I used to have an annoying coworker who LOVED Manhattan. She would vacation there a ton and was always excited to be able to take work trips there twice a year. I clarified to her that I was from upstate NY and she was like, "Wait... what's upstate NY?" The rest of the entire state that isn't NYC!
A lot of people just don’t understand upstate NY. I’m from downstate, but I always have to clarify that it’s not NYC, but rather LI.
I teach in Germany, and I’ve had a few students try to correct me that there are 51-52 states. And they really argue with me about this.
I only just learned this! I had always assumed that it referred to the North Country (i.e. Syracuse/Albany and "up"). The other day my colleague was pointing out Elmira to someone on a map, and I said, "I thought you were from upstate New York?" and he had to explain that upstate refers to pretty much the entire state. Even the west. Oops!
A lot of people just don’t understand upstate NY. I’m from downstate, but I always have to clarify that it’s not NYC, but rather LI.
I teach in Germany, and I’ve had a few students try to correct me that there are 51-52 states. And they really argue with me about this.
I only just learned this! I had always assumed that it referred to the North Country (i.e. Syracuse/Albany and "up"). The other day my colleague was pointing out Elmira to someone on a map, and I said, "I thought you were from upstate New York?" and he had to explain that upstate refers to pretty much the entire state. Even the west. Oops!
My sister's exSIL once told my H, who was from Albany area, that she was from upstate NY. He quizzed her. She's from rural PA. So, no. She was crazy.
I am still coasting on the "do you know..." high of my freshman year in college. I met a guy who said he went to HS abroad. I asked where, he got all vague and said I wouldn't know. i got annoyed and asked again. He said the Middle East. I asked for more specifics. He said the UAE. I asked for more specifics. Each time, he would roll his eyes and insist I wouldn't know. Finally, I got him to say where he went to high school in Abu Dhabi. I laughed and said the name of a friend of mine who had also gone there but had moved away the year before. He was so shocked that he had to sit down.
Post by rupertpenny on Dec 2, 2018 19:48:02 GMT -5
So many random Americans ask me if I speak Japanese when I say I live in Hong Kong. I've always thought that was bad, but I guess it is more understandable than not knowing New Mexico is a state!
5kcandlesinthewind I LOL’ed at that. Someone in Boston one time tried to tell me that Worcester is in western MA. Bitch please, Worcester is practically a suburb of Boston.
LOL! I went to UMass-Amherst for grad school and even only a year there left me understanding that!
But then I’m in Central NJ, which people try to claim doesn’t exist...
5kcandlesinthewind I LOL’ed at that. Someone in Boston one time tried to tell me that Worcester is in western MA. Bitch please, Worcester is practically a suburb of Boston.
I grew up near Haverhill, and most of the time when I tell people I grew up in Mass, they just assume it's either Boston or Cape Cod. Umm, no. There's more to the state than that. And no, the entire eastern part of Mass isn't just one big Boston suburb.
5kcandlesinthewind I LOL’ed at that. Someone in Boston one time tried to tell me that Worcester is in western MA. Bitch please, Worcester is practically a suburb of Boston.
I grew up near Haverhill, and most of the time when I tell people I grew up in Mass, they just assume it's either Boston or Cape Cod. Umm, no. There's more to the state than that. And no, the entire eastern part of Mass isn't just one big Boston suburb.
Did she at least pronounce Worcester correctly?
She did pronounce it correctly at least. She was Boston born and raised, so really seems like no excuse? She grew up about 5x closer to Worcester than I did.
I grew up near Haverhill, and most of the time when I tell people I grew up in Mass, they just assume it's either Boston or Cape Cod. Umm, no. There's more to the state than that. And no, the entire eastern part of Mass isn't just one big Boston suburb.
Did she at least pronounce Worcester correctly?
She did pronounce it correctly at least. She was Boston born and raised, so really seems like no excuse? She grew up about 5x closer to Worcester than I did.
Oh, well, that explains it. Bostonians seem to think everything within an hour is just a "suburb" of them.
A lot of people just don’t understand upstate NY. I’m from downstate, but I always have to clarify that it’s not NYC, but rather LI.
I teach in Germany, and I’ve had a few students try to correct me that there are 51-52 states. And they really argue with me about this.
I only just learned this! I had always assumed that it referred to the North Country (i.e. Syracuse/Albany and "up"). The other day my colleague was pointing out Elmira to someone on a map, and I said, "I thought you were from upstate New York?" and he had to explain that upstate refers to pretty much the entire state. Even the west. Oops!
