[country pride]

Hmmm, Ive always thought of it as a southern state?

[archer_22]

I know this is from wikipedia, but this has been updated from Dec. 2009:
File:U.S. Census Bureau Regions.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The black and white one that everyone sees here was developed in 1990:
http://www.eslpod.com/eslpod_blog/wp..._Divisions.png

__________________
EDIT:How can I turn these things into links?

[East Coast Wanderer]

Originally Posted by 115db

Hmmm, Ive always thought of it as a southern state?

Is it below the Mason-Dixon Line?

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by archer_22

I'm from Tulsa and have always wondered this. Most people here have the regular, or no-accent accent and when people move to Tulsa that do have a southern type of accent, it's usually because they're from Texas or Arkansas, but mostly Texas. Same with Oklahoma City; I used to visit that place a lot and have rarely heard a "ya'll" from anyone, but then again, I haven't met everyone who lives in Oklahoma. I also saw that somebody wrote that we eat "grits" in Oklahoma. Since when? I have never heard of anyone eating such a food here. When I think of grits, I think of Alabama or Georgia (and sometimes the movie My Cousin Vinny lol), but definitely NOT Oklahoma. When it comes to religion, I've noticed that yes, we're in the bible belt, but then again so are Missouri, Kansas, and southern parts of Illinois and Indiana. I know that a lot of this state is southern Baptist but there are also about 5,000 Jews, 6,000 Muslims, 13% Catholic, and other religions like Wicca, Unitarian, and New Age.

Geographically speaking, we're in the central plains/heartland region, west of the Mississippi River, north of Texas, and even have Oklahoma's 7th largest city named Midwest City. Wouldn't we technically qualify as a midwest state right there?

Here are some sites that include it as a midwest state:
Little Feat - Point Of Contact - Eastern Midwest Region
http://www.city-data.com/forum/attac...ap-midwest.jpg
Dahlsten Driver Opportunities (http://www.dahlsten.com/driveropportunities.htm - broken link)
Midwest
NFFS MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY (http://www.nffs.org/mem-directory-midwest.html - broken link)
Film in America -- Filming Locations for TV and Movies in the United States -- Maps and Regions


Discuss....

I have always considered Oklahoma western. Mostly because of so many cowboys and Native Americans I think. Also, it was considered the "last frontier" back in the old "Oklahoma Land-Grab" days, if I am not mistaken.

I don't think of it as being southern or midwestern at all.

20yrsinBranson

[Goodpasture]

I think we should try to be more pacific northwest.......just a few mountains and some cold coast line and we would be set.

[flintysooner]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I think we should try to be more pacific northwest.......just a few mountains and some cold coast line and we would be set.

This whole thread is far too much two dimensional. We need to be thinking more three dimensional or maybe even four dimensional.

[aroy3]

I was born and raised in OK. The majority of my time in OK was spent in a small town in central OK with approximately 300 people. I had the worst accent as a child (I've since toned it down a little to avoid the southern accent=stupid correlation). Okies absolutely have an accent. I could peg it anywhere. It's a fairly strong one too. We did use lots of words such as "fixin'" and "y'all". I love my state and miss is so much. Anyway...

As far as the southern vs midwestern argument...when my husband really wants to goad me he calls me a midwesterner (he's a Texan). We've had this exact conversation before. Never, would I or any other Okie I know, identify ourselves as midwesterners. I would say, with absolutely nothing to back this up (just my feeling), that Oklahoma is a great mix of the south and the west. It's its own special little place.

[debzkidz]

After reading all these posts, I'm still thinking about the OP's comment about people not saying "y'all". I've been thinking about everyone I know that is a native Okie, and all of them, from 18-80 says it. No, I'm not a native, I'm a Texan transplant. Most of my neighbors are natives and they say it. Most of my kids friends are natives and they say it. I just am shocked that the OP doesn't know anyone that says it. I have a son that is in college at the University of Arkansas Fayettevile (what is that, 20 miles across the state line?), and they say it there. I have trouble believing Tulsa is this little microcosm of Midwesterners sandwiched between all the rest of us y'all sayers.

And yes, all the native Okies I know have an accent. It's kind of a cross between Southern and Texan. In some, its not particularly strong, then in some it's very strong.

Oh, and even this native Texan does say "you guys" sometimes.

[swake]

Originally Posted by debzkidz

After reading all these posts, I'm still thinking about the OP's comment about people not saying "y'all". I've been thinking about everyone I know that is a native Okie, and all of them, from 18-80 says it. No, I'm not a native, I'm a Texan transplant. Most of my neighbors are natives and they say it. Most of my kids friends are natives and they say it. I just am shocked that the OP doesn't know anyone that says it. I have a son that is in college at the University of Arkansas Fayettevile (what is that, 20 miles across the state line?), and they say it there. I have trouble believing Tulsa is this little microcosm of Midwesterners sandwiched between all the rest of us y'all sayers.

And yes, all the native Okies I know have an accent. It's kind of a cross between Southern and Texan. In some, its not particularly strong, then in some it's very strong.

Oh, and even this native Texan does say "you guys" sometimes.

I'm in Tulsa, I hardly ever hear it. It's not common.

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by swake

I'm in Tulsa, I hardly ever hear it. It's not common.

Dang! Really? Ya'll must be a bunch of foreigners or something.

IMO, there will always be a huge difference between rural and small town Oklahoma and "the city" or Tulsa. Even though there are a lot of country folks who move to the city for jobs, etc, and vice versa~ lots of city people have folks/grandparents still living in the country. And the more you are away from any slang/dialect, the less you will use it.

I have never perceived OK as midwestern or southern. bleech!! Bite your tongue!!

Those of us who have multiple generations still living in the country grow up hearing "ya'll". That's just the way people speak out in the country where my people are from. (thankfully)