Have a barbecue (appointed, house, living)

[lepoisson]

What do you say in your state when you want to cook outside on the grill?

I'm from NC and we never say barbecue to refer to a grill (gas or charcoal). We never say barbecue to refer to cooking outside.

We usually say "I'm having a cook-out".

When someone says they are "having a barbecue," it's an instant indicator that they are from somewhere else.

[LordHelmit]

Yep my roommate invited me to a cookout and a friend invited me to another "cookout" earlier. Also North Carolina. I remember in New Jersey people in my area (Burlington County) people would invite us to a barbecue.

[Pincho-toot]

You HAVE A COOKOUT or you BARBECUE. You don't cookout and you don't have a barbecue.

[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

What do you say in your state when you want to cook outside on the grill?



I'm from NC and we never say barbecue to refer to a grill (gas or charcoal). We never say barbecue to refer to cooking outside.



We usually say "I'm having a cook-out".



When someone says they are "having a barbecue," it's an instant indicator that they are from somewhere else.

Excellent query.

In Oklahoma we generally say grillin' out or the less frequent cookout.

I'll never forget the first time we were invited to a neighbor's house while living on the West Coast. They invited us over "for A barbecue." I heard just "BBQ" in my mind not "A barbecue." I was expecting pork ribs and okra, we got grilled hotdogs and burgers. Slightly disappointed. LOL.

By the same token, when we had some neighbors for the first time we served sweet tea and okra. The tea was way too sweet and they thought the fried okra was from outer space.

[canudigit]

Here in Michigan we say we are having a cookout and we are cooking on the grill.

I grew up in NW Ohio and I had never heard a grill referred to as a barbecue (noun) or the act of cooking out as barbecuing (verb) except on TV sitcoms until I was an adult and traveled around the country a little bit.

[clawsondude]

Originally Posted by canudigit

Here in Michigan we say we are having a cookout and we are cooking on the grill.

I grew up in NW Ohio and I had never heard a grill referred to as a barbecue (noun) or the act of cooking out as barbecuing (verb) except on TV sitcoms until I was an adult and traveled around the country a little bit.

Interesting, I'm also from Michigan and I disagree. Most people I know say we are having a BBQ. I have personally tried to move away from this and personally use BBQ only when I'm actually making pulled pork or ribs.

I have noticed that African American people are more likely to say cookout. My circle is admittedly very white.

[aliasfinn]

It's barbecue in St. Louis, which is easier for me to say than it is to spell, I keep thinking there's a "Q" in there somewhere. Anyway, mine always tastes like wasp spray cuz the little bastards keep building nests inside my grill.

[Vegabern]

Originally Posted by canudigit

Here in Michigan we say we are having a cookout and we are cooking on the grill.

I grew up in NW Ohio and I had never heard a grill referred to as a barbecue (noun) or the act of cooking out as barbecuing (verb) except on TV sitcoms until I was an adult and traveled around the country a little bit.

Have we had this discussion before? I'm also a current Michigander originally from NW Ohio .


Back to the question. I agree with a BadgerFilms. "You HAVE A COOKOUT or you BARBECUE. You don't cookout and you don't have a barbecue. "

[mr roboto]

MN - grilling out. Never really hear 'cook out'. Or 'we're gonna grill some burgers/chicken/steaks, wanna come over?'

Barbecue is a specific form of cooking low and slow smoked meat. Not grilling.

[Johnny C]

BBQ = low and slow cooking using wood as the heat. Smoke is involved in cooking and flavoring the food.

Grill = Generally higher temperature via propane or white hot charcoal, smoke not a key factor. Think steaks, hut dawgs, burgers with fast cook times.

Some etymologists believe the word barbecue derives from barabicu found in the language of the Taíno people of the Caribbean and the Timucua of Florida;[1][page needed] it has entered some European languages in the form of barbacoa.... the Spaniards apparently found native Haitians roasting meat over a grill consisting of a wooden framework resting on sticks above a fire. The flames and smoke rose and enveloped the meat, giving it a certain flavor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue