The North and South often feel like two separate countries. The South is a lot more rural and agricultural, with more religious communities, generally hotter weather, and its own regional dialect. It’s pretty easy to spot a born-and-bred Southerner. Here are 18 telltale signs that you’re from the South.
You Use ‘Y’all’ All the Time
‘Y’all’ is a staple word in Southern dialect, standing in for ‘you guys’ or ‘you all’. Sometimes, they even say ‘all y’all’ to refer to a large group of people! Northerns regularly mock this Southernism, but people from the South continue using it because they’ve heard it since they were young.
You Drink Sweet Tea
If you were born and bred in the South, there’s no tea except sweet tea. Though it looks like iced tea, the key difference is its sweetness. According to Slate, 22% of a glass of sweet tea consists of dissolved sugar! The South is generally big on sweetness, but nothing beats sweet tea.
Gun Culture Doesn’t Phase You
American gun culture is controversial, but it’s a fact of life. The Deep South is known for having high levels of gun violence due to the sheer number of firearms. In Kentucky and Texas, you can open carry without a permit. Gun culture is standard for Southerners throughout their lives.
You Always Use Pet Names
Southerners are very affectionate, so using pet names is a natural part of their dialect. If you regularly call people darling, honey, sweetie, or love, it’s due to your Southern upbringing. From family and friends to neighbors and strangers at the store, everyone gets a pet name.
Respect is Important to You
Respect is a massive part of Southern hospitality. Northerns are frequently baffled by being called ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ when they visit the South, but it’s common for Southerners to address everyone this way regardless of age. Respect is taught in childhood, and Southerners maintain it throughout their lives.
You Speak Slowly
If the term ‘Southern drawl’ wasn’t enough of a giveaway, your slow, easy speech is a telltale sign you’re a born Southerner. Southern American English consists of drawn-out vowels, which causes many one-syllable words to sound like two syllables, so ‘they’ becomes ‘they-urr’. You likely think Northerners speak far too fast by comparison.
You’re Used to Humidity
If you grew up in the South, you had no choice but to get used to the humidity. According to The New York Times, Southern summers are often miserable due to the combination of heat and humidity, which can be deadly. But even if you’re used to it, you’re still welcome to complain!
You Love Barbecues
For Southerners, barbecues are serious business. Barbecue, as we know it today, originated in the South, with the southeastern region of the US being known as ‘the barbecue region’. It contains the majority of America’s barbecue restaurants, which you likely eat at regularly as a Southerner.
You Regularly Say ‘Bless Your Heart’
Any true Southerner knows that ‘bless your heart’ is not a compliment, no matter how sweet and sincere it sounds. It’s actually something you say to show condescension or derision after someone says something thoughtless or rude. Sometimes, it’s used to express genuine sympathy, but that’s not the norm.
You Chat with Everybody
Americans are known for making small talk with everyone, but Southerners take it to the next level. From childhood, they’re taught always to be kind and welcoming, so they’re happy to chat with anyone and everyone. Whether at church, work, or the store, you’ll always be ready for a conversation.
You’ll Fry Anything
Fried food is sometimes considered unhealthy or bland, but a born and bred Southerner knows that’s not true. Almost anything can be fried, including vegetables, and if it’s done correctly, it will still be packed full of flavor. Fried chicken is a firm favorite, but if you fry anything, you’re a proud Southerner.
You Know Streets By Their Churches
Part of the South is known as the ‘Bible Belt’ for a reason. The Washington Post reports that the South has 15 churches per 10,000 people, more than anywhere else in the US! Growing up in the South, you were likely able to figure out where you were by the closest church.
You Love Grits
Grits are a staple breakfast food any child in the South will have grown up eating. The dish actually originated in the South in colonial times and remains popular to this day. Southerners will even serve it with shrimp as a dinner course! If you love grits unquestioningly, you’ve got Southern blood.
Snowstorms Disrupt Your Life
Northerners regularly make fun of the South because everything there shuts down due to a few inches of snow, but the Southern states simply aren’t equipped to handle snowstorms. You likely remember being unable to get to school due to snow because the roads weren’t clear, and snowstorms are still disruptive.
You’re a Whiskey Connoisseur
Like sweet tea, whiskey in all forms is a staple Southern beverage. When they start drinking alcohol, Southerners quickly develop a sophisticated taste for whiskey. They also enjoy bourbon but get angry when people think they are the same. Becoming a whiskey connoisseur is a Southern rite of passage.
Front Porches Feel Like Home
Anyone who was born and raised in the South knows that front porches and screen doors aren’t movie stereotypes; they’re a real part of Southern households. People sit on their porches to relax, and screen doors help keep houses cool. You’re definitely Southern if porches feel like home.
You Call Dinner ‘Supper’
Another gripe Northerners have with the Southern dialect is the fact they call dinner ‘supper’. Southern Living reports that this change occurred centuries ago when Southern farmers would eat a light supper as their third meal of the day. Though most call this third meal ‘dinner’, you’re not wrong to call it supper.
You Love Being Outdoors
Above all else, the South is home to some of the most beautiful natural areas in the United States. Southerners are encouraged to get outdoors and enjoy the natural world from a young age. Even if you no longer live in the South, your love for being outdoors will follow you wherever you go.
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