I am a proud resident of the great state of Massachusetts and the New England area. I love everything about Massachusetts and New England. But, there are several questions or statements I hear all the time, and it needs to come to an end. So, here are 12 things you should not say to a New Englander.
1. Pahk the cah in the Hahvahd yahd / Did you lose youh cah khees?
1. No, I never have and never will. 2. No, I keep my car keys in the same place. 3. We get asked this every single time we meet someone from outside of New England. It's not funny, and it never was, so please, stop.
2. Why don't you have an accent?
Just because we are from the area, does not mean we all have an accent. It's one of those things that may slip up when we're mad or when we talk a lot. It happens.
3. How far do you live from Boston?
Just because we live in New England doesn't mean we live close to Boston, especially if they are from a state outside of Massachusetts. There are places in MA that are farther away from Boston.
4. Do you go to Boston all of the time?
Boston does have a lot of awesome things going on. However, it is not some mystical fantasy land that everyone goes to all of the time. It's another city. We don't go all of the time.
5. The Pats are cheaters
People get on our backs all the time for being a Patriots fan because "they cheated." I hate to break it to you, but every single team in the NFL has cheated. Don't hate on us because we're one of the best.
6. How much do you hate the Yankees?
They are our biggest rival in baseball, but we don't actually hate them. Some people may actually, but majority of people respect the Yankees. We may joke around saying that we hate them, but we don't really.
7. You must be a terrible driver
Why does everyone assume that we're bad drivers? If anything, we're more careful! I've never gotten into an accident and I've never gotten pulled over. So tell me I must be a bad driver. I can't wait to tell you that you're wrong.
8. It's a water fountain, not a water bubbler
This also applies to jimmies/sprinkles, roundabouts/rotaries, etc. We were taught what things are called differently than you were, so do not say I am wrong. I'm not. I say it how I was taught it.
9. How much snow have you gotten?
A lot. We always get a lot. It's rare that we don't get a lot. Just assume a lot.
10. Do you say "wicked" a lot?
Not everyone says it, but a lot of people do. If you listen to me talk, I'll say it.
11. What part of MA are you from?
I am from MA, so I personally do not get offended by this question. However, New England does not consist of only MA. If someone is from New England, do not automatically assume they're from MA.
12. Do you like living there?
I love it.
