Quick Course in Basics, by a Native Delawarean (Dover, Smyrna: construction, casinos)

[rdlr]

There are few of us left, and with all the new people moving in to Delaware, many of we locals just shake our heads and grumble at mispronunciations, sayings, misquotes, and other incorrect information. To help some of you, I'm throwing this mish-mash of "things" all newcomers should know before you move here, or learn pretty quickly upon settling in.
Towns/Places
Leipsic Lip-sic
Little Creek Lil' Crik
Frederica Fred-a-ricka, not Fredreeeeeka
Smyrna Smerna, not Smearna
Houston House-ton, not Youston, as in Texas
Lewes Louis, not Lews
Boon Docks Local crab hangout-huge old hunting lodge East of Smyrna
Sambos Crab bar/joint with newspapers on the table
Don't dress up for either

Must Know
Ruddertowne is not a town. It's a bar/restaurant complex in Dewey Beach
There's North Bowers and South Bowers, with a canal separating them
Camden-Wyoming is not a town, but a street. Camden is a town, and Wyoming is a town.
If you live in Kent County, you are "below the ditch" (south of the Chesapeake-Delaware Canal)
If you live in western Sussex County, you are in "lower-slower Delaware". If you're not in "lower-slower Delaware" but say you are, it's a sure giveaway you're "new" and don't know where you live.
It's the "beach" not the "shore", like in New Jersey. We have beaches.

Food
Opossom............we eat 'possom
muskrats............we eat musrats (no K in musrats)
grits..................we eat a lot of grits, thanks to the south
scrapple.............don't ask what's in it
crabs................ pronounced krebbbs

Events
Apple Scrapple Festival in the Fall - Bridgeville
Punkin' Chunkin Festival the week after Halloween, Place tbd
Wyoming Peach Festival - 2nd Saturday in August, Town of Wyoming,
extending to Fifer's Orchards Customer Appreciation Day
Harrington Heritage Day - Town of Harrington, in the fall
Strawberry Festivals - galore
Nascar Races June and September at Dover Downs International Speedway
Bethany Beach, Dewey and Rehoboth locals have "goodbye
tourist" parties because they are so relived to see Labor Day.
Bethany has a parade on the boardwalk Labor Day weekend and they carry
"summer" in a coffin, followed by mourners.
Rehoboth Sea Witch Festival
Much, much more going on.

Laws
No smoking in public buildings including restaurants, bars, government buildings, and casinos. Legislation currently being looked at which bans smoking on beaches and boardwalks.
Move-Over Law - When a police officer has someone pulled over for a traffic violation and they are on the right shoulder, you are to switch to the left lane, if it's empty. Same for emergency vehicles or construction vehicles on the right shoulder. Move Over! Funny thing, when I move over to the left for the safety of those on the right shoulder, out-of-state cars pass me on the right!
To be Continued.............

[Charley]

I've posted almost 3000 times on City-Data and have read tens of thousands more. Your "Quick Course" will be the first message that I actually print out.

Wonderful job, Delly!

Charley

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by CMTAD

I've posted almost 3000 times on City-Data and have read tens of thousands more. Your "Quick Course" will be the first message that I actually print out.
Wonderful job, Delly!
Charley

Thank you, Charley. You're very kind....and I'm just trying to be helpful.

[elizamary]

[quote=Delly;3106019]

Hey delly thanks................

One thing, you eat possum.

[Hunt 2621]

You kidding about your diet right, Don't tell me you eat .............

[Charley]

Originally Posted by Hunt 2621

You kidding about your diet right, Don't tell me you eat .............

Just from my observations, I have investigated many restaurants and supermarkets as part of my research about Delaware. I have not seen possum or muskrat on any menu or in any supermarket display case.

Having said that, what a person chooses to do after their own hunt is certainly not part of my planning process. It might tell me whose dinner invitations to accept but ...

Besides, they probably "taste like chicken" Alligator tastes like chicken (with the consistency of clams).

... and I like grits!

Charley

[Cruikshl]

You make me want to come visit . Reminds me of home.

[rdlr]

Possom and musrat are not available in supermarkets, Charley. Oh, my. Can't believe you said that!

Morris' Market in Frederica is the place to go for fresh trapped of them both. I saw their big wooden sign out just the other day as I was breezing through town. Frederica is a marshy area, and locals trap during the winter months.
You could trap your own, but I doubt if you would want to do that My suggestion is to head on up to the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Smyrna. Don't know if possom is on their menu, but musrat and stewed tomatoes is a specialty item during the winter (February and March, I think). And, I believe the Boon Docks had that on their menu at one time.

I've tasted both, just to say I did. I'm ashamed to say they are not my favorite foods, and I feel like I am an embarrassment to my die-hard local friends. However, I have skinned musrat before. About 15 years ago a friend of mine entered a musrat skinning contest and from a tree stump in her back yard, taught me that art! But, the peach peeling contests suit me better. Gosh, I feel like such a sissy!

But if any of you are thinking about trapping musrat for a hobby, or for business, or just to EAT, we have laws about that, too!
Subchapter III. Muskrats

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by Cruikshl

You make me want to come visit . Reminds me of home.

Cruikskl.........Wish you would come visit! You could meet us at the Wagon Wheel!
This was taken from First State Facts, a Delaware site:
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Smyrna is one of the few restaurants in the country where muskrat is served. This backwater delicacy is trapped locally in January and February and served — par-boiled and sautéed — to adventurous diners.

[elizamary]

Originally Posted by CMTAD

Just from my observations, I have investigated many restaurants and supermarkets as part of my research about Delaware. I have not seen possum or muskrat on any menu or in any supermarket display case.

Having said that, what a person chooses to do after their own hunt is certainly not part of my planning process. It might tell me whose dinner invitations to accept but ...

Besides, they probably "taste like chicken" Alligator tastes like chicken (with the consistency of clams).

... and I like grits!

Charley

You have had alligator, charley? No thanks. I'm sticking with pork, beef, veal and chicken.
No musrat, opposum or alligator for me. Can't get the image out of my head.
In Asia, they like Dog. OMG.........my poor little hiedi.

Of course, anyone that wants to experiment, more power to you. Your a better person than I am.

there is a thread in Alaska called "would you eat your buddy if you were stranded in a blizzard"?.
I said I wouldn't but who really knows what you would do? Although, I can not imagine eating someone I knew or any human for that matter.

What say you.....................