ballsafire Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

"There is no such thing as lunch. There is only dinner and then there's supper." Yes, and don't forget "breakfast!" Lunch became popular because of "school lunch" or a brown paper bag lunch carried by school children or field or factory workers. Now we must contend with such words as "brunch" which "turns me off." AND --- going to okra -- In the deep south, in south Louisiana, we stir fry the cut okra first to get rid of the slime then add onions, bell pepper, garlic and tomato sauce to make a base to use when cooking seafood (shrimp, crabs) or poultry (guineas, chicken, duck) or eat as is. It is served with rice which is cooked by adding equal amounts of rice and water then cooking till it begins to boil then turn the heat to very low for about 25 minutes…let the rice rest about 15 mins. then is ready…it isn't mushy like some people cooks. Strange how people don't know about these things--

johnbee418 Loc: Manchester Conn.

Absolutely perfect rendering of many aspects of the South. Me? I love what you wrote. My only
suggestion is to ignore the blathering of bald headed suit wearers. They are usually amidans. And
recall that They lost the War and are lucky to be still allowed in the Union.

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

Don't worry if you offended anyone or not , it is what it is, if they can't stand the truth TS.

Halftrack

There is no such thing as an "ex Marine". Once a Marine, always a Marine.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Neither. Illinois (my family is from Decatur) supported the Union during the War Between the States or Civil War (same war, just Southern and Northern names for it). But there is no history on either side of my family that even mentions it. I learned in college that many factories in the Midwest actually supplied many of the same goods to both Union and Confederate forces... even though formally, Illinois was Union territory.

I can remember being a kid of five and moving South in 1960. A few years later, my mother was having a conversation about the battlegrounds around Greensboro and asked a native neighbor where the Civil War battles took place. The woman went off on a loud, obnoxious tirade about how it was the "Wawah of Nawthun Uhgreshun or the Wawah Betweeuhn the States, but it was suhtunnly not civil!" I don't think we ever saw her again.

The mid-1960s were a VERY interesting time to live in Greensboro. My sister was 15 when we moved from Michigan. She had a horrible time with the socially stratified atmosphere here. So she turned down a full free ride to Duke to go to Smith college in Massachusetts, then GW law school in DC, then moved to California and later Oregon. She still thinks the South is evil.

I, on the other hand, love it. But I'm still getting used to it. It has changed SO much in my life, mostly for the better. But so has everywhere else changed. I was a trainer for years, and traveled all over the USA. I enjoyed nearly every place I went.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

In spirit, hell, yes. By vocation, well... no. I think Hugh would say it is impossible to run a bank and work in the Corps at the same time...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

You're making me hungry! Gumbo is full of Okra and most of the goodies you mention. A friend of my parents used to invite us over for shrimp gumbo. She was from New Orleans, and made some of the hottest foods I've ever eaten. I learned to like spicy hot foods by eating hers.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I used to travel to O'Connor School Portraits in Tewksbury to do training! I know exactly what you're talking about. Jack O'Connor lived in Lowell, but his offices were in Tewksbury. His staff were mostly from the area, and most had a very distinct accent. Pot and port came out Paht and Pawht, only slightly different.

tomcat

You're right there, hoss. So believe me, I'm right proud of my suthern drawl and I can spread it out so that I'm welcome and a part of any suthern state I go to. I was in NYC last week and the conversation at the table beside mine totally stopped when I started talking to the waitress and my guests. They were all listening to me and then of course, I had to improvise and add stuff in the Jerry Clower tradition, lol....

AZ Dog Loc: Peoria, AZ

Back to the tea thread, lemon is not the only thing served with ice tea. My mother always had a lot of mint growing around the house and it is a very pleasing addition to iced tea.

tomcat

what is an amidan?

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

Ha! I can tell that y'all ain't been to the southeast corner of northern Alabama also known as the Florida panhandle....

amyinsparta Loc: White county, TN

Agreed. Only the very rural folk still use these expressions.

johnbee418 Loc: Manchester Conn.

Amidan is Irish for dumbbell.

chevman Loc: Matthews, North Carolina

Ha, Ha Haaa! neighbor, that is truly funny, although true! I live in South Charlotte and it's almost South Carolina here especially on the I 485 morning and evening coming in to work and going home in the afternoon! Oh yah not to leave out I 77. There are more South Carolina license plates than North Carolina plates there. A few years back we had an oldies radio station here and people would call in from Rock Hill, I'll tell ya it just sounded weird! Lots of New Yorkers here in Charlotte too now that is weird! But the weather is much better here than there for sure. Taxes are better to if it's possable for taxes to ever be better anywhere. Iffen ya want to hear some real southern talk try the ArkLaTex area. And it's sweet tea always! Real sweet! Thanks to Samantha for starting this thread and yes it was real funny but in many respects still true although it is beginning to fade slowly and surely, unfortunately!