1. Everybody has something to say about our "accent." "Yous," "cawfee" and "wooder" are staples of the Philly language. Many people say it resembles Southern and/or Italian accents, but worse. But, we don't really care. You can't come to our city and tell us we sound stupid.
2. The way we pronounce things and the way they're spelt are two very different stories. Schuykill = "Skookill," Conshohocken = "Conshy," Wildwood = "Waldwood." It's just easier this way.
3. Your ideal lunch most likely includes something, if not everything, from Wawa. Turkey hoagie (don't call it anything else), kettle chips and a F'real milkshake, please and thank you.
4. You were raised on Harry Kalas, Merrill Reese and Jim Jackson broadcasts. These guys have definedour sports-watching experiences, and watching games without their voices is just bizarre. RIP, HK.
5. In the middle of our professional sports plight, you were ecstatic for Temple Football's near-perfect season. We'll still never cheer for Kobe, either.
6. Trying to avoid City Hall/Suburban Station (or maybe SEPTA altogether) at any and all costs. It's never not busy, and a lot of the time you're probably getting lost inside of it because of its ginormous size and just overall lack of sensical planning.
7. Perennial eye-rolling at questions from out-of-towners. Yeah, we like cheesesteaks, but not for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everyone has a favorite place they order steaks from; it’s not all about Pat’s and Geno’s. We don’t run the Art Museum steps à la Rocky and we weren’t all born and raised in West Philly like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
8. October 29 is a holiday in our books. Three words: “WORLD F*****G CHAMPIONS!”
9. Seeing grown men wearing makeup, dressed in clothes bedazzled with sequins and feathers and dancing in the street is totally normal here. It’s not just normal, but it’s beloved. The Philadelphia Mummers Parade, held on New Year’s Day, is one of our longest-running traditions and believed to be one of the oldest folk festivals in the nation.
10. You most likely had Allen Iverson and Jimmy Rollins jerseys as a kid. You might still have them and still wear them unabashedly.
11. You know a good parking spot when you see one. Good spots come at a premium here these days. You’ll try to fit your car into any spot on the street before you even think about parking garages. You’re a parallel parking expert by now.
12. You're serious about our borders. Philly is a city of neighborhoods, and we all take pride in the ones we come from, from Mayfair to Mount Airy. We also love nothing more than calling out kids from Jersey and the suburbs who say they're from Philly.
13. Everyone hates us, but we don’t care. Seriously. People will never let go of the whole snowballs-at-Santa thing, or the ruthless hitchBOT murder, but it’s fine. We know we're the best.
