Every state in the union has its own special way of throwing shade. Heck, states as big as Texas and California probably have several “locals only” insults that are region specific. Recently, the folks at Condé Nast Traveler (via Digg) asked fifty people, one from each state, to show how someone dishes out an insult where they’re from. Are their neighbors the passive-aggressive type when you screw up? Or do people from their state just let it fly with no filter?
The video down below breaks it all down, state-by-state.
The first takeaway from this video exercise is that most of the Southern states’ favorite way to politely insult someone is to simply say “ Oh, bless your heart.” Residents of Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, Tennessee, as well as both North and South Carolina all said the same thing. Missouri however, tends to go the more religiously judgmental route, with “I’ll pray for you.” (see also: “You need Jesus.”)
Meanwhile, a lot of Midwestern states maintain that they are simply too nice there to ever insult anyone. We are not sure that claim really holds water, though. A gentleman from Ohio at least admits that in his state, they’re likely to call someone “ a grit” if they don’t like you. The folks from East Coast states such as New York and New Jersey had the kind of insults that you’d think they would have. If you expect a resident of the garden state to just cuss you out, then you’re pretty much right on the money.
Condé Nast Traveler
But as a Californian, I can’t disagree with what the most often used insult in my home state is. At least according to a gentleman in the video. This one truly hit close to home. Here, we’re not so much mean to your face, as we just don’t bother to call or text you back. Ouch. The truth hurts.
Featured Image: Condé Nast Traveler