Oh, there are plenty of native new Yorkers, some of whom I'm know, who insist only the north country is "upstate". Maybe because it's upstate from... All other places in NY? I have no idea. But they think central NY, Hudson River valley, capital district and Western NY are all separate from upstate NY. Like, "I'm not from upstate NY, I'm from WESTERN NY." You're from both, dummy!
Driving all of Alabama from north to south is fairly boring too. Not nearly as bad as Iowa east to west though.
I'm about 3 hours outside Chicago. Over the summer a couple of us overheard a 60-something year old manager talking about going to Chicago for a meeting and how she was going to have to dig out some of her winter clothes because it'd be cold there....it was July. We had to explain that she would not be experiencing that big of a climate difference. Apparently she'd never been to the city in the summer and she genuinely thought Chicago was always cold.
Post by supertrooper1 on Dec 2, 2018 22:55:39 GMT -5
I live in Washington, over 100 miles from Seattle. When people ask where I'm from, I just respond Seattle so I don't have to explain that I'm not from DC. I was in a work training class years ago and geography was important in the class. A guy from Texas didn't think Washington was a state. I gave up describing where it was and the person next to him said it's where the Seahawks are from. He thought Seattle was the state.
I live in Washington, over 100 miles from Seattle. When people ask where I'm from, I just respond Seattle so I don't have to explain that I'm not from DC. I was in a work training class years ago and geography was important in the class. A guy from Texas didn't think Washington was a state. I gave up describing where it was and the person next to him said it's where the Seahawks are from. He thought Seattle was the state.
Liking only because I can't cry at this. When I moved to Ohio, when I said I was from Washington people would assume DC. I'd have to respond, "No, the other Washington. The state. On the other side of the Mississippi." People are sad.
I only just learned this! I had always assumed that it referred to the North Country (i.e. Syracuse/Albany and "up"). The other day my colleague was pointing out Elmira to someone on a map, and I said, "I thought you were from upstate New York?" and he had to explain that upstate refers to pretty much the entire state. Even the west. Oops!
Oh, there are plenty of native new Yorkers, some of whom I'm know, who insist only the north country is "upstate". Maybe because it's upstate from... All other places in NY? I have no idea. But they think central NY, Hudson River valley, capital district and Western NY are all separate from upstate NY. Like, "I'm not from upstate NY, I'm from WESTERN NY." You're from both, dummy!
It is all up from NYC, though!
Exactly. Once you cross over that bridge and go through the Bronx (or if you go via NJ), then that’s where upstate begins (Westchester or Rockland County). As soon as you see the falling rock zones, lol. But I guess if you say Buffalo or Plattsburgh, then that’s really upstate.
This is actually pushing me to learn my geography of Europe and the UK better. I don't want to be seen as stupid (I just suck at memorizing names of things).
Oh, there are plenty of native new Yorkers, some of whom I'm know, who insist only the north country is "upstate". Maybe because it's upstate from... All other places in NY? I have no idea. But they think central NY, Hudson River valley, capital district and Western NY are all separate from upstate NY. Like, "I'm not from upstate NY, I'm from WESTERN NY." You're from both, dummy!
It is all up from NYC, though!
Exactly. Once you cross over that bridge and go through the Bronx (or if you go via NJ), then that’s where upstate begins (Westchester or Rockland County). As soon as you see the falling rock zones, lol. But I guess if you say Buffalo or Plattsburgh, then that’s really upstate.
Yep, anything north of the Bronx is upstate.
Though, im originally from Rockland and generally considered Orange and north upstate when I was a kid lol
Post by amberlyrose on Dec 3, 2018 13:02:02 GMT -5
Being from New Mexico, this is not shocking. You will not know how many times we had to argue with customer service reps about setting up service/shipping/etc. It's not an international move!
5kcandlesinthewind I LOL’ed at that. Someone in Boston one time tried to tell me that Worcester is in western MA. Bitch please, Worcester is practically a suburb of Boston.
I grew up near Haverhill, and most of the time when I tell people I grew up in Mass, they just assume it's either Boston or Cape Cod. Umm, no. There's more to the state than that. And no, the entire eastern part of Mass isn't just one big Boston suburb.
Did she at least pronounce Worcester correctly?
