You’re a what?

I stumbled upon the thread below on the Straight Dope Message Board (published with permission) and felt as though I really needed to share it with my friends, especially you Michiganders and Floridians – this is a hoot. I have filtered it down a bit for your reading pleasure. Here we go:

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Some state residents’ nomenclature is fairly well known, but others seem just plain awkward. The straightforward ones:

Alaska – Alaskans

Georgia – Georgians

American Samoa – American Samoans

Hawaii – Hawaiians.

And so on.

So, what do you call people from your state?

Lance Turbo:

I live in North Carolina but I am not from here. I call North Carolina natives “cousin bangin’ rednecks.”

I hope this helps.

Sledman

In Wisconsin we are “Wisconsinites.” To the rest of the world, Cheeseheads.

Bibliophage

People who live in Main because of the beautiful summer weather are “Mainers.” People who stay for the winters, too, are “Maineiacs.”

Some people from away call us all “Down Easters” because they think we all live Down East. Only Down East part of Maine is Down East. I’ve been Down East, and the people down there say, “No, this isn’t Down East. Down East is Down East.” I hope that clears things up.

Yossarian

New Mexico – “New Mexicans”? I hope not. That’s what I’ve always called my neighbors to the north-northwest. Actually, “Nude Mexicans” has a nicer ring to it.

Jayron 32

I grew up in New Hampshire, and so know most of the New England state resident nicknames (some are regional to a certain area):

Massachusetts: “Massatwosh*ts” or “Massash*ts.”

Connecticut: “Connecticuter.”

Vermont: “Vermonter” special note: to Vermonters, all out-of-staters are “Flatlanders”).

Bibliophage

Males from Michigan are “Michiganders”; females from Michigan are, of course, “Michageese.”

New Mexico: “New Mexicans”, whether you like it or not.

Illinois: “Illinoisans”

Darkfox

Many people in my state are called “Steve.”

ZenBeam’Uggh.

‘m not a “Michigander”, I’m a “Michiganian.” Youse guys (below the bridge) are “Trolls,” unless I hear proof that yer not. Fess up, you live under that bridge.

Wood Thrush

Why do people never seem to check the dictionary for a problem that can obviously be solved with a dictionary? For example, I found all these in the dictionary [Editor’s note: he/she goes on to list several]. The list goes on, but frankly, I don’t have the time.

Sledman

Common usage tends to run a bit ahead of the dictionary and there is some local flavor that will not appear in a dictionary, for instance “Trolls” and “Yoopers” [Michigan upper peninsula].

Lance Turbo

You won’t find “cousin bangin’ redneck” in the dictionary when you look up North Carolina. So, really, what good does the dictionary do ya’?

Xenophone414

Suh, I have to disagree about residents of Georgia. You can call us Georgians if you wish, but in practice there are several more accurate terms available, depending on circumstances: “Cracker” – any white male native (born n’ bred); “Redneck” – any resident sufficiently indoctrinated in the heritage of our fair state; “Bubba” – Any redneck wearing overalls; “Good ole boy” – a redneck who manages to hit the truck bed most times when he throws the empty beer cans out the window; “Hillbilly”- from the northern part of the state (mostly lost “Tennesseeans” or “Tarheels”); “Yankees” – visitors from that country up north of Virginia; “Damn Yankees” – Yankees that stay longer than a year. None of the above terms may be applied to our women. They’re all peaches.

I hope this ‘s been instructive. Ya’ll come back, now.

Ultress

Well, Lance Turbo, I am a native of North Carolina. I won’t tell you what we call your type here, but it is in the dictionary, but I don’t think you could read it anyway [since] after looking it up there’s not a picture for you to see. North Carolina is known as the “Tar Heel State”, so people either use the “Tar Heels” or “North Carolinians.”

Random

“Illinoisan”, but make sure you don’t pronounce the “s”. Ill – I – Noy-an.

Persephone

“I’m from Michigan.” That’s what I say.

In private, though, I call myself “STUPID” for staying here! Why didn’t I GET OUT when I had the chance? Sheesh!”

TVebken

Wood Thrush and Random are both quite correct about the name for residents of Illinois. But please note that the spoken version comes out as: ”Ill-annoyin’.” Gotta love it.

DoctorJ

We’re pretty boring: “Kentuckians.”

Across the river, of course, they avoid the bulky “Indianian” by calling themselves “Hoosiers.” Hoosier, as it happens, is an old Indian word meaning “State with loud abusive basketball coach.”

Sealemon88

I’m from Texas. We’re called “Superior.”

Evilbeth

Well, people who are from Tennessee and/or live in the state year-round are called (gasp) “Tennesseeans” or “Vols” for the Volunteers. The really rude, older people who can’t drive that migrate here from Florida in the summer and fall are called “Floridiots.” [Editor’s note: that’s what they call us all over the place, based on personal experience].

Tally-Ho

In Florida, those of us who stay year round are simply “Floridians.” -The ones that flock down here for the mid-winters are “Snow Birds” both for the timing and the amount of white hair. A large percentage seem to come from Canada. Can’t you guys figure out how to stay warm up there?

John Corraado

“What are the people in my state called? “G**D*** idiots,” but usually only when I’m driving.

Lance Turbo

Bear in mind that I live in Asheville, up in the mountains of North Carolina. Most residents of Asheville are not from North Carolina for some reason, so I don’t deal with too many natives. The natives remind me a little too much of the move Deliverance. Â So, when I refer to North Carolina natives as “cousin bangin’ rednecks” it is mostly due to the Deliverance flashbacks they inspire. However, the way they look at their cousins isn’t really helping the case.

Fleetwood

And I always thought all people from Maine were “cousins”!

McDeath

As a Saskatchewanian, I thought I’d give you a couple more for the list.

A resident of Moose Jaw (yes, we have a city called Moose Jaw) is, wait for it:

A “Moosichappishanisippian.” Really.

Saskatchewan, of course, comes from the Cree phrase meaning “The land where no man may leap to his death.”

People outside Saskatchewan are called “Rich.”

Rich Saskatchewanians are call “Calgarians.”

We won’t get into what the residents of Climax are called”.