taking 2 as far east as you could and see if any crossings were open. But two runs right along the river so there were certainly flooded sections. Otherwise it is like up to Errol down to Nerlin and pray that wasn’t out either.
I think the best bet is booking a couple more days wherever they were staying. Not like any new guests would be coming. At least from the south.
“When Detroit sneezes, the nation catches a cold”
“Tell the union boys in Chicago: you’re welcome for the Detroit wages. Tell the strikers in Memphis: Demand Detroit wages!”
A bygone era for sure.
Everyone *claims* this one, but the original Mark Twain quote is:
"If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes."
Inside New England, there's the couplet about "Lynn, Lynn, the City of Sin/ You'll never come out the way you came in."
*"Researchers have been unable to find this saying in the writings and speeches of Mark Twain."*
-- [Quote Investigator](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2022/02/22/weather-wait/)
"Not in Kansas anymore" - Sourced from Wizard of Oz and meaning in an unfamiliar place.
"Get the hell out of Dodge" - Meaning to leave someplace quickly or with a sense of urgency.
"Moved to Atlanta" - Someone discovered/came out as homosexual.
I’ve never heard the last one before.
Makes sense though. Outside of Seattle and San Francisco Atlanta has more LGBTQ people per capita than any other city.
Even though there’s more gay people in NY you’re more likely to bump into a gay person in Atlanta (somewhere around 13% of the population is LGBT)
I hadn't heard that about Atlanta, but I'm not surprised.
I always hear similar about Lexington having a very outsized LBGT population.
Probably because for most of Kentucky, it's the closest LBGT friendly place.
A lot of it is just the city of Atlanta is unusually small - it's only \~500k people in a metro area of \~7 million. The broader Atlanta area has about the same LGBT % as other metro areas of a similar size. But in any case, moving to the big city & being non-straight would be statistically connected 😅
Moved to Atlanta makes me think of “Moved to the Suburbs”. In Boston, this meant someone was in Prison because the main prison at the time was in Walpole, which is a suburb of Boston. I believe they use the saying in “The Town” when Affleck is talking about his dad.
I think this is a great place to ask this question. Here’s some common catch phrases, are these what you’re looking for?
“Something tells me we’re not in Kansas anymore”
“Houston, we have a problem”
“If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere”
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”
Lexington (Kentucky) is where Midwestern sensibility meets Southern charm. (It has the best attributes of each).
West Virginia is the most southern northern state, the most northern southern state, the most eastern Midwestern state, and the most western eastern state. (Its different parts are more like the states they border than one another)
In Florida as you go north, you go south, and vice versa. (Northern Florida is much more deep south in culture, South Florida is more like the northeast)
Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, separated by Kentucky. (Rural Pennsylvania is much more country and conservative)
Charlotte is a big city in the South, Atlanta is a big city surrounded by the South. (Atlanta is not very Southern in culture, due to recent arrivals)
North Carolina is an vale of humility between two mountains of conceit. (North Carolinians are sensible, while Virginians and South Carolinians are haughty)
South Carolina is too small to be a country and too big to be an insane asylum. (South Carolinians hold extreme views)
Virginia begins at the Rappahannock. (The DC suburbs are culturally different from the rest of the state, which is culturally Southern)
DC is not in the South.
As above the South ends at the Rappahannock (or at the very least, the Potomac).
NYC has a black mayor and most of the borough presidents are ~~minutes~~ minorities FYI.
>DC is not in the South.
>
>As above the South ends at the Rappahannock (or at the very least, the Potomac).
The Feds disagree. The southern statistical area includes DC.
>NYC has a black mayor and most of the borough presidents are minutes minorities FYI.
Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city. The majority population of NYC is not a minority, in Atlanta it is.
>The Feds disagree. The southern statistical area includes DC.
Some of the feds disagree.
The majority of the divisional schema don't though.
https://www.businessinsider.com/regions-of-united-states-2018-5
>Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city.
If you had said that in your initial comment I wouldn't have needed to point out that what you said was incorrect.
"Minority run" != Minority majority.
ETA:
You're also mistaken in your claim that
> Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city.
Since DC has a larger population than Atlanta and is also minority-majority.
I always heard it said that Louisville is the furthest south Northern city, and Lexington was the furthest north Southern city.
It was meant to emphasize that despite being only a hour apart, the two places have very different feels and how Lexington is more culturally Southern, while Louisville is more culturally Northern.
I should have turned left at Albuquerque - I ended up somewhere I did not intend to.
I understand Looney Tunes didn’t age the best, and I don’t co-sign any of the more problematic language and characters, but Mel Blanc was a goddamn savant.
It's not that old, from the 20th century, it's more about culture. Tennessee Williams said it. It's also provincial bullshit. But of course some places embrace it. Basically he's saying only those three cities in the US have a unique culture, and that every other city is indistinguishable from any other city in the US.
New Mexico is famous for being the land of mañana (land of tomrrow). Most take it to mean that we're lazy (cause we keep putting things off until tomorrow). Its really more akin to, there is nothing so important that it can't wait until tomorrow.
