A guy from Roanoke tells a coworker in Denver he grew up in RoVA, not NoVA. She nods, completely lost, and asks if that’s near the coast. He tries again with the 757 and Tidewater, and now she’s more confused than before. These are the words only Virginians throw around without thinking twice. Commonwealth, Not…
A cousin from out of state visits California for a week and comes home an expert. They’ll tell you it’s all beaches, celebrities, and traffic. But they only saw one corner of it. These are the things people keep getting wrong about California. Always Warm and Sunny California doesn’t hand out beach weather year-round, and…
Think a warmer winter and a cheaper house settle the matter for good? They don’t. Somewhere around the first sticky February, a New York transplant in Charlotte starts missing things money can’t ship south. These are the things New Yorkers miss most once they take I-95 south for good. A Proper Bagel New Yorkers grow…
Tennessee looks simple from the highway. That’s the trap. Transplants from up north arrive expecting one accent, one culture, and one kind of weather. The state hands them three of each before they finish unpacking. These are the things that catch northern newcomers off guard in Tennessee. No Tax on Your Paycheck Tennessee skips the…
A tourist pulls into a Macon gas station and asks the clerk for the fastest way north. She answers in what sounds like a foreign language built from familiar words. He nods, thanks her, and drives off with no clue what she just told him. These are the Georgia sayings that turn a simple exchange…
Think you’re getting the best price at the pump because you always eyeball the big sign out front? Guess again. Read that sign closely, and you’ll find the catches that cost drivers at the pump. These are the gas pump mistakes costing Floridians money every fill-up. Note: This is general information, not financial advice. Prices…
Squatting sounds like a big-city problem. But it plays out across North Carolina, in empty rentals and inherited homes. These are the North Carolina squatter laws that punish an absent owner. Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Property laws and court procedures are subject to change, so confirm the current rules for your…
A transplant asks his Beaufort neighbor when the repairman is coming. “Directly,” she says, and closes the door. Three hours later, he’s still waiting because nobody told him that “directly” can mean whenever. These are the words South Carolinians say that leave the rest of us lost. Pluff Mud Walk onto any South Carolina dock…
No, we don’t all surf. Half of California lives closer to a Costco parking lot than a wave. The questions start the second someone hears the word California, and Californians have been fielding them for years. These are the things Californians are tired of explaining to the rest of us. NorCal Versus SoCal Californians argue…
A new coworker from Boston moves to Columbus and starts keeping a list. Every few days, someone says a word or orders a dish that stops them cold. By spring, that list runs long. These are the things the rest of the country says that Ohioans do wrong. Ohioans understandably feel that it’s everyone else…
