North vs South

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by AXO Alum

Yes, you can go on a waiting list... but you see, all those quotes in my siggy represent an important part of my life. Like my hair transplants - I am still waiting, and thanks to the snobs of GC, I have not yet had a referral for any of their salons. But I don't want to take it out, lest GC think I have given up on my journey to fulfill a lifetime dream.

I'll go see what I can part with so I can add your words of wisdom to it...

LOL...you're a trouble maker. Maybe I shouldn't be in your siggy.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

If I answered "excuse me" to someone I didn't hear, that would be considered being sarcastic or being a bitch.

If I answered "yes ma'am/sir" to my parents, that would be considered as being sarcastic or bitchy.

I"ve found that if you call someone ma'am, sir, miss, etc they take it as someone being condescending towards them. There were these two girls in a restaurant the other day and they were calling the cooks (Mongolian BBQ) sweety and honey. It made me cringe until I realized they had southern accents.

I like being able to be myself around people and not having to worry if I used the wrong fork or if I should have called someone ma'am or miss or Ms.

I agree that it's all contextual. I just don't believe that the Southern vs. Northern culture sets the context the way a lot of people assume that it does.

Much of this also has to do with tone, intonation, and how people learn how to interpret things.

[Stef the Pef]

Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9

my question..for those of you who are transplanted either from the north to the south or vice versa do find a difference in "manners" or is my friend the exception from most northern women???

Haha...my mom's co-workers in Washington were pretty much the spitting image of the lady you described, but then again, she worked in a clinic and those same co-workers could probably rattle off the biological processes behind said loud noxious fumes in a second.

They're a lot more relaxed about what's okay and what's not...personally, I kind of like being a little more uptight about those kinds of things. Kept me out of a lot of trouble.

And yes, southerners (at least as far as TX vs. WA goes) are a LOT nicer to strangers. Found that out the hard way when I switched to a school in WA late in the year...no friends for like, a month. Gotta agree with PhoenixAzul's advice, though...seriously, things would be a lot better if I didn't feel like I was greeting a dead fish when I gave someone a darn handshake.

ETA: LMAO--

Hahahahaa...wtf?

[33girl]

OK, a couple posts back, someone said something about eating spaghetti with a fork being bad manners. What else on God's green earth would one eat spaghetti with? A pair of pliers?

I know we've had the "ma'am" discussion before. I am one of those people who's immensely offended by it. The only time I ever use that word is jokingly, to friends. As far as calling people Miss Firstname, I only recall one incidence of that in my life. It was a lady in my church who lived to be 100 and we called her "Miss Rose" since she had the same first name as her nephew's wife - therefore there were two Rose Lastnames. And I don't think people called her "Miss Rose" when they were conversing with her.

At one of my retail jobs, the company and therefore the people training us (this was a new store setup) were all from Tennessee. They were very big on the "Southern hospitality" thing and their version of customer service. Well - I have to say when they were on the sales floor, it did nothing but drive customers away. They were just too obsequious and cloying and the customers were annoyed because they wouldn't leave them alone. We like anyone who's serviing us to have manners and be polite, but that doesn't mean the same thing here as it does there. We want help when we want it, but when we say we don't - we mean that too.

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by 33girl

OK, a couple posts back, someone said something about eating spaghetti with a fork being bad manners. What else on God's green earth would one eat spaghetti with? A pair of pliers?

It was me. The proper way according to some people (on another message board) is using a fork to twirl the spaghetti and then placing it on a spoon. In some restaurants, they even have a special spoon for spaghetti. I don't use it of course.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

It was me. The proper way according to some people (on another message board) is using a fork to twirl the spaghetti and then placing it on a spoon. In some restaurants, they even have a special spoon for spaghetti. I don't use it of course.

If anything, the "twirl it against the spoon" thing is what's rude. Only peasants use a spoon in Italy. (Direct quote from Emily Post, BTW) And I've NEVER heard of actually putting it on a spoon and eating it with a spoon!! If you can't manage to twirl spaghetti without hitting everyone with sauce, cut it with your fork. Or order penne pasta instead.

[DSTRen13]

Originally Posted by 33girl

If anything, the "twirl it against the spoon" thing is what's rude. Only peasants use a spoon in Italy. (Direct quote from Emily Post, BTW) And I've NEVER heard of actually putting it on a spoon and eating it with a spoon!! If you can't manage to twirl spaghetti without hitting everyone with sauce, cut it with your fork. Or order penne pasta instead.

I have been verbally harrassed for not using a spoon to twirl my pasta before, lol This individual, whose state I will not name to protect those from there who are no doubt normal and decent people, went on and on about how all of us horrible and undignified Southerners just shouldn't even eat Italian food since we disgrace it by not handling it appropriately (???).

[RU OX Alum]

I live in the northern south...

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by lillady85

I'm from the north, Chicago, and none of my friends would ever think belching in public or letting their kids (or sisters) fart in public is funny. I know my mother raised me to be a 'lady' but then again, I'm Mexican and that also has something to do with it. There are times when I get sly comments from people on some of my manners (like eating with the right fork) but I don't particularly care. So no, she is really an exception because I don't think it's a difference between North and South, more like, those who have manners and those who don't. As for her kids, good luck to them on learning how to deal with people when they are older.

I'm in STL, I hear people belch in public all the time - all ages and both genders. I used to be really grossed out by it, but I hear it so often, it doesn't bother me anymore. Fortunately, people are more discreet about farting in public, but when it happens, I crack up at them. I don't get offended though.

Judging from internet posts, and not just from GC, I think the difference/importance of manners is definately a location thing. Some of the stuff I read is unheard of and I wasn't raised by wolves, nor many of the people I interact with. Chewing gum in public rude? Eating spaghetti with a fork tacky? Drinking beer from the bottle/can tacky? WTF?

[FHwku]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Eating spaghetti with a fork tacky? Drinking beer from the bottle/can tacky? WTF?

Eating spaghetti with a spoon is for people that can't wrap the pasta around the fork very well. it's probably safer for them, especially if they dressed up and don't wanna get puhsketti on their clothes. aside from them, i think eating spaghetti with a spoon is odd.

good beer should always be poured. it affects the flava. otherwise, you're all up in the beer and don't even know the flava.



why don't they call it a chicken coop when it has two doors instead of four?

that's not a coupe, it's a sedan!