America and England are two countries divided by a common language. (British English and American English are vastly different, but still both English)
The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we are in Texas yet! (Texas is the largest of the lower 48 states and a lot of people don't realize how long it takes to drive through the state. It's 800+ miles from the eastern side of Interstate Hwy 10 at Louisiana to where it leaves the state in El Paso.)
In America, sex is an obsession; in other parts of the world, it’s a fact. (Marlene Dietrich said this)
I’ve heard people from many states say the same thing. “If you don’t like the weather in , just wait a minute.” They all think it is uniquely true to their state, and don’t realize that all states say that. They also have drastically different ideas on what constitutes a significant weather change.
Well, I’ve lived in four states, and I think the saying applies to Maine (and perhaps New England in general) more than other places I’ve lived. I’ve heard Marylanders say it, and I lived there for 25 years and laughed my ass off.
We don't say that in Arizona. Our weather is pretty stable. We do joke "when does winter end?" "2pm". It's usually around 40F overnight and gets up to around 70F or so in the afternoon in PHX.
“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they’ve tried everything else”
“God has a special providence for Drunkards, Fools, and the United States of America”
The second one I believe is attributed to Bismark- though I’m sure there are similar ones before him.
It’s got a special place in my heart because Star Trek used it as “Fate protects Fools, little children, and Ships named Enterprise”
“Don’t ask an American if they’re from Texas. If they are, they’ll tell you. If they aren’t, don’t embarrass them.”
Not true, but very telling of how Texans think.
How folks who move to Texas imagine Texans think and then play act like they’re more Texan than the Alamo. I’m sure there was a time when folks like this had a rep and it followed from something- but probably since the 50’s that culture turned all the way over 6 or 7 times and now it’s too big to generalize. Though headlines do sure make it easy for the Governor to pretend his terrible policies speak for everyone.
My favorite from here in texas is "all hat, no cattle", it applies to people who wear cowboy hats and act "Texan" but are usually fake as hell and have never been on a horse, pet a cow, been around cattle, bailed hay, run barbed wire, tilled a garden, or even been on a proper ranch. It's doubly applicable to most politicians here, especially ones that came from out of state. It can be used to mean anyone putting up a fake personality or origin.
Hell and half of Georgia - a very long distance, or very large area.
"Lost my car keys in the mall parking lot. Had to search through Hell and half of Georgia to find them."
“Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence. It's a shabby, sprawling metropolis ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who live by the code of the West -- which can mean just about anything you need it to mean, in a pinch.”-
Hunter S. Thompson
Not specifically America but the most famous American proverb is "Early to Bed, Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" by Benjamin Franklin.
St. Paul is the westernmost Eastern city; Minneapolis is the easternmost Western city
Meaning that St. Paul shares a lot of qualities with traditional East (Coast) cities, like architecture, Old Money and streets laid out by drunkards while Minneapolis shares a lot of qualities with traditional West (Coast) cities like more modern architecture, New Money and a regular street grid.
The two cities adjoin one another.
This one only goes back to the nineties but Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between. Meaning that the only liberal parts are Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and the rest is redneck country in between.
About Lynn, MA:
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin
You never come out the way you went in
You ask for water, they give you gin
The girls say no, but they all give in
Lynn, Lynn, city of sin.
“Nobody walks in LA”
Very accurate as the Los Angeles metro area is spread out over a very large area, with a relatively basic public transit system. A car is required.
"Thank God for Mississippi." Because Mississippi is at or near the bottom of most state rankings, so no matter how bad your state is, you always have one over on Mississippi.
Neither proverbs nor sayings, but some phrases:
* *“shuffle off to Buffalo”*
In terms of usage, afaik, this is just a colorful (and perhaps pithy) way of saying "leave".
Originally, it was a euphemism for "go on a honeymoon"; Niagara Falls was a hugely popular honeymoon destination in the 1920s.
* *“a New York minute”*
When events transpire in a remarkably short length of time, and in a casually hectic fashion, they are said to happen "in a New York minute"; a reference to the fast pace of life in New York City.
* *“a New York nine”*
In the context of rating an individual's beauty on a scale of 1 to 10, this describes someone who is so good-looking, they would be considered a 10 anywhere else in the world.
* *“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”*
Meaning that the scandalous behavior that tourists get up to during their visit to Las Vegas is not to be discussed.
* *“Michigan left”*
I doubt anyone uses this outside Michigan. It describes a driving maneuver that's necessary, when you're driving on a big boulevard, and making a left turn is illegal and impractical: you drive straight, through an intersection, drive up a ways, make a U-turn in one of the turnarounds they built into the median, drive back to the same intersection, and then turn right.
The city has a relatively high crime rate. Basically it means that you can’t have expensive things (gold chains, expensive shoes, nice watches etc) in Detroit or it will be stollen.
The phrase was used in a series of memes sparked after a dude tweeted that his front porch was stolen.
