So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[LizzieMaine]

Well with 54Million English, 5millon Scots, 3mllion Welsh & 1.8 million N/Irish it's hardly surprising. Not that it's not a two way thing. If you stood on a street corner in any British city of your choosing, clipboard in hand, on it a blank map of an outline of the USA, ask any passer by if they can point to the State of New England. You would be very lucky if just one pointed out that New England is a region of six States.

And most of the time, none of those six states particularly like each other.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I grew up in Tallahassee.

Yankee.

 

[Hercule]

And most of the time, none of those six states particularly like each other.

Odd, I grew up in Connecticut and don't remember anything about any states' rivalries or animosity, and still don't really.

 

[LizzieMaine]

C'mon, you never called anyone a "Masshole?"

 

[Fading Fast]

Having lived in Boston for eight years, the "rivalry" between the New England states always felt good natured to me, like friends making fun of each other. It did not have a underlying harshness, in my experience. Living in NYC, you definitely get the feeling that some part of the non-NYC country truly doesn't like NYC. But, equally, many non-NYC residents seem to love that NYC exists and are proud it is part of the USA. The New England thing seemed lighthearted, the NYC thing has an edge. Again, all just my humble opinion based on my personal experiences and observations - no studies, etc., to back any of this up.

 

[Hercule]

C'mon, you never called anyone a "Masshole?"

Nope, but I'll have to remember that one.

I think the only NE state I ever developed a bad opinion of was Vermont. It seems they don't want you, just your money. Growing up it seems like we never heard anything the other states, especially Rhode Island, it was like it didn't exist. We had relatives in Mass and used to go camping in the NH White Mountains (til I was 6) so really had no cause to venture any farther.

 

[2jakes]

I have always been amazed how the birds up New England area are able to live in such harsh cold
conditions & tolerate one another
in confined situations for long periods.

 

[Hercule]

re: the NY thing and New England.

Frankly, I blame NY for Connecticut going to pot. All those city dwellers venturing out into the CT country on the weekends. Then again I'm kinda angry in general at what became of the NE I grew up in. My memories are of the days when there were more rural communities, actual working farms and farm land. Then about the end of the 70s it all went to hell thanks to opportunistic developers. Suppose you can't blame them, but I swear they won't be happy until it's all paved over from NYC to Boston. And don't get me started about Yankee Magazine! Moved west for college, came home briefly then went back west and haven't looked back since, not that I could afford to. Visits home are nothing but heartbreak for what I remember.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yankee magazine used to be a magazine for people who were actually from New England, and I always looked forward to reading it -- it had great fiction and humor, interesting articles about people who did interesting things, the Original Yankee Swopper's Column, and those "Whats-It?" ads for Savogran paint stripper where they'd show some weird old antique and challenge you to guess what it was. A great magazine for browsing in the can.

Now, it's a smarmy lifestyle rag for people who move to New England from Westchester and hate the cow farmer next door because his cows actually produce stink.

 

[Zombie_61]

...If you stood on a street corner in any British city of your choosing, clipboard in hand, on it a blank map of an outline of the USA, ask any passer by if they can point to the State of New England. You would be very lucky if just one pointed out that New England is a region of six States.

Yeah, I don't really understand that one myself. We Americans appear to have a bit of a passion for drawing arbitrary boundary lines where none actually exist. "New England states", "the South", "the mid-west", and so on. It's a divisive "Us versus Them" mentality that escapes me.

That's not to say that California is any different. As I understand it, some northern Californians have such a strong dislike for southern California that there is actually a movement of sorts to divide the state in two, but I've never met anyone here in southern California that has similar feelings about the northern part of the state.

To be fair, there's a significant chunk of they English don't know the difference either!

I'm certain I don't fully understand it either, except for what I've read about it online. You good folks need to sort out a way to simplify that mess.

 

[Mr. Pickett]

I'd just like to say that I can name every US state beside Connecticut and place them all on the map.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I'd just like to say that I can name every US state beside Connecticut and place them all on the map.

Just do the 49 that you know, and the empty spot left will be Connecticut.

 

[Mr. Pickett]

Just do the 49 that you know, and the empty spot left will be Connecticut.

I thought there were only 13 states?

 

[HudsonHawk]

I thought there were only 13 states?

Somewhere between 13 and 57 is what I'm told.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I fly a 48 star flag in front of my house. The two states not represented are the ones I'm maddest at at the moment.

 

[Mr. Pickett]

I fly a 48 star flag in front of my house. The two states not represented are the ones I'm maddest at at the moment.

Reminds me of;

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

I grew up largely in Texas. There were no other states.

 

[Mr. Pickett]

I grew up largely in Texas. There were no other states.

That explains the single star on the flag.

A thing that annoys me, and it goes back to the topic of supermarkets, is when you're in the queue and somebody in front of you says to the cashier that they forgot something. They then run back off into the store, while you have to wait exchanging awkward looks with said cashier until they get back. I actually feel now I think about it, like this isn't trivial at all, and I have a rational reason to be annoyed.

Especially when the shopper in front doesn't apologise for holding you up.

Bad form.

 

[HudsonHawk]

That explains the single star on the flag.

Everyone who grows up in Texas does so largely.

A thing that annoys me, and it goes back to the topic of supermarkets, is when you're in the queue and somebody in front of you says to the cashier that they forgot something. They then run back off into the store, while you have to wait exchanging awkward looks with said cashier until they get back. I actually feel now I think about it, like this isn't trivial at all, and I have a rational reason to be annoyed.

Especially when the shopper in front doesn't apologise for holding you up.

Bad form.

I think nowadays, when that happens, the cashier can simply put the transaction on "hold" and move on to the next customer. No need for an extended delay.

If they indeed intend to hold up the line, I think you're perfectly within your rights to say "tough feces, Ringo...to the back of the queue" when they return.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have always been amazed how the birds up New England area are able to live in such harsh cold
conditions & tolerate one another
in confined situations for long periods.

A little-known fact is that more domestic violence occurs in Maine in January and February than at any other times of the year.