It's pretty easy to spot an Ohioan, just yell "OH!" and wait for an "IO!" A Cincinnatian is a different type of breed: someone who hates to love their city and wears red all the time (hey it's for the Buckeyes and the Reds). If you know how to the clear signs, you can easily spot a Cincinnatian from a mile away.
1. You always have a craving for spaghetti topped high with chili and cheese.
There's nothing more "Cincinnati" than Skyline Chili. Everything down from the oyster crackers to the York Mints screams Cincinnati tradition. It's always the first stop on my way back from college, and I have my own stash of Skyline oyster crackers and hot sauce in my dorm room. There's really nothing quite like it.
2. "Where'd you go to school?" doesn't mean college.
Your high school tells a lot about you. Did you go to Walnut Hills? Wow, you're smart! Moeller? You're preppy. The typical follow-up question is normally "Do you know __?" since everyone in Cincinnati is connected someway, somehow.
3. You're irrationally proud of your high school.
Along the same lines, you still wear your high school colors proudly and even have a few pieces of spirit wear tucked in the back of your closet. You keep up with the latest games and events, even if you don't share that fact openly. You're always rooting for them, even sometimes attending a few basketball games or musical productions.
4. You either like Xavier or UC, there's no in-between.
You're either a fan of the Bearcats or the Musketeers, and you proudly sport your favorite team every year during the Crosstown Shootout, no matter where you are in the world. It doesn't matter if you never attended either college, you still have a favorite, even if you don't want to admit it.
5. You sport your Bengals and Reds gear proudly, no matter how badly the season is going.
During the summer half the city can be spotted wearing red, while the fall is filled with orange and black (and not just for Halloween!). The last time the Reds won a World Series? 1990. The last time the Bengals won the Super Bowl? Well...never. But you keep on wearing your home team's colors proudly, hoping that one day the Reds will get good players (say bye to Jay Bruce) and maybe, just maybe, the Bengals will finally win a playoff game (but probably not).
6. The most important islands are Kings Island and Coney Island.
Almost everyone you knew had a pass to either Kings Island or Coney Island, and you earned many sunburns from both. There was nothing quite like Halloween Haunt at Kings Island as a high schooler, and odds are you ended up working at Coney Island during the summer (I know I did).
7. You can't use the phrase "when pigs fly here."
There are flying pigs everywhere, and I'm not even kidding. Odds are in grade school you probably painted one of those winged pigs, and it might even still be somewhere downtown. The Flying Pig Marathon is one of the biggest runs of the year, so "when pigs fly" doesn't really work in Cincinnati.
(special shout out to St. Veronica for making this flying pig)
8. You're so sick and tired of the Harambe memes.
Okay, we get it. Harambe was OUR Gorilla, but can't we let it rest? When the Harambe incident happened, it's all that played on the news for days. People around the US think it's funny to bring him up, but just imagine how many Harambe jokes are made on the daily in Cincy.
9. Bunbury is the biggest event of the year.
It's no Coachella, but Bunbury manages to round up its fair share of artists every year. It's always exciting to see local bands take the stage. Walk the Moon? Cincinnati. Twenty One Pilots? Columbus. You can always tell it's Bunbury because of the large amount of people walking downtown in flower crowns and sundresses, and while many roll their eyes, it's definitely quite an experience.
10. There's no doubt Cincinnati is THE best city in Ohio.
Sure, Columbus has got The Ohio State University and Cleveland has LeBron, but we've really got it all. MLB and NFL team, University of Cincinnati, best food in the state, you name it. The Queen City has it all.
