georgian

11 Tell-Tale Signs You're A True Georgian, As Told By A Life-Long Local

If you do these things you're a certified local.

​A woman holding a peach at a roadside produce stand. Right: Yumion the onion, Vidalia's official mascot.
Georgia Contributing Writer

A woman holding a peach at a roadside produce stand. Right: Yumion the onion, Vidalia's official mascot.

@davis_produce | Instagram, Vidalia Onion Festival | Facebook

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

I was born and raised in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. I consider myself a local expert on a lot of Southeastern rituals and traditions. Growing up, many of us in the Peach State share similar experiences, no matter in what county we grew up.

These are tell-tale signs that you're a true Georgian, from the perspective of a woman who lived here her whole life. If you drink sweet tea like it's water, and know that the best produce can be found on the side of the road, then this list may resonate with you.

You've mastered the art of polite passive aggression.

Down South, we've found very polite ways to insult people. In the Peach State if someone says "bless your heart," you messed up!

You're surprised when beaches have clear water.

Georgia has beaches that are beautiful hidden gems, but don't expect the water to be clear. That's for Florida.

You have high standards for shrimp.

There is truly no better seafood than wild Georgia prawns. If we go to a restaurant and they're serving small, farm-raised shrimp, I'm getting up and leaving.

You've bought peaches from the back of a truck.

Here in Georgia, some of the best produce can be found on the side of road, sold by the people who grew them. If you pass a truck bed full of peaches, do yourself a favor and pull over.

You say "y'all" on an everyday basis.

It's just how we talk, get over it.

You know "Tea" means "Sweet Tea."

Growing up, we always had a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge. When I visit Northern states I forget it's not a menu staple, and my poor Southern heart can't take it.

School was cancelled if it snowed.

Georgia is so drastically underprepared for below freezing temps that on the rare days we do see snow, everything shuts down. No school, no work, everything is cancelled so you can go outside and build the world's saddest snowman with the small amount that sticks.

This guy came to your school.

"Yumion" the humanoid onion is Vidalia's mascot, and made his rounds to elementary schools across the state. Every so often public schools across Georgia would hold assemblies where a person in an onion costume hypes up an auditorium full of grade-school kids. It's bizarre, but that's Georgia for you.

You love boiled peanuts.

Boiled peanuts are another roadside delicacy. Peanuts are a major crop in Georgia's agriculture industry so it makes sense that they're so popular here. In a pinch, gas station peanuts will do, but if you're driving and see a sign that says "P-NUT" you've struck gold.

Jimmy Carter is your favorite president. 

I know very little about Jimmy Carter's Presidential term considering it began two decades before I was born, but he is the only U.S. President born and raised in Georgia, so he is indeed worshiped here. He is even written into children's books, like the aforementioned 'Yumion' series.

You grew up eating a lot of Chick-Fil-A.

Almost every city in Georgia has a Chick-Fil-A. There are over 250 locations in the Peach State alone, likely due to the fact the fast food chain originated here. Growing up, it was an option favored by parents due to the fast service and convenient pricing. It was a Southern staple.

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Maeve Browne
Georgia Contributing Writer
Maeve Browne is a Contributing Writer for Narcity’s USA Desk focused on food and Internet trends and is based in Savannah, Georgia.

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