Indiana stereotypes? (Lafayette, Princeton: movies, minimum wage, costs)

[cornmuncher]

Im from Indiana too, in a small town in a small county. ive done a lot of traveling in about half the states give or take and everyone acts as no surprise that im from Indiana and when i ask how they knew they always say "oh no reason." the bigest reason i thought was of how i talk but even when i go down to a southern state were they have a twang acsent that i associate with here i stick out like a sore thumb. I got a bother in law whos from outside of chicago and moved to Indiana and i have a girlfrind who grew up around there to and even they wouldnt tell me. So being the genius that i like to think i am i took my brother in law out with my buddys and did what we usualy do on a saturday, nothing gay, just to get him in our element. that elements was whiskey shots with longneck backs, shooting high caliber rifles and broken down old cars, wreslein with the dogs and scarring jeasus out of the cows, then we settle down, made some halfass attemp at chicken more whisky shots and i asked what people think about us he just laughed and said "well you sure know how to have fun" when i woke up i relised that i hadnt done us hoosiers any justice because even to our other friend what we do to have fun is border line stupid but they have no quarrles when they get draged into it. i also wanna say even though i might sound a little redneck around here we are all friendly allways willing to lend a helping hand i go to church on sunday and all our collers are blue. any ways i just wanted to know how people can pick us out so please give answers.

[Mason1221]

Some things that i do without knowing (most people do it around me too)
Phone conversations.....MMBye
Yall/Yins
Yella
Wcha doin?
I call one of my grandma's Meemaw and the other Mimmy
I live in East Central Indiana

[Mason1221]

Everyone from arounds heres parents or grandparents came from Kentucky, and i live just north of 70. Grandma came from Kentucky, Mom came from West Virginia

[countrifiedgurl]

Well, I have lived in the southeastern part of Indiana my whole life. I know that people not from 'round this neck-a the woods think Hoosiers are dumb hicks, redneck hillbillies, not too much going on between their ears. Unfortunately I've noticed most of the same habits listed elsewhere in this thread, which doesn't help our image any, duzzit. As far as the accent....yep, we do have one! It's a very nasal twang, something you don't hear farther North. I think it's Kentucky influence although not the same kind of accent in the speech of native Kentuckians. It's unique to us'ns. Sometimes I think it's just a bad case of "lazy lips" too, LOL. Anyone can recreate that kind of speech habit by talking without letting their lips move! A bit like the old joke where they say, "Jeetchet?..........Joo?"

So "Mah-Maw" and "Pah-Paw" are unique to this state? I didn't know that, I thought kids everywhere called their GPs by those titles!

Originally Posted by cornmuncher

we are all friendly allways willing to lend a helping hand i go to church on sunday and all our collers are blue.

I go to church every Sunday too, and my working collar is always blue coz that's the color they make us wear, hehe. I'm a friendly person always willing to help out, so I guess that is one of the good points (and I guess there are many) about being born in this here state.

[SmokyMtnPeace]

I don't think the "mah-maw" or "pah-paw" is just unique to Indiana. I live in WV, and that is what we call our grandparents. Of course my husband is from Elmira, NY, and he calls them "gramma" or "grampa". I really didn't notice an accent with anyone from Indiana when we've been there in the past, and I really don't know of any stereotypes. Don't even get me started with the stereotypes that people WV have to deal with. At one point, we considered living in Indiana; however, kind of backed off due to a bad experience living in the midwest before. Not in Indiana, but Columbus, Ohio. I never felt comfortable in Columbus, Ohio from day one. I have a pretty good southern accent, and those I worked with made it a point to amuse themselves over it. The time we lived there, people seemed to be standoffish, rude, always in a hurry, and unfriendly in general. Don't get me wrong, I did make some friends. I didn't feel overly accepted either. Is this normal for the midwest or was it the fact we lived in such a big city? I'm just curious. I can't really tell as it's usually different from visiting a place and actually living there. I kind of expect that when you go to the west or NE, but I didn't expect that in the midwest. Of course you'll have butts anywhere you go. Peyton has seemed to fit in there, and by gosh he's as southern as you can get. LOL Oh I wish those Colts would pull themselves out of this muck.

[SmokyMtnPeace]

Nevermind. I think I've pretty much gotten my answer by reading replies to other threads to this issue. It's apparently a midwestern thing. It's a shame that people have to be like that instead of getting to know a person for who they are, and treating them with respect without regard to where they came from or how they talk. I know there are some out there that aren't like that, but it appears many are. Oh well.

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnPeace

Nevermind. I think I've pretty much gotten my answer by reading replies to other threads to this issue. It's apparently a midwestern thing. It's a shame that people have to be like that instead of getting to know a person for who they are, and treating them with respect without regard to where they came from or how they talk. I know there are some out there that aren't like that, but it appears many are. Oh well.

I lived in Columbus for about 5 years with a bit of a southern accent and didn't have that much of a problem. People joked with me a little bit about how I said some things, but it was just in fun and nobody was cruel about it. There are also plenty of people that are from small, poor, "backwards" areas of southern and southeastern Ohio that live in Columbus and don't have any problems. It sounds like you either just worked with some jerks or couldn't handle some good natured teasing. I'm guessing it's probably the former.

[panda_eyes]

Is "mah-maw" or "pah-paw" a southern Indiana thing? I spent most of my life in the northcentral and northwest parts of the state, and I never heard of these terms until this thread

[domergurl]

I never head MAH maw or pah paw until moving down here either ...drives me nuts.

[CountryLuvinWoman1]

I love it that im a hick and I could care less if prople think im stupid at least they leave me alone so works for me. Besides I will take a dumb ol hick anyday better kinder more apt to help ya out kind of people. What happened to people bein judged by their heart and character?