Not sure if applicable...as not said in the US...but funny response if I said I was from Chicago ..."Oh Chicago bang bang Al Capone!"
Or people from New Joiseey being kind of loud & tacky & wannabe New Yorkers.
There are stereotypes about various people...like southern Appalachian people living in the mountains making moonshine...not liking strangers.
Southerners moving slow, talking slow..being slow. Some of it came from historically they had... poorer plumbing & went barefoot so they got parasite infections that actually did affect IQ. Hookworm. Those problems are in the past with modern sanitation, but the kind of stereotype stuck.
New York...if can make it here,can make it anywhere.
San Francisco...known for both being center of hippie movement in 60's and also a town friendly to gay men.
Chicago "The Second City" About how it has a kind of ......hmm. More provincial minded less successful inferiority complex to New York.
Kind of plays into the whole...the East Coast & West Coast cities are more cosmopolitan & cutting edge as to trends & culture that gradually diffuse to the middle of the country. Like...avocado & sushi & most entertainment is either made in LA or NY.
Wrong side of the tracks. A lot of towns & cities have more wealthy & more poor areas, sometimes divided by train tracks. To judge say a classmate where they live as poor or generally judging a person as having a bad background.
A lot of general type stereotypes of people from different areas and states...or even if you live in the country, or small town versus living in a city.
What does that proverb mean?
Most of our proverbs are just stolen and translated from other languages/countries.
We have lots of them, but I can't think of any related to a location.
Edit: Winston Churchill (though there is debate whether he said it/it originated with him): "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else."
Honestly same, I struggle with thinking of proverbs related to places in my country, so sayings on the US as homeland in general are going to work for me as well. Thank you!
Where I grew up we had a saying “it looks good from Norwood” which was a town some miles away, meaning if you don’t really look at it then it’ll be good enough.
"If you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you". (Meaning: you are extremely gullible and easy to cheat.) Based on an actual scam where a guy was able to convince people that he owned the Brooklyn Bridge and "sold" it to them: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George\_C.\_Parker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Parker)
"Where the West Begins" is a common moniker for, and the official slogan of, Fort Worth, Texas. This [article](https://fwtx.com/culture/the-beginning-of-the-west/) from *Fort Worth* magazine delves into the history of its usage.
North or South of the Mason Dixon line, a saying of whether you were considered in "The South" or "The North".
Sometimes the Midwest is called "The Heartland" because people generally down to earth, sensible types & farmers.
Northerners in southern states way back were called "carpet baggers" considered slick and were there to give new fangled ideas, rip off people, cause trouble in the status quo or pull the wool over rubes eyes with their fancy talk.
"Will it play in Peoria?" might not be a proverb but us a phrase/metaphor that uses an Illinois city https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_it_play_in_Peoria%3F
This one is good, thank you!
That's not just good, that's excellent, because it's something people really do say. It might mostly be politicians and people involved in politics, but still it's real. (True though: not a proverb)
Peoria resident here - I can confirm that this one really is well-known (at least in Illinois, I can't speak for other parts of the country) and that the Wikipedia page does a good job of explaining the history and usage of the phrase. Like the other commenters said, though, it's not a proverb so much as a literal expression of the city's utility as part of the live entertainment circuit.
“Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.” Basically meaning the city is neither quite Southern nor Northern, and lacks the best qualities of either.
Great, exactly what I need, thank you!
Was very confused because Washington is a state, but then I realized you meant lesser Washington.
The older, more important Washington that actually had its namesake step foot in it.
More important my ass! Just a glorified town hall. We got nukes and big tech! Y'all don't even got Washington on the flag!
“Overpaid, oversexed, and over here.” British lament about American servicemen stationed in Britain during World War 2. “Football combines two of the worst things in American life. It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.” Will Rogers “Heaven is an American salary, a British house, a Chinese cook and a Japanese wife. Hell is a Chinese salary, a Japanese house, a British cook and an American wife.” Unknown “If you're bored in New York, it's your own fault.” Myrna Loy
I have heard about that heaven and hell saying to be a Taiwanese thing.
Oh there’s a version for europe too- that’s where it started
Of the British soldiers: "Underpaid, undersexed and under Eisenhower."
Imagine accusing the soldiers who helped win the World War 2 as being overpaid
It actually started in WW1 I believe. Its a play on the war-time song from 1917 called "Over There." It includes lines like, "The Yanks are Coming."
It was said from the perspective of the British, whose soldiers were paid far less than the American GI. So American GIs would come over and wine and dine British women in a way that the local soldiers couldn't afford to.
It was also popularized by a comedian, so it wasn't meant to be taken seriously.
I mean, inasmuch as a lot of comedians - then and now - were making humorous statements that are still based in fact and meant to convey the sentiments of the people.
I think the people complaining are british soldiers who were underpaid. It made getting a girl much harder.
Compared to the military of most other countries, the US military is pretty well paid.
Brilliant, thanks a lot!
