Nicknames of tourists
 

From the B&B thread to a recent NPR radio show, I loved hearing nicknames given (usually unwillingly) to travellers and tourists. <BR> <BR>Jersey Specials - "darlin' - One wanted to know where the stores were in DC. "Where's the mall?" <BR> <BR>California Dreaming - off in their own world <BR> <BR>Dorothy's - midwesterners overly trusting and nieve ("not in Kansas anymore"). Example on radio was the person asked a total stranger to watch their luggage. <BR> <BR>Ahwahnee's - see B&B post. <BR> <BR>Your favorites?

tourons <BR>

In northern Michigan, tourists are called "Fudgies" (because they go to Mackinac Island etc. and buy lots of fudge).

In southern Indiana tourists are usually called "furriners", unless they're from across the Ohio River, in which case they're called "them hillbilly furriners from Kaintucky".

In the sunny, warm climes, snowbirds are called "Q-tips" (white hair, white tennis shoes)

In Southern California, the "Zonies" come in from Arizona every summer to enjoy our more temperate climate.

And here in Arizona, Californians are known as Granolas...from the land of fruits, nuts, and flakes.

In the Rocky Mountain states, they're called "flatlanders". (not to be confused with flatliners, which is something much worse)

I like the "q-tip" nickname...we in Florida also call snowbirds "whitecaps"...that's only when we're not calling them any number of profane nicknames for driving/walking/thinking too slow.

A friend here in Florida calls the "snowbirds" "touch and gos", because many of the short older people in their huge cars can't see over the steering wheel or out the back. The way they drive is to go forward or backward till they hit something then go the other way. You should see them in a Publix parking lot!!!

Hah! Patrick, ain't that the truth? My parents just moved to a house just off of A1A in Cocoa Beach so now I have to deal with the snowbirds AND the tourists (who walk in the middle of the road with no regard for traffic) AND the shuttle gazers who walk looking up at the sky while pointing!

Don't forget the old standard, "Yankee." In the South, we have the joke my hubby (from PA) has heard repeatedly, "Do you know what the difference between a Yankee and a Damn Yankee is?" "A Yankee is someone from up North who comes down South for a while, then goes home. A Damn Yankee is someone from up North who comes down South and STAYS!"

You know what the difference between a northern girl and a southern girl is? A northern girl says "You can." A southern girl says "Y'ALL can!"

I live near New Jersey. An ancient expression used for a 'day tripper' to South New Jersey beach would be "shoeby", as in shoe box. My family claims this expression stems from folks who went to the 'shore' for the day with their lunch in a shoe box. <BR>Once in awhile, I'm still a "shoeby", too.

There are also "Benes" as in folks who benefit from the shore, but don't live there.

Some people I know on the South Jersey shore refer to the large numbers of Philadelphians that descend on the area every summer weekend as "Bennies" and "Ant'nys"- a reference to a stereotypical italian-american heritage.

In Fla. election officials exhibit the nickname "crook" or "imbecile." <BR> <BR>Ciao

In the U.P. of Michigan, anyone visiting from the south- or below the Mackinac Bridge- is called a Troll.

On the ski slopes of Colorado we call any obnoxious, loud, or otherwise annoying person a "Texan". They can't all be from Texas but we assume they are anyway.

Patrick, I love the "touch and go". Have you ever read Click and Clack's reviews of Buicks and Town Cars on cars.com? They say you can't see out the back but the people who buy these cars are too short and don't look anyway. I'm guilty of driving a Town Car, but I'm only partly white-headed. And I always look behind me!