South vs. North?

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by ChildoftheHorn

While at school, I say Missouree. I go to school in the Chicago area.
When in St. Louis or Columbia visiting family, I say Missourah. The difference is really only because no one knows what you are talking about when you say Missourah. The response is "Oh, you mean Missouree...." It just gets annoying.....

That's interesting. Growing up my family and everyone we knew (yes African Americans) always said Missouree. I didn't know that other Missourians pronounced it differently until years later. BTW, I am from the Lou and the third generation to go to Sumner.

[LaneSig]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

That's interesting. Growing up my family and everyone we knew (yes African Americans) always said Missouree. I didn't know that other Missourians pronounced it differently until years later. BTW, I am from the Lou and the third generation to go to Sumner.

I am from southeast Missouri. We say "miz-er-ee", not "miz-er-ah".

[macallan25]

Yeah, I have family from Southeast Missouri and they say it the same way.

[AlexMack]

I don't get the Missourah thing. I think it sounds dumb...then again my mother can't really pronounce Massachusetts so we've all got problems.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by macallan25

Yeah, I have family from Southeast Missouri and they say it the same way.

Glad to hear that. I was told that a true Missourian pronounces it Missourah. How crazy is that?

[AKL-mizzou-AZ]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Glad to hear that. I was told that a true Missourian pronounces it Missourah. How crazy is that?

Most Missourians take people who pronounce it Missousrah to be considered hoosiers (or hillbillys, rednecks). I am from St. Louis and now go to school in Columbia (Mizzou) and that seems to be the more unpopular pronunciation.

[melsigkap]

I had never heard Missour-ah until I came to school in St Louis. Someone told me that some political campaigns make 2 of the same commercial, one where the candidate says "Missour-ee" for the St Louis area, and another where they say it with the '-ah' for the rest of the state...not sure if that's even close to true though.

[ChildoftheHorn]

I will say it depends on where you are in certain areas. My grandpa is a prof. emeritus (just retired) from Missou and he says Missourah. Then in St. Louis, 75% of the family says Missourah. Really it is a courtesy thing, like speaking in a foreign language in public places. People just don't do it.

The connotation of hick really come from the way they say it in the "Hick" parts of the state; where it is pronounced "Mizz - SIRR - UH" where it is a drawn out word with 3 solid beats. Instead, the other way to say it is basically 2 beats and "miss - ura" with "ura" as a single beat.

If you sing in choir it is the difference between g'ivn (1 beat) and given (2 beats), a common notation in classical music pieces.

I totally understand what you are talking about with the "Hick" thing.

[shinerbock]

Well, we're now assured of getting a completely GDI national champion in basketball

[JonInKC]

Originally Posted by ladygreek

Glad to hear that. I was told that a true Missourian pronounces it Missourah. How crazy is that?

I guess I'm not a true Missourian then...it's Missouri to me not Missourah. Also I say wash not "warsh".

[EE-BO]

Culturally, Texas and the Deep South are two different worlds.

Social order and formal courtesies are far more closely observed in the Deep South than they are in Texas.

And in Texas we are far more flamboyant with our wealth. This is evident in Greek life. I have been to some awesome parties at Georgia and Auburn, but the chapter dues and budgets at UT-Austin are far in excess of anything I have ever seen at any school. When I was at UT- my chapter dues were 3-4 times my tuition every semester (and my dues were the cheapest possible since I had a private room in the chapter house.)

I would attribute it to oil. That wealth came fast and furious to this state- and to this day there is still enormous money to be had. I know of cases where people owning less than 1% of a share in a field started getting 5 and 6 digit royalty checks when an old field was reopened to extract remaining reserves using new technology (usually injection with salt water or directional drilling.) And this state is full of people who still own tiny shares in fields that, although with increasing rarity, can still make them millionaires in a very short time. That oil is running out- but this gives you an idea of what kind of money we are talking about when a tiny piece of interest in a single field can generate that kind of income for one person.

There is similar wealth remaining in the Deep South, but much of it originates from far older fortunes. And those who still hold those fortunes kept them with generations of a more conservative approach.

Going back to Greek life, a good example of this conservative and ritualistic difference is football games.

When I was going to Georgia, we wore khakis and a white shirt and tie to the games. Our dates wore black cocktail dresses. Game days started with a buffet at the house, then the game, then home to clean up, dinner- again either at the house or large groups going to nice restaurants- and then a band party. Going to a football game was an all day ritual with strict dress code and social procedure.

At Texas- nothing like that. Jeans and a T-shirt for the game. Sneak all the booze in you can (though we did that at Georgia too), dinner whenever and wherever with whoever, and then a band party after.

While Texas is my home and I prefer it here- games days at Georgia were as good as college life got.

[shinerbock]

As far as south, I think even the true SE can be broken down. For example, there is the coastal south (Southern AL, Miss, Savannah/brunswick, charleston/hilton head), there is more central south (bham, metro atlanta, greenville), then there is the mountain south (Tenn, N. AL, N. GA, NC) which can be completely different. When I think true deep south, I don't include TN.

As far as Dallas, I'm not sure thats a fair assessment. I'm not saying TX should be lumped in with the rest of the South, but ATL isn't exactly pure south either (full of yankees).

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by EE-BO

Culturally, Texas and the Deep South are two different worlds.

Social order and formal courtesies are far more closely observed in the Deep South than they are in Texas.

And in Texas we are far more flamboyant with our wealth. This is evident in Greek life. I have been to some awesome parties at Georgia and Auburn, but the chapter dues and budgets at UT-Austin are far in excess of anything I have ever seen at any school. When I was at UT- my chapter dues were 3-4 times my tuition every semester (and my dues were the cheapest possible since I had a private room in the chapter house.)

I would attribute it to oil. That wealth came fast and furious to this state- and to this day there is still enormous money to be had. I know of cases where people owning less than 1% of a share in a field started getting 5 and 6 digit royalty checks when an old field was reopened to extract remaining reserves using new technology (usually injection with salt water or directional drilling.) And this state is full of people who still own tiny shares in fields that, although with increasing rarity, can still make them millionaires in a very short time. That oil is running out- but this gives you an idea of what kind of money we are talking about when a tiny piece of interest in a single field can generate that kind of income for one person.

There is similar wealth remaining in the Deep South, but much of it originates from far older fortunes. And those who still hold those fortunes kept them with generations of a more conservative approach.

Going back to Greek life, a good example of this conservative and ritualistic difference is football games.

When I was going to Georgia, we wore khakis and a white shirt and tie to the games. Our dates wore black cocktail dresses. Game days started with a buffet at the house, then the game, then home to clean up, dinner- again either at the house or large groups going to nice restaurants- and then a band party. Going to a football game was an all day ritual with strict dress code and social procedure.

At Texas- nothing like that. Jeans and a T-shirt for the game. Sneak all the booze in you can (though we did that at Georgia too), dinner whenever and wherever with whoever, and then a band party after.

While Texas is my home and I prefer it here- games days at Georgia were as good as college life got.

1.) I disagree with "Social order and formal courtesies are far more closely observed in the Deep South than they are in Texas." This can purely depend on how you were raised and the environment that you grew up in.

2.) I don't know if it was different when you were at Texas......but our gamedays are exactly the same as you describe it for SEC schools...and have been since I have been here. FIJI, KA, SAE........we all do that same routine. Its an all day affair, brunches, dinners, lots of alumni, etc. The dress.....yeah its different. Usually jeans, boots and a button down or khakis, boots, and a button down.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by JonInKC

Also I say wash not "warsh".

Ditto!