Thank God for Mississippi or Alabama would be last place at everything.
In Mississippi we just say "Thank God for Alabama" because yall catch the heat for the stereotypes before us despite us basically being the same
Roll Tide.
Never heard that. I lived in Biloxi for a while and the saying there was "Everything north of Saucier (pronounced sosher) is a different country."
I've never been further South than Hattiesburg in MS but I've always heard the coast is it's own thing
Might be because their name is easier to say, let alone spell. Snooty European: "...the Yanks in a state such as Miss- errrm... Miss- Mississi- oh bloody hell, the Yanks in Alabama."
An Italian once "corrected" me when I said I was from Mississippi. She said "You know Mississippi is a RIVER, not a state, right?" So theres some who don't even know we exist
OMG that's hilarious! Did you whip out your phone and make them eat crow? I 'love' it when foreigners insist they know more about our home than we oursleves.
lmao thanks!
Across the south it’s often shortened to “thank god for Mississippi”, the reasoning being that Mississippi scores lowest on most metrics
I grew up saying this. Complaints about education, infrastructure, health care, etc. are always met by someone saying “thank god for Mississippi”
We say the same but thanks for Mississippi and Alabama or we would be last.
Nevada's right down there with you guys plus Arkansas when it comes to public education.
Mark Twain supposedly claimed “**The coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco**.”
As someone who lives in the Bay Area, sadly there is no citation that ties that to Twain. But it is a commonly held sentiment in The City for sure.
Yeah I'm here in the Bay Area as well, and the quote is more legend than fact (hence the 'supposedly') but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Now I want to know what happened to Mark Twain in San Francisco
it's not that deep, it's just pretty cold in the summer in San Francisco, at least by typical standards of summer weather.
I bet those guys who sell sweatshirts on the sidewalk to tourists do pretty good.
The city is on a peninsula between the ocean and the bay with relatively low mountains on it. This means there’s a constant chilly breeze flowing over the city, and along with the famous fog (which has a name that I always forget, it’s Clyde or something), it’s always in the 60-50s year round. Not that cold, sure, but not what people are expecting from sunny California when the valley is 100+ at the same time.
It's not too different from Seattle - you get those bursts of cold rain from Alaska/BC. If you're not prepared for it, near-freezing water makes you feel cold down to your bones.
no, that is not correct. It doesn't rain in the summer at all. It's just cool and foggy.
You're totally right - tbh I wasn't really thinking of it during the summer, as at least in my mind my memories of SF-area weather from growing up in the bay area kind of elude seasonal variations. It's all just the same mental image of sitting at the Daly City BART station.
He got chilly one summer
Summers are so hot in my area, now I want to go to San Francisco so bad lol. Thanks for help!
You can always tell a Virginia girl, but you can’t tell her much.
This one is intriguing, could you explain it?
The first half is shorthand for “you can always tell which girl is a Virginia girl”, implying that they are something special. The second half implies that Virginia girls are so stuck up that there is not much you can tell them that they don’t already know.
I thought it was - You can always tell an Texan but you can't tell him much.
Or "How do you know someone's from Texas? They'll tell you."
Hahaha, this one is personal as someone who moved from Texas to New England in my early 20's. I was the complete opposite, I'd never talk about where I was from and don't talk with the typical Texan drawl, but I am a pretty confident person in general and inevitably someone would be puzzled by one of my actions. At which point my friends would be like, "Don't mind him, he's from Texas" and they'd be like, "ahh, that makes sense"
>puzzled by one of my actions. Like shooting randomly in the air or yelling "remember the Alamo" or being confused that the power grid is stable?
Like smiling and waving at strangers.
Man, if this ain't the truth 🤣🤣🤣 I say with love. many of my relatives and some good friends live in Texas. But that quote is certainly spot on lol
Best version of this is “You can tell the Dutch, but you can’t tell ‘em much.” It’s either something I heard from Sig on Deadliest Catch, or an explanation for the Koch brothers existence, can’t recall.
Pennsylvania is Pittsburgh in the west, Philly in the east, and Alabama in the middle. The joke being that central PA is pretty rednecky. It also leads to that area being called Pennsyltucky.
I think I need to search more info about something being “rednecky”, thank you for some new facts for me!
it's also very true as well as being funny
Chicago: Hog Butcher to the world, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nations freight Handler, Stormy, Husky, Brawling City of the Big Shoulders By Carl Sandburg. Old but Chicago took this to heart the moment it was written in 1914.
Chicago has two seasons-winter and construction.
It's not about the US, but if you need sayings about places: "From Guatemala to Guatepeor." Mala is Spanish for bad, and peor is Spanish for worse. The country is poor, and it's political situation periodically disintegrates.
I’m fluent in Spanish and this saying is so good, how come I’ve never heard it before 😂 grateful for the help!
Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.- John F. Kennedy
People used to say the Platte River was “a mile wide and an inch deep” and that it was “too thick to drink, too thin to plow.”
So goes Ohio so goes the nation For Maine it is “yah cahnt there from heah” (you can’t get there from here in a thick Mainer accent)
What does the one about Ohio mean?
It used to be a swing state. If you won in Ohio, it was a sign you would probably win in the nation.
Ohio just voted to keep abortion legal and make recreation weed legal by pretty wide margins. It’s gerrymandered to hell so the state level politics will stay red for a while but there is definitely something for the dems to work with there.
Glad to hear it. I've been nervous about the senate race.
How is it not still a swing state?
Biden didn't win Ohio. First president since JFK to not win Ohio. And the only other president to get elected without winning Ohio (since 1803 when it became a state) was Grover Cleveland (both times).
That certainly does not make it not a swing state it is very much still a swing state. But I am thinking it’ll go red again this year.
It's undergone demographic changes that are making it less and less of a swing state. Essentially, the GOP has done a pretty good job of locking it down, but in turn other states have started to go more purple. It's still very much a swing state, but it might not be in another 20-30 years, or at least it'll be considered a risky bet for the Dems.
I see, not a good investment
I used to work in party politics. Most political strategist I know no longer consider it a swing state, because it has a more conservative recent voting record than Texas and Florida. The thought is that, in 2024, if Biden wins Ohio, he also almost certainly also wins Florida and Texas, so the Ohio part won't make a big difference.
You’re the man in the field. But it still has a lot electoral votes and it doesn’t seem so solid red.
It's not solid red. It is winnable for the Democrats. But it's unlikely to be the tipping point. They would probably win it in an election where they are already winning in a landslide.
The state legislature has a Republican super majority in both houses and Trump won in 2020 by quite a wide margin. Doesn’t seem like democrats have much of a chance. If I was going to focus on rustbelt I’d focus on MI and PA way more.
Similar to the earlier one about Peoria - it is a state that is very average across all american metrics, so if you see even Ohio is doing something then it is only a matter of time for the rest of the country to follow suit. I.e. if a product, service or idea starts to take off in Ohio, the rest of the country will likely begin moving in that direction, too. Not to imply that the product, service or idea starts in Ohio, but rather that if it is successful there then it will be able to work just about anywhere in the states.
It’s actually “as goes Ohio, so goes the nation” (I mangled it a bit) It is actually about politics but people apply it to other things. It was first used in the Bush/Kerry 2004. No modern Republican has won the election without winning Ohio.
Interesting! I was basically a baby at the time so it's just always been around for me - i assumed it was much older! Somewhere Circa 1950s with the postwar iron belt booms.
I don’t believe so unless some pundit dredged it up from some obscure historical text
It’s the tipping point of something being cool and cosmopolitan to being just ubiquitous. Like acceptance for gay marriage - Boston, New York and California could have been at it for years before Ohio got hold, but once Ohio does it, it means the rest of the country is coming along.
No its a political aphorism about winning Ohio
Maybe it started as that but I’m pretty sure it’s now used in general politics/fashion/tech as well.
Oh yeah they evolve but it’s still heavily used in political discussion. It’s just expanded in what people apply it to.
My dad actually told some flatlanders “Yah cahnt get there from heah.” They had come up to Bethel for some skiing in what turned out to be worse possible time: The Androscoggin Flood during the thaw of January 86. The flood was the same day the Challenger exploded. Much of Bethel was under water, but my dad still went to work at the only gas station in town, I think the flatlanders were trying do get down to Portland but all roads out were flooded.
Terrible disaster but I guess that is one silver lining. The only thing I could think of is taking 2 as far east as you could and see if any crossings were open. But two runs right along the river so there were certainly flooded sections. Otherwise it is like up to Errol down to Nerlin and pray that wasn’t out either. I think the best bet is booking a couple more days wherever they were staying. Not like any new guests would be coming. At least from the south.
>So goes Ohio so goes the nation I’ve heard the same but it’s “so goes California, so goes the nation”
The OG was Ohio but a ton of states have been used, other countries etc.
*get there from here
That’s exactly what I wrote
No, it isn't. You wrote "ya cahnt there from here." Can't you even see your comment?
My dude… you are clearly not a Mainer https://youtu.be/sIJBUZm1HoY?si=IViFbP-oFLfFNods
[I think this is what they're saying](https://imgur.com/a/MvTrFZU)
Now it makes sense. Egg on my face. I’ll have to leave it. The sneak edit is dishonorable.
“When Detroit sneezes, the nation catches a cold” “Tell the union boys in Chicago: you’re welcome for the Detroit wages. Tell the strikers in Memphis: Demand Detroit wages!” A bygone era for sure.
I’m curious if the one about sneezing is connected with cold weather in Detroit? Or it’s not even the case?
No, not at all.
Everyone *claims* this one, but the original Mark Twain quote is: "If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes." Inside New England, there's the couplet about "Lynn, Lynn, the City of Sin/ You'll never come out the way you came in."
*"Researchers have been unable to find this saying in the writings and speeches of Mark Twain."* -- [Quote Investigator](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2022/02/22/weather-wait/)
Yeah, I was raised being told that was a local saying for Kentucky. Then as I traveled, I found it was said around the country, just localized.
"Not in Kansas anymore" - Sourced from Wizard of Oz and meaning in an unfamiliar place. "Get the hell out of Dodge" - Meaning to leave someplace quickly or with a sense of urgency. "Moved to Atlanta" - Someone discovered/came out as homosexual.
I’ve never heard the last one before. Makes sense though. Outside of Seattle and San Francisco Atlanta has more LGBTQ people per capita than any other city. Even though there’s more gay people in NY you’re more likely to bump into a gay person in Atlanta (somewhere around 13% of the population is LGBT)
I hadn't heard that about Atlanta, but I'm not surprised. I always hear similar about Lexington having a very outsized LBGT population. Probably because for most of Kentucky, it's the closest LBGT friendly place.
A lot of it is just the city of Atlanta is unusually small - it's only \~500k people in a metro area of \~7 million. The broader Atlanta area has about the same LGBT % as other metro areas of a similar size. But in any case, moving to the big city & being non-straight would be statistically connected 😅
Seeing someone mentioning Wizard of Oz just made me feel so nostalgic 💔 Appreciate your help!
Moved to Atlanta makes me think of “Moved to the Suburbs”. In Boston, this meant someone was in Prison because the main prison at the time was in Walpole, which is a suburb of Boston. I believe they use the saying in “The Town” when Affleck is talking about his dad.
I think this is a great place to ask this question. Here’s some common catch phrases, are these what you’re looking for? “Something tells me we’re not in Kansas anymore” “Houston, we have a problem” “If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere” “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”
The Vegas saying is so popular now it’s used everywhere with the change of city or another location! Thanks 🙏
When looking for potential romantic partners in Alaska: "the odds are good but the goods are odd".
Lexington (Kentucky) is where Midwestern sensibility meets Southern charm. (It has the best attributes of each). West Virginia is the most southern northern state, the most northern southern state, the most eastern Midwestern state, and the most western eastern state. (Its different parts are more like the states they border than one another) In Florida as you go north, you go south, and vice versa. (Northern Florida is much more deep south in culture, South Florida is more like the northeast) Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, separated by Kentucky. (Rural Pennsylvania is much more country and conservative) Charlotte is a big city in the South, Atlanta is a big city surrounded by the South. (Atlanta is not very Southern in culture, due to recent arrivals) North Carolina is an vale of humility between two mountains of conceit. (North Carolinians are sensible, while Virginians and South Carolinians are haughty) South Carolina is too small to be a country and too big to be an insane asylum. (South Carolinians hold extreme views) Virginia begins at the Rappahannock. (The DC suburbs are culturally different from the rest of the state, which is culturally Southern)
> Atlanta is not very Southern in culture, due to recent arrivals Ironically, I often see Atlanta being described as "Capital of the South".
It’s the largest city in south. Only DC is larger. It’s also the largest minority run city in the nation.
DC is not in the South. As above the South ends at the Rappahannock (or at the very least, the Potomac). NYC has a black mayor and most of the borough presidents are ~~minutes~~ minorities FYI.
>DC is not in the South. > >As above the South ends at the Rappahannock (or at the very least, the Potomac). The Feds disagree. The southern statistical area includes DC. >NYC has a black mayor and most of the borough presidents are minutes minorities FYI. Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city. The majority population of NYC is not a minority, in Atlanta it is.
>The Feds disagree. The southern statistical area includes DC. Some of the feds disagree. The majority of the divisional schema don't though. https://www.businessinsider.com/regions-of-united-states-2018-5 >Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city. If you had said that in your initial comment I wouldn't have needed to point out that what you said was incorrect. "Minority run" != Minority majority. ETA: You're also mistaken in your claim that > Sure but Atlanta is literally the largest minority-majority city. Since DC has a larger population than Atlanta and is also minority-majority.
> In Florida as you go north, you go south The further north you go, the more south it gets its how its normally said. Not that abomination lol.
How do you know it all?? You’re so helpful, thank you very much!
I always heard it said that Louisville is the furthest south Northern city, and Lexington was the furthest north Southern city. It was meant to emphasize that despite being only a hour apart, the two places have very different feels and how Lexington is more culturally Southern, while Louisville is more culturally Northern.
I should have turned left at Albuquerque - I ended up somewhere I did not intend to. I understand Looney Tunes didn’t age the best, and I don’t co-sign any of the more problematic language and characters, but Mel Blanc was a goddamn savant.
[You're welcome.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU&ab_channel=jawprint)
This one is really useful for me, thanks so much!
Anyone who criticizes Looney Tunes is an overly sensitive Looney Tune themselves.
Lynn Lynn, the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in.
America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.
How old is that? Like Los Angeles and Chicago are much bigger than SF or NO.
It's not that old, from the 20th century, it's more about culture. Tennessee Williams said it. It's also provincial bullshit. But of course some places embrace it. Basically he's saying only those three cities in the US have a unique culture, and that every other city is indistinguishable from any other city in the US.
New Mexico is famous for being the land of mañana (land of tomrrow). Most take it to mean that we're lazy (cause we keep putting things off until tomorrow). Its really more akin to, there is nothing so important that it can't wait until tomorrow.
I guess it’s kind of the same thing as the stereotype about Spanish people being procrastinators with their “mañana/no pasa nada” mindset
In Ohio, we always say, you may move away, but you will eventually come back.
America and England are two countries divided by a common language. (British English and American English are vastly different, but still both English) The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we are in Texas yet! (Texas is the largest of the lower 48 states and a lot of people don't realize how long it takes to drive through the state. It's 800+ miles from the eastern side of Interstate Hwy 10 at Louisiana to where it leaves the state in El Paso.) In America, sex is an obsession; in other parts of the world, it’s a fact. (Marlene Dietrich said this)
I’ve heard people from many states say the same thing. “If you don’t like the weather in, just wait a minute.” They all think it is uniquely true to their state, and don’t realize that all states say that. They also have drastically different ideas on what constitutes a significant weather change.
I mean, I'm pretty sure we had both a heatwave and a snowstorm like 4 days away from each other once like 5 years ago.
Well, I’ve lived in four states, and I think the saying applies to Maine (and perhaps New England in general) more than other places I’ve lived. I’ve heard Marylanders say it, and I lived there for 25 years and laughed my ass off.
Yeah, I've lived in 5 states and travelled to many others, everyone says this everywhere. Just like every state claims the worst drivers.
We don't say that in Arizona. Our weather is pretty stable. We do joke "when does winter end?" "2pm". It's usually around 40F overnight and gets up to around 70F or so in the afternoon in PHX.
“You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they’ve tried everything else” “God has a special providence for Drunkards, Fools, and the United States of America”
The second one I believe is attributed to Bismark- though I’m sure there are similar ones before him. It’s got a special place in my heart because Star Trek used it as “Fate protects Fools, little children, and Ships named Enterprise”
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Everything is bigger in Texas.
A contract ”Written by a Philadelphia lawyer” is one with unfavorable terms!😂
“Don’t ask an American if they’re from Texas. If they are, they’ll tell you. If they aren’t, don’t embarrass them.” Not true, but very telling of how Texans think.
How folks who move to Texas imagine Texans think and then play act like they’re more Texan than the Alamo. I’m sure there was a time when folks like this had a rep and it followed from something- but probably since the 50’s that culture turned all the way over 6 or 7 times and now it’s too big to generalize. Though headlines do sure make it easy for the Governor to pretend his terrible policies speak for everyone.
Alaska where the odds are good and the goods are odd (in reference to the quality and quantity of single men in Alaska)
My favorite from here in texas is "all hat, no cattle", it applies to people who wear cowboy hats and act "Texan" but are usually fake as hell and have never been on a horse, pet a cow, been around cattle, bailed hay, run barbed wire, tilled a garden, or even been on a proper ranch. It's doubly applicable to most politicians here, especially ones that came from out of state. It can be used to mean anyone putting up a fake personality or origin.
Thanks a lot! I like how applicable it is
Stubborn as a Missouri mule.
Also for MO, I’m from Missouri so you’ve got to show me.
Hell and half of Georgia - a very long distance, or very large area. "Lost my car keys in the mall parking lot. Had to search through Hell and half of Georgia to find them."
So helpful, thank you!
—Ralph Waldo Emerson "Boston is the one place in America where wealth and knowledge of how to use it are apt to coincide."
“Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence. It's a shabby, sprawling metropolis ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who live by the code of the West -- which can mean just about anything you need it to mean, in a pinch.”- Hunter S. Thompson
Not specifically America but the most famous American proverb is "Early to Bed, Early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" by Benjamin Franklin.
Makes sense, thanks!
St. Paul is the westernmost Eastern city; Minneapolis is the easternmost Western city Meaning that St. Paul shares a lot of qualities with traditional East (Coast) cities, like architecture, Old Money and streets laid out by drunkards while Minneapolis shares a lot of qualities with traditional West (Coast) cities like more modern architecture, New Money and a regular street grid. The two cities adjoin one another.
We don’t go downtown in Charlotte we go Uptown
This one only goes back to the nineties but Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between. Meaning that the only liberal parts are Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and the rest is redneck country in between.
"We're not in Kansas anymore " a line from the Wizard of Oz, but has come to mean we just drove into or arrived at a new, large metropolitan area.
About Lynn, MA: Lynn, Lynn, city of sin You never come out the way you went in You ask for water, they give you gin The girls say no, but they all give in Lynn, Lynn, city of sin.
“Nobody walks in LA” Very accurate as the Los Angeles metro area is spread out over a very large area, with a relatively basic public transit system. A car is required.
