Which states do you immediately think of when you think of "the South"? (move, suburbs)

[CookieSkoon]

For me the states that often come first to mind when I think Dixie are Alabama, the Carolinas and Texas.

For me those four states cover the character of the south as a whole fairly well.

[Heterojunction]

If people say y'all, it's a southern state.

[Enean]

I don't, typically, think of the South. When I do, it's in relation to something in the news, or something weather-related. Then, it's wherever the "happening" is. I do know what states are in the south, so I don't think, as someone else does, that Missouri is in the South....it's not.

[CookieSkoon]

Originally Posted by Heterojunction

If people say y'all, it's a southern state.

I disagree. Y'all is common in northern urban blacks and can also be heard across rural areas even here in NY. Granted, not as often as in the south, but it's here.

It could be argued that where y'all is the dominant standard is likely southern.

[new2colo]

In order:
Mississippi
Alabama
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Louisiana
Arkansas
North Carolina
Kentucky
Florida
Virginia
West Virginia

Originally Posted by Heterojunction

If people say y'all, it's a southern state.

I live in Arizona and I hear people throw in "y'all" on a pretty routine basis from non-southerners. I don't think of Arizona as a southern state. I think some people outside of the south occasionally use it when they're being informal. It rolls off the tongue easier.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by KY_Transplant

Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Carolinas.

States that don’t come to mind very quickly are Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Mississippi.

Growing up in Ohio, the Upper South States were some of the first places that felt different to me when we travelled to Florida as a family. I remember noticing the differences between Ohio pretty quickly after leaving the State. I still Associate these States as Southern and they pop in my mind right away, mainly cause that’s where most of my past experiences in the South came from.

We made the family trip from Eastern PA to Florida a couple of times, and the first area that seemed different to me was Virginia.

From my skewed perspective, it would be Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Georgia, because that's where Tara Plantation was supposed to be located. I watched parts of the movie when I was quite young. When I was in elementary school, someone told me about their trip to Charlston. That seemed very different and southern to me. North Carolina was the first place that I ate BBQ or saw tobacco growing.

Special mention to Tennessee because my Aunt Mary married a gentleman from there in the 1960s. He was different from everyone else I'd met.

[TarHeelTerritory]

Originally Posted by Gerania

We made the family trip from Eastern PA to Florida a couple of times, and the first area that seemed different to me was Virginia.

From my skewed perspective, it would be Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Georgia, because that's where Tara Plantation was supposed to be located. I watched parts of the movie when I was quite young. When I was in elementary school, someone told me about their trip to Charlston. That seemed very different and southern to me. North Carolina was the first place that I ate BBQ or saw tobacco growing.

Special mention to Tennessee because my Aunt Mary married a gentleman from there in the 1960s. He was different from everyone else I'd met.

Great post-- personal and insightful. May I ask what part of the state of NC you were in? And do you recall eating Eastern or Lexington-style cue?

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by TarHeelTerritory

Great post-- personal and insightful. May I ask what part of the state of NC you were in? And do you recall eating Eastern or Lexington-style cue?

Eastern Q. My husband was in the military and spent most of his career at Fort Bragg. People love to hate Fayetteville, but I have fond memories of it. We lived out in the county off of Rt. 401 in a nice neighborhood with some friendly neighbors. It was a good mix. There were native Fayettevillians, people from other parts of the state and neighboring states, as well as some military/DoD. I say some friendly neighbors because some kept to themselves.

We had an annual neighborhood yard sale and block party. That's where I really learned about 55 gallon drums and pigs. We all chipped in to buy the pig, and the guys took shifts tending it during the night. Low, slow, and periodically basted. I knew a thing or two about good food, and that was one of the best things I'd ever eaten.

I'd already been to Chason's out in the county, and while their food was very good, I think our pig was better.

My family used to vacation at the New Jersey shore, so don't get me started about flat terrain, sand, pine trees, and the beach. I felt comfortable in North Carolina. It reminded me of happy times from my youth.

[ABQConvict]

Virginia - the closest true southern state to where I grew up. Took vacations to the DC area which incorporated time in Virginia. Although people contend that Virginia, esp. northern Virginia is no longer the South, it sure seemed a lot more like the South than where I grew up. Add to that, the history of Virginia as capital of the Confederacy and all the Civil War sites I visited, and it definitely loomed strongly as the South to me.

Kentucky - I spent a lot of time SW Ohio growing up and the influence of Kentuckians who had migrated to that region is very strong. Then, when actually going down into Kentucky, you are immersed in it. Much more of an Appalachian version of the South however.

Georgia - Never been, but with the high profile of Atlanta, the cultural influences, not least growing up on TV shows like the Dukes of Hazard, and of course its central location, Georgia seems like the poster boy of Southern states to me.

[spencer114]

The Duke boys were in Kentucky