JJ5 -- they'll figure it out eventually, my sister had something through her eyebrow until her toddler discovered it and reacted just how you'd except a toddler to react to a bright shiny thing, needless to say that toodler is now nine, and nothing has appeared in her eyebrow since. Oh, and during a younger time in my life, I had a little something through my nose, now I don't

The piercing thing seems to be great if you want to work in a coffee shop...

Yes, Diana, it's been "awfully" fun conversing with you! I've had an "awful" good time.

I think that the reason southerners and midwesterners are more aware of regional differences is that most all of the news media comes out of New York. When its hot in NY its hot everywhere. If they're called sneakers in NY their called sneakers everywhere. If its normal in NY its normal everywhere. And here's my favorite, If a national real-time broadcast is announced to be on at 8 PM it will be on at 8 PM everywere. How self-centric can you get?

"New York is the greatest city in the world", "Times Square is the crossroads of America". This self centered attitude is known to everyone except people who live in NY and the "The tri-state area". They don't even know that most states have a tri-state area! When I was a Child I thought that I lived in the only tri-state area.

I think that all news media should be based in a centralized area (socially and physically) in St. Louis. Gateway to the west from the east, and half way up the Mississippi. Its neither north, south, east or west, but is the true Crossroads of America.

BTW, I live many hundreds of miles away from St. Louis, so don't think that I'm plugging St. Louis because I live there.

I'd love to join the Junior League but just can't seem to pass the physical.

Well, Seamus, I hate to correct you, but I have it on good authority that the REAL reason you've been blackballed is because you not only put "awful" dark chicken in your chicken salad, but mixed in that "dreadful" Miracle Whip to boot. By the way, I was sick about missing the recent San Antonio GTG, but saw your photo afterwards online and I must say that you look absolutely "precious."

MIRACLE WHIP!!!

Now, I AM getting the vapors...

NO! Not Miracle Whip!

Any good southern cook worth her salt knows that you use Duke's Mayo.

NOT MIRACLE WHIP!!

The horrors!

I'm feeling faint.

Over on the southern cookbook thread (and I should post there) someone mentioned a tv chef who uses COOL WHIP. Ugg, how did that person get a tv show. Cool Whip should be banned.

I haven't read the Junior League book but I agree about the chicken salad. I don't like the chicken salad a xxx because it has dark meat in it. I guess I'm eligible for membership now.

Having been a member of two JLs, both south of the MD line, i was horrified to realize that there was actually something other than all white meat chicken salad (mmmm... try double white meat fried chicken salad in Opalousas, LA!!). No offense, but i quit when they a)quit having interview luncheons for candidates, and b) let a gal in from the "wrong side of the tracks" because of her job, not her volunteer work!

and to think, I had never heard of Junior League until this thread.

Nonononoooo!! Not Duke's. It's always Blue Plate Mayonaise.

It's obvious you all are not from Kentucky. Here you put on your white shoes after Derby Day (first Saturday in May for the uninitiated).

JJ5 your grasp of logic is so loose that I'm not surprised you giggle a lot. With a couple of exceptions (notably jorr), have never seen such a good example of Q.E.D. as this thread, but go for it ladies; just don't complain if Yankees make jokes about you you don't like.

Having been a provisional member of three different Junior Leagues (finally going active in Clearwater, FL and serving on that board for several years), I can say with confidence that "tacky" is regional:

You are tacky in New York City if you pronounce the "t" in the word "often."

You are tacky in St. Louis if you don't go to church.

You are tacky in Florida if you wear a swimsuit to the supermarket.

There's the real South, the south of some novels and movies, and then there's Florida, which is New York, New Jersey, and parts of Canada all dislocated on the (mainly) southern half of the state. So when any of the posters refers to Florida as a southern state, t'ain't so.

Back at the original question: Rules for visiting the REAL south should include knowing some of the more meaningful and colorful expressions like:
-"Purt' near," meaning almost.
-"Right smart," meaning a lot or many.
-"Dark thirty," a very meaningful expression to describe that time right after dark.
-"a mess," in this case meaning enough food or fresh vegetables for the person(s) receiving it. "Mizz Lizzie brung me a mess o' greens yestiddy."
-"done," meaning already. "I'm done finished."
-"a piece," meaning a distance that isn't too far. "He lives down the road a piece."
-"a hissy," meaning a fit of anger. "She threw a real hissy."
-"conniption," also meaning a fit of anger. "She had a conniption when she heard about him cheatin' on her." Note that you THROW a hissy, but you HAVE a conniption.
-"aim," meaning to plan. "I aim to take a vacation next y'ar."
-"airy," meaning none. "He ain't got airy a penny to his name."
-"didn't go to," meaning didn't intend to. "He didn't go to hurt ya."
-"gander," meaning to look or stare.
-"fixin' to," meaning getting ready to. "I was just fixin' to leave."
-"allow," meaning to state or explain. "He allowed as how he was broke."
-"plum," meaning completely. "He is plum broke."
-"wrench," meaning to rinse. "She wrenched the clothes clean."

I should stop. These things keep popping into my mind.

Wayne, That "allow" term is something I have never heard of.

Jorr - I'll allow that I've heard it that way, but only from my suthrun extended relations (note: the Southerners I know never have "relatives," just relations).

You betchall never hear "allow" used like that up here in our beloved Minnesota.

Back to that wonderful "Bless your heart": It has as many meanings as there are tones of voice, I've found. My favorite is when my 92-year-old Mizzuruh-bred grandma uses it to express exactly what the words say. My next favorite is when it's used to cat it up: "That dress! Well, she must not know that it makes her look like a tramp, bless her heart." Fabulous!

All you Junior Leaguers - any insight into the Daughters of the American Revolution? I qualify but have never become a member. Will I have to throw out half my chicken and the Miracle Whip if I join?

Worktowander - I'm too tacky to for the JL but I guess I could get in the DAR if I applied. Our KY DAR is headquartered in Duncan Tavern in Bourbon County KY. Since one of my ancestors portraits is hanging there (she was one ugly woman,bless her heart)I'm sure they would have to let me in. I think my aunt's are members. There is an application on the KY website and I'm sure your state has one. You have to establish your lineage. http://www.kentuckydar.org/

Seamus - You probably didn't get in JL because you served your mint juleps in those tacky souvenir derby glasses from Churchill Downs instead of sterling julep cups. Ya'll can't be JL without julep cups. No plate or pewter allowed!

Diana - Thanks! I am printing your Raleigh list for my daughter. She plans on living in that area when she graduates from the yankee school she goes to way up north in Boston. She says she needs to thaw out a bit after 4 years of school in the frozen north.

Worktowander--about the DAR; my wife is a member and they mean it when they say you have to track your lineage precisely at least as far back as the revolutionary war. In her case, one of her family members had already made up a family heritage book that went all the way back to the 1400's in England. So she just copied what was there, and they shooed her in quicker'n you could wring a chicken's neck.