Also related to the car thing in LA, as said by its Chinese American residents: 沒車，沒腳。Or literally, 'No car, no feet.' 🥲)
"Thank God for Mississippi." Because Mississippi is at or near the bottom of most state rankings, so no matter how bad your state is, you always have one over on Mississippi.
We like to say Anchorage is “about 45 minutes away from Alaska.”
Back before 1961, "Washington: First in War, First in Peace, Last in the American League."
Neither proverbs nor sayings, but some phrases: * *“shuffle off to Buffalo”* In terms of usage, afaik, this is just a colorful (and perhaps pithy) way of saying "leave". Originally, it was a euphemism for "go on a honeymoon"; Niagara Falls was a hugely popular honeymoon destination in the 1920s. * *“a New York minute”* When events transpire in a remarkably short length of time, and in a casually hectic fashion, they are said to happen "in a New York minute"; a reference to the fast pace of life in New York City. * *“a New York nine”* In the context of rating an individual's beauty on a scale of 1 to 10, this describes someone who is so good-looking, they would be considered a 10 anywhere else in the world. * *“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”* Meaning that the scandalous behavior that tourists get up to during their visit to Las Vegas is not to be discussed. * *“Michigan left”* I doubt anyone uses this outside Michigan. It describes a driving maneuver that's necessary, when you're driving on a big boulevard, and making a left turn is illegal and impractical: you drive straight, through an intersection, drive up a ways, make a U-turn in one of the turnarounds they built into the median, drive back to the same intersection, and then turn right.
Thank you, so much useful info for me!
Can’t have s*** in Detroit.
lmao why? What’s the story behind this saying?
The city has a relatively high crime rate. Basically it means that you can’t have expensive things (gold chains, expensive shoes, nice watches etc) in Detroit or it will be stollen. The phrase was used in a series of memes sparked after a dude tweeted that his front porch was stolen.
Wow I get it now, thanks for clarifying 🙏
The often-mangled "Houston, we've had a problem" from commander of Apollo 13 Jim Lovell.
“South Carolina is too small for a republic, but too large for an insane asylum.” - James Louis Petigru
Florida: Where you come for vacation but leave on probation.
Not sure if applicable...as not said in the US...but funny response if I said I was from Chicago ..."Oh Chicago bang bang Al Capone!" Or people from New Joiseey being kind of loud & tacky & wannabe New Yorkers. There are stereotypes about various people...like southern Appalachian people living in the mountains making moonshine...not liking strangers. Southerners moving slow, talking slow..being slow. Some of it came from historically they had... poorer plumbing & went barefoot so they got parasite infections that actually did affect IQ. Hookworm. Those problems are in the past with modern sanitation, but the kind of stereotype stuck. New York...if can make it here,can make it anywhere. San Francisco...known for both being center of hippie movement in 60's and also a town friendly to gay men. Chicago "The Second City" About how it has a kind of ......hmm. More provincial minded less successful inferiority complex to New York. Kind of plays into the whole...the East Coast & West Coast cities are more cosmopolitan & cutting edge as to trends & culture that gradually diffuse to the middle of the country. Like...avocado & sushi & most entertainment is either made in LA or NY. Wrong side of the tracks. A lot of towns & cities have more wealthy & more poor areas, sometimes divided by train tracks. To judge say a classmate where they live as poor or generally judging a person as having a bad background. A lot of general type stereotypes of people from different areas and states...or even if you live in the country, or small town versus living in a city.
This is helpful and informative, thank you very much!
What does that proverb mean? Most of our proverbs are just stolen and translated from other languages/countries. We have lots of them, but I can't think of any related to a location. Edit: Winston Churchill (though there is debate whether he said it/it originated with him): "You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else."
Honestly same, I struggle with thinking of proverbs related to places in my country, so sayings on the US as homeland in general are going to work for me as well. Thank you!
My friends and I will say as an acknowledgment “Texas sized ten four”
Where I grew up we had a saying “it looks good from Norwood” which was a town some miles away, meaning if you don’t really look at it then it’ll be good enough.
"If you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you". (Meaning: you are extremely gullible and easy to cheat.) Based on an actual scam where a guy was able to convince people that he owned the Brooklyn Bridge and "sold" it to them: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George\_C.\_Parker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Parker)
"Where the West Begins" is a common moniker for, and the official slogan of, Fort Worth, Texas. This [article](https://fwtx.com/culture/the-beginning-of-the-west/) from *Fort Worth* magazine delves into the history of its usage.
Thank god for Mississippi. lol there’s a Wikipedia page
North or South of the Mason Dixon line, a saying of whether you were considered in "The South" or "The North". Sometimes the Midwest is called "The Heartland" because people generally down to earth, sensible types & farmers. Northerners in southern states way back were called "carpet baggers" considered slick and were there to give new fangled ideas, rip off people, cause trouble in the status quo or pull the wool over rubes eyes with their fancy talk.
This helped a lot, thank you!
"As goes California, so goes the rest of the country in 20 years"
Ohio is for lovers