A little humor about the midwest

Mark_in_NH · Mar 29, 2002

I agree totaly with whoever wrote that. I think that rings true no matter what state you live in. Here in NH we certainly see our share of those Navigator driving individuals. Most of them show up in May/June and leave around August/September.

Harv · Mar 29, 2002

I live in the Midwest

Now wait a minute, Ron (ronjhall) -- I'm admittedly an ignorant Californian, but you really caught me off guard there. My dictionary agrees with you, defining "midwest" as:

 A region of the north-central United States around the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi Valley. It is generally considered to include Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.

Ohio??? /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif I'm looking at a map of the USA right now, and Ohio appears to be closer to the Atlantic Ocean than I am to San Diego. In fact, wouldn't you (SE Michigan) be more of a "mideasterner"?

From what I'm seeing, I don't understand how anybody east of the Mississippi River can refer to themselves with any term that contains the word "west".

Not looking to start a civil war here -- more like semantic curiosity, but do any of y'all know the origins of this terminology? Was it originated back in the days when we were barely more than the original colonies?

It's all relative, I guess. Just have to choose you own frame of reference. I have friends in Hawaii who consider me to be an easterner. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

BTW, Ron (rf33) -- I loved your post. I think I laughed the hardest because there's so much truth in it. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

ronjhall · Mar 29, 2002

Harv
I'm looking at a map of the USA right now, and Ohio appears to be closer to the Atlantic Ocean than I am to San Diego. In fact, wouldn't you (SE Michigan) be more of a "mideasterner"?
Maybe the person that came up with the definition of Midwestern didn’t have a map. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif Or the one they had may not have been accurate. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

RobS · Mar 29, 2002

I don't understand how anybody east of the Mississippi River can refer to themselves with any term that contains the word "west" 

Been a midwesterner all my life Harv (even east of the Mississippi) and I have to agree with you. I guess there's not enough people living between the Mississippi and the Rockies to count /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobS · Mar 29, 2002

I've lived in the midwest all my life Ron and that sure does ring true. Wouldn't trade it for anything either /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

PaulinSD · Mar 29, 2002

Well Rob, you have a point. South Dakota can come up with only 700,000 people. But we do have 2.5 million cattle. And the list at the beginning sounds like SD also. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Paul

shade2u2 · Mar 29, 2002

OHIO
Round on the ends & HI in the middle = midwest.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif
East starts in Pittsburgh...

Chuck52 · Mar 29, 2002

I guess I'm in the midwest now, in the center of Missouri. However, I'm originally from east Tennessee, and figuring out where that fits in the grand scheme of things is really interesting. It's south of the Mason-Dixon line, so it's the South, right? However, in the War of Northern Aggression, east Tennessee mainly sided with the north. I recall being called a grit once by a fella from New Jersey...I guess he was trying to insult me. The trouble was I had to ask him what grits were...I'd never had them! However, most of what was in the original post applies just fine to my old stomping grounds, except for the combine thing. The cows back home have two short legs and two longs legs so they can graze the hills. Combines don't seem to do well on that kind of terrain.

Chuck

ewoss3 · Mar 30, 2002

between the Mississippi and the Rockies

Rob I think you answered the riddle best

GrantMO · Mar 30, 2002

That's really funny!
My uncle, who was from Iowa, moved to D.C. When asked where he was from he would say "Iowa," and people would say, "no dear, we pronounce that 'Ohio'" After he moved to Oregon he would again say he was from Iowa and people would say, "No dear, we pronounce that 'Idaho.'" /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif