8 Very Southern Things That Still Surprise Me Even Though I Grew Up In Atlanta
Southernisms I've come to love!
Author wearing a hat. Right: American flag in Savannah, GA.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
There’s a saying here in the Southern U.S. that can be found on some t-shirts in rural areas in Georgia, as well as in surrounding states. It goes: "American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God."
That’s just one of the many sayings you’ll see and hear if you visit the Southern states.
While I am originally from Israel, by virtue of the naturalization process I am now American. On top of my U.S. citizenship, I consider myself first and foremost Southern, having lived here for over four decades.
I have had the opportunity to travel throughout the United States, various nations in Europe and South America, as well as in the Middle East. I’ve also been lucky enough to call a few states my residence, including California, New York, and Washington, D.C.
At times, the Georgian suburbs of Atlanta in which I was raised seemed provincial in comparison with other countries and more populated cities in the Northeast of the country.
But over the last several years, I have come to love — and even miss when I’m away — some of the customs, mannerisms, history and cultures that are unique to my region in the U.S.
Now, here are some of the Southern things that still surprise me as an Atlanta local.
The Southern terms of endearment
If you have the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with a Southerner, you should expect to hear "dear," "sweetie," "honey," "darlin’," "baby," "sugar" or any variation of those words in your conversation.
I once took a friend out for dinner at one of Atlanta’s most notable Southern restaurants called Mary Mac’s Tea Room. The server, an older Southern woman, referred to my friend as "sugar" and "honey" while taking his order.
While this kind of charm may not be everyone’s cup of tea, my friend, who was visiting from New York, sopped up that Southern charm like a sponge and made me realize how ingrained these niceties are in Southern hospitality and culture.
The Southern affability
Usually, when I come home from a trip anywhere outside of the American South, I notice how the kindness of strangers toward me is more apparent here. Unlike anything I've seen elsewhere, it is quite common to greet and be greeted by anyone who comes across your path during your daily interactions here.
After a day of shopping, a friend once commented that she found the small talk of a store associate to be "fake" and insincere. It caused me to pause for a moment. Even if this exchange of words could be deemed "fake", I reasoned that I would much prefer those niceties over an associate being rude, dismissive, or worse — ignoring the customer.
The Southern American English
Most of us have heard of the most well-known saying here in the South "bless your heart" which is usually considered a backhanded blessing. Imagine two people chatting, one saying to the other, "Taylor wore that dress three days in a row, she mustn't have what to wear, bless her heart." While this may sound endearing and empathic to the unadvised listener, it would most likely be taken as a judgement or a straight-up insult by Southerners.
After many years of living in the region, there are still some sayings that cause me to do a double-take to this day, such as: "I will smack him upside the head," meaning that I will smack him hard. "He/she/they are being ugly" — meaning they are not behaving nicely, still puts a slight amused smile on my face.
Then again, if someone were to say: "[That (person) looks like they’ve been] rode hard and put away wet," which would that they looked roughed up, the saying would take me aback even now. And, of course, I'd chuckle a bit while hearing that "[he/she/they are getting] gussied up", instead of saying "[he/she .they are getting] dressed up."
Despite every person having their own unique idiolect in this world, I'm still enjoy the Southerners' to this day.
The Southern cuisine
Whether it’s a greasy diner or a high-end fusion restaurant touting the freshest farm-to-table experience with a Southern influence, you can be sure to find some variation of chicken and waffles, fried okra, BBQ, grits, gravy, fried catfish, bacon jam, sweet tea, or a combination of those on the menu.
The longevity of these dishes and combinations of sweet and savory still never cease to amaze me, no matter how many times my tastebuds come in contact with them in my lifetime.
The Southern rock anthems
Something you probably didn't know is that, here in the South, people are serious about Southern rock. I mean, serious.
You may even be at a Mumford & Sons concert and hear the audience start chanting "Play Skynrd!" (as in Lynrd Skynrd, a classic rock band deeply rooted in the South).
When these songs came on the radio years ago, I’d switch to another channel, but I’ve come to love them and strangely even find the lyrics — which I now know by heart — somehow meaningful over time. I guess I've been bitten by the Southern rock bug!
The church signs in the South
Although there are many churches of varying denominations throughout the Southern U.S., the ones with tantalizing slogans still catch my attention, as if some of them were competing for the best one-liners.
Signs I’ve seen just driving down the road range from "Waiting for a sign to visit our church? This is it!", or "God Recycles, He Made You From Dust."
Despite passing the same churches year after year after year, the original musings updated weekly on these signs still make me wonder, who comes up with these clever bits of wisdom?
The Confederate flag sightings
Now, you are less likely to see them in the city, but as soon as you venture off to a rural apple-picking farm on the weekend, you'll be surrounded by Confederate flags.
Despite being controversial for various reasons, the piece of fabric maintains strong symbolism for many Southerners. From a reminder of the battle flag of the five-year American Civil War, as well as the broader Southern heritage, to a symbol of racism and slavery, opinions definitely diverge on the subject.
The "Southern Cross" flag is historically a representation of the 11 Southern states which separated from the United States, forming the Confederate States of America. In order to continue to be able to enforce slavery in their regions, which, unlike the Northern states, were strongly dependent on forced labor to cultivate their plantations at the time, a war was declared and eventually lost by the Confederation.
Today, it’s a source of pride for some and a trigger that hearkens back to a racially divided South for others.
Football above everything
Much like the once-popular television series Friday Night Lights, American football is one of the most popular recreational sports in the Southern United States.
In any given situation, you may hear two strangers sharing their favorite "plays" during the previous night’s game. And don’t forget about tailgate parties, in which football fans are known to gather in parking lots, popping open huge coolers of beer and share chicken wings, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and more.
Although I should be used to "All-Mighty-Football" by now, I still find myself being amazed by how much a sport can behold such a giant cultural symbol in the South.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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