If you identify as a midwesterner, this article is for you! These quirks perfectly embody the spirit of the midwest.
You don’t use miles or kilometers to measure distance; you use time. Grandma’s house isn’t 21 miles away; it’s 30 minutes. Planning a cross-country road trip? You’re not traveling 1,000 miles; you’re driving 16 hours. You don’t realize how unique this quirk is until you talk to people from other areas!
Saying goodbye is a foreign concept to a midwesterner. They will say goodbye 10 times before saying, “Okay, I actually have to go.” I’m not sure if the friendly midwestern atmosphere or the constant open houses make us this way.
If you apologize for everything, you are probably a midwesterner. Is your grocery cart in someone’s way? “Oh, sorry!” Standing in front of the drawer your mom needs to get into? “Sorry, my bad!” We even apologize to pets and objects. Accidentally step on your dog’s tail or hit your lamp? “Sorry!” If you pay attention, you will realize that you say it more than you think.
In the midwest, a person’s lawn mirrors their character. If your neighbor doesn’t mow their lawn or maintain their landscape, they must be off their rocker. A well-manicured yard is like a badge of honor in the midwest.
If you are a midwesterner, you know that the weather often changes, especially in the fall. You can start with a crisp 65° in the morning, and by the afternoon, it’s a sunny 85°. That being said, midwesterners are experts at the clothing layering game.
There is no better place to be in the fall than the midwest. Midwesterners love the colorful leaves and crisp, cool weather. If you are a midwesterner, you eagerly anticipate the arrival of fall. However, you try to soak up the fall season because you know that a cold, dark winter will follow.
If you are a midwesterner, you are very familiar with casserole dishes. You most likely eat casseroles regularly. Green bean casserole, chicken casserole, and cheesy bake casseroles are staples on most midwestern tables. If you haven’t tried casserole, are you really a midwesterner?
Midwesterners know that puppy chow isn’t just for dogs. This delicious treat is a staple dessert. The combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy flavors makes for an addictive combination. You won’t want to stop eating it once you start!
Unlike Southerners, midwesterners don’t have an ocean to swim in. Most midwesterners would even pick the lake over the pool! If you want to experience a true midwestern summer weekend, pack a cooler with your favorite snacks and plan a day at the lake.
Our family has a tradition of eating coffee cake on Christmas Morning and New Year’s Day. Outside of that, we regularly make it for family gatherings and social events. I didn’t know this was a midwestern thing until I started researching midwesterner quirks. So, if you eat coffee cake, you are eating a true midwestern treat.
Midwesterners love their food. If you go hungry at their house, it’s your own fault. They are know for their cheese platters, pigs in a blanket, and jell-O appetizers. All of these appetizers are convenient, simple, and oh so delicious.
Not only do midwesterners love convenient appetizers, they love cheese. A genuine midwesterner will find any way to add cheese to a dish. Need to flavor your steamed broccoli? Add cheese. Want to fluff up your casserole? Add cheese. The options are endless with cheese.
If you live in the midwest, you know all about Chicago-style food. From deep-dish pizza to gourmet hot dogs, Chicago natives know how to eat their way through a city. You can only find authentic Chicago food at select places, but the search is totally worth it.
Green bean casserole is a staple at midwestern Thanksgiving celebrations. You can also find it on many midwestern tables as a mealtime staple. Is it even a midwestern holiday without green bean casserole?
I’m not sure exactly where this word originated, but almost every midwesterner says it. Bump into your couch? “Ope.” Bump into someone at the store? “Ope, sorry!” It’s become a universal code among midwesterners.
In the midwest it’s not so much about how much you say, it’s more about the unspoken words. For example, you probably say “The dishes need washed” rather than, “The dishes need to be washed”. Midwesterners have a tendency for condensing their sentences in a grammatically incorrect way.
You don’t drive on the highway or the freeway, you drive the expressway. I feel like this is more prominent in the older midwestern generations. Your grandma drove down the expressway to come to visit you this weekend.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely got my house shoes, my dress shoes, and my gym shoes. And I refer to them as such. Apparently, that is a unique midwesterner trait, but I am proud of it!
I can’t tell you how many times my friends, family, and I say this. I didn’t even realize that it was weird until someone pointed it out! Why is this our go-to phrase whenever we answer someone?
If you live in the midwest, you know that you drink pop, not soda. Soda is for sophisticated people, and while we aren’t exactly cavemen, we still prefer to take shortcuts in our speech (see number 16). The next time you grab a drink, pay attention to whether you call it “pop” or “soda”. That will tell you a lot about your midwestern quirks!
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