I'm from Walpole but I live in Seattle. I love to write Worcester and Peabody on my board for my 8th graders. With "Worcester," I have them say it with me slowly. But "Peabody" just needs to roll of the tongue.
I was IDed in VA buying booze once, and when I handed the cashier my RI drivers license, she was ALL CONFUSED. You guys have your own licenses?! Shouldn't it just be a NY license? Isn't RI part of NY? And I was only in VA. Like, it wasn't even THAT far from home. Then it was a whole other thing about how the whole state of RI is not actually an island.
All previous comments about RI and RIers are completely accurate. People have the worst concept of distance. So there's a dunkin on every effing corner, because God forbid you have to go more than 5 minutes for a coffee. When we bought our house, my entire IL family was appalled that we would move SO FAR AWAY from them (it take about 20 minutes to get to their house from ours).
Post by underwaterrhymes on Dec 3, 2018 20:23:27 GMT -5
I spent a summer in a California when I was 16. I’m from Maryland (right outside DC) and I can’t tell you how many people asked if I lived on a farm and drove a tractor instead of a car.
I grew up near Haverhill, and most of the time when I tell people I grew up in Mass, they just assume it's either Boston or Cape Cod. Umm, no. There's more to the state than that. And no, the entire eastern part of Mass isn't just one big Boston suburb.
Did she at least pronounce Worcester correctly?
She did pronounce it correctly at least. She was Boston born and raised, so really seems like no excuse? She grew up about 5x closer to Worcester than I did.
I lived in the Boston area for five years and it still kills me that we have a Quincy here in Illinois that is prominent right now due to our totally incompetent governor and they pronounce it wrong.
I spent a summer in a California when I was 16. I’m from Maryland (right outside DC) and I can’t tell you how many people asked if I lived on a farm and drove a tractor instead of a car.
When I moved to DC from Utah people would ask where I was from, then automatically say "Oh, wow, yeah, I couldn't do rural" as soon as I said Utah. I was like, um...well I grew up in a suburb, so...
My mom is from Sweden and I have always been shocked at the number of people who believe that Switzerland and Sweden are the same place. She gets so tired of people talking to her about the Alps.
Moving to Rhode Island has been like nothing else, though. People here think driving 15 mins is a hardship. And the fact that I commute over an hour to Boston is like, incomprehensible.
Anything over 20 minutes is what I call R.I. far. And I don’t go to Newport without an overnight bag.
Exactly. Once you cross over that bridge and go through the Bronx (or if you go via NJ), then that’s where upstate begins (Westchester or Rockland County). As soon as you see the falling rock zones, lol. But I guess if you say Buffalo or Plattsburgh, then that’s really upstate.
Yep, anything north of the Bronx is upstate.
Though, im originally from Rockland and generally considered Orange and north upstate when I was a kid lol
I grew up 5 minutes from the Bronx border in Westchester and I *hated* when people said I live upstate lol. It doesn't bother me now since I grew up and realized yeah, anything north of the Bronx should be considered upstate. I do take pains to refer to Western New York and North Country with those names though, so now upstate just means...well, I don't know what it means. Westchester up to Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton?
Though, im originally from Rockland and generally considered Orange and north upstate when I was a kid lol
I grew up 5 minutes from the Bronx border in Westchester and I *hated* when people said I live upstate lol. It doesn't bother me now since I grew up and realized yeah, anything north of the Bronx should be considered upstate. I do take pains to refer to Western New York and North Country with those names though, so now upstate just means...well, I don't know what it means. Westchester up to Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton?
So in college, people from long island told me i was from upstate, which also sort of killed me - rockland and westchestrr arent upstate. But now i sort of get it. I dont know, i guess its a upstate, but upstate can be the hudson valley, western new york, southern tier, etc.? Its insane that 90% of the state is upstate lol
I grew up 5 minutes from the Bronx border in Westchester and I *hated* when people said I live upstate lol. It doesn't bother me now since I grew up and realized yeah, anything north of the Bronx should be considered upstate. I do take pains to refer to Western New York and North Country with those names though, so now upstate just means...well, I don't know what it means. Westchester up to Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton?
So in college, people from long island told me i was from upstate, which also sort of killed me - rockland and westchestrr arent upstate. But now i sort of get it. I dont know, i guess its a upstate, but upstate can be the hudson valley, western new york, southern tier, etc.? Its insane that 90% of the state is upstate lol
Yeah, Westchester is dicey. Like, it's not upstate to me, but it is if you live on Long Island. Perspective!