You Know You're From Indiana If...
A recent high school class reunion (the BIG one) reminded me how much I love having grown up in Indiana. Though we classmates have been apart several decades, most of us have kept the common thread that made us Hoosiers. It’s a mindset.
Part of our high school graduating class--all Hoosiers at one time.
Being a Hoosier puts a person in a unique category. Part of that includes the way we speak.
Until I moved away from Indiana, I didn’t realize that we said some words differently. And though I’ve modified my speech since then, here are some nostalgic words and phrases from our Hoosier background. Perhaps you’ll recognize a few.
You know you’re from Indiana if:
someone says, "hillbilly" and you think Kentucky.
your grandma told you the Indiana state flower was the piney. (She meant peony.)
you eat mushmelon in the summer. That's a derivative of "muskmelon" or canteloupe.
you water the garden from the outdoor spicket.
supper is the evening meal.
you feesh in the crick.
your mom made you warsh deeshes.
someone says, “Knee high by the fourth of July” and you know they’re talking about corn fields.
your friend says, “Did you put mango in this meatloaf?” and you know she meant green pepper.
you drop the letter g in all words ending in ing Ex: Wha cha doin’ this evenin’? Goin’ feeshin’?
someone asks if you want a coke and you know they’re next going to say, “You want Pepsi, Sprite, or Mountain Dew?”
you collar in your collaring book with crins.
you git the joke. And you git goin’ on your homework.
you call that town near Indy, CAR-muhl. Like the candy.
your friend says, “Kin a have another pin? I kaint write with this one.”
you put new SEE-mint on your driveway.
you say someone is hick-a-fied, meaning backwoodsy or uncultured.
So you see, each state has its own unique way of speaking. I happen to think Indiana rates high on the unique list. And I love it.
Special thanks to former classmates David, Jenny, Katie, Bud and Patrick …and my sister Elaine for their valuable suggestions.
How about you? Did we miss any “Hoosierisms?” Don’t forget to comment below.