The Bed, The Steinmart, and other Southern descriptions

When I was growing up in Texas I felt that I was in "the south" - with everyone throwing "y'all", "fixin' to" and other slang into their dialogue. So imagine how shocked I was to learn in 8th grade at the International Airstream Rally when Miss South Carolina decided to regionalize the U.S. by dialect. I was Miss Oklahoma in the pageant - it was run by senior citizens who drove silver bullets behind their cars. My talent was playing the piano and I had the prettiest tiera to wear around Notre Dame University. ANYWAY... the clogging Miss SC clearly excluded Texans from "the south" - we fell into the "west" category which I found quite insulting! What was it about the south? I don't know, but I wanted that classification and I refused to be left out.

Years later, I realize, most Texans would not consider themselves Southerners. They are Texans and that is all that should be said. They wear boots and occasionally a cowboy hat. They like big hair, big purses and especially big jewelry (those belt buckles). One woman at our church in Memphis described Texan women as "dripping in diamonds". There are certainly lots of women who do have all of the above. I think the stereotypical Texan just does so much in a big way that the Big Texan is what comes to mind first.

Now that I have been living in the REAL SOUTH I have made another observation. Southerners get into THE bed. Texans get in bed. Southerners make a run to THE 7-11. Texans run to 7-11. As Boo Mama says... she went to THE Steinmart while the Texas girl in me just goes to Steinmart.

There are tons of other Tennessee slangs we have discovered... "You-uns" = "y'all." "I don't care to" really means "I don't mind at all!"

I love living in The South. Occasionally I miss the fun of Texas where the parties are big and the people are loud. One thing I know, I have friends in both places who may talk a little different but overall we still like to shop, eat and hang out together as often as possible.