Contentious issue I know, but recently I’ve encountered a number of people who believe that Ohio (and sometimes Indiana and Michigan) is not truly part of the Midwest. Which to me is preposterous since I’ve always considered Ohio the most quintessentially Midwestern state. Midwest to me has always been very nearly synonymous with rust belt, but it seems there are a fair number of people who place the Midwest more in what I’d call the Great Plains, or Greater Minnesota. So I’m wondering where do you all place the Midwest.
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The “Midwest” would more accurately be named the “Middle East” and the “Middle East” would be more accurately named “West Asia.”
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
“Europe” would be more accurately named “West Asia” and the “Middle East” would be more accurately called the “Midwest”.
Western Pennsylvania is a special economic zonedeleted by creator
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That nickname is reserved for the exclusive economic use of Mr. T should he decide to
???
That’s the mid-north, not the mid-west…
It was named that in the 1800s, before all the actual western states joined the country
The U.S. Census Bureau’s definition consists of 12 states in the north central United States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
so that’s the official answer. yes, it includes ohio.
but the real answer is that it’s wherever people call carbonated beverages “pop” instead of “soda” or “coke”, which means it actually extends eastward to buffalo, ny and definitely still includes ohio.
I’m definitely a midwesterner, born in MO, lived all over the place, and now live in MN.
I’ve called it “soda” my whole life. “Coke” was definitely confusing in the southeast. “I’ll take a coke.” “What kind?” “Wtf?”
I think the real lexicological definition is “ope”
Do you ope? If so, you are a midwesterner, there are various flavors of midwesterner, but that is one important characteristic.
“I’ll take a coke.” “What kind?”
i know a poor soul who moved from the north atlantic seaboard to rural deep southern appalachia and then once worked a drive thru at mcdonald’s and had to parse “errinj coke” into a sensible order for an increasingly impatient customer
Do you ope?
as a kind of semi apologetic interjection, right? like “ope! look at the time!”
“Ope, let me just squeeze by ya right here”
“Ope, lemme squeeze past ya and steal the ranch”
as a kind of semi apologetic interjection, right? like “ope! look at the time!”
That’s pretty much it. Although it can also be used like a less aggressive “hey!”
Nearly bump into someone in the hall? “Ope!”
Someone examining the spices for 5 minutes when you just need to grab the salt? “Ope, scuse me, just gotta sneak by ya there.”
Etc.
Having spent some years in the south, clearly “errinj coke” is a fanta orange, or Sunkist if you’re lucky.
sunkist in this case, yeah
Do you ope? If so, you are a midwesterner, there are various flavors of midwesterner, but that is one important characteristic.
I ope, when in trouble
wtf is ope
Death to America
An interjection that can mean something along the lines of “Oh, sorry, excuse me” or “Hey, you ran into me!” Etc. depending on context.
Death to Traffic
I’m definitely a midwesterner, born in MO, lived all over the place, and now live in MN.
I’ve called it “soda” my whole life. “Coke” was definitely confusing in the southeast. “I’ll take a coke.” “What kind?” “Wtf?”
I think the real lexicological definition is “ope”
Do you ope? If so, you are a midwesterner, there are various flavors of midwesterner, but that is one important characteristic.
Brian has made an enemy for lifeThis is exactly why I can’t fucking stand the term. Tho I guess it is better than “heartland”
chicago should be gray too
“The Midwest” are the sacred lands where his holiness St. bhagavan shree Matt Christman (PBUH) was born one glorious day.
Chicago and all the lands which pay it fealty
As far as I’m concerned, all west is “mid” west
Ohio is the leaky reactor core of the midwest, I have no idea what those people are talking about
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yeah there’s absolutely an appalachian/western pennsylvania part of ohio that I wouldn’t necessarily consider ‘midwest’.
I’ve been to Youngstown (far east OH) and it felt Midwestern. Are you talking SE OH?
Oh hey I’ve been to Wheeling, WV and that also felt Midwestern. So to me Ohio = Midwest.
I’ve met people from Oklahoma who were mortified to learn the rest of the country considers them part of the South and not the Midwest
I don’t consider Oklahoma at all.
They will be happy to know I don’t consider them the Midwest
They did say “ope” and “soda” so there’s an argument there
but the real answer is that it’s wherever people call carbonated beverages “pop” instead of “soda” or “coke”,
Your definitions seem inconsistent here with the commenters…
Pop-users are midwestern revisionists
They’re Texas leftovers and Texas is very much south.
East Texas is south. West Texas is west.
oklahoma has its own kind of barbecue, it’s indubitably southern
Death to America
I don’t consider oklahoma.
Fuck historical context and tradition. Look at a map of the US. Divide it in half vertically down the middle. See the left side? That’s the West. Now look at the middle of the West: there’s the Midwest.
The Mideast can fuck off. You wanna call yourself Midwest while being in the central and eastern time zones??? Midmid is more accurate in every way.
Divide it in half vertically down the middle
where tho
At every latitude, the line has to move accordingly. It also includes all overseas territories and military bases
Miami is midwest
If they don’t like it, they can lobby the US to get rid of military bases as needed
More valid than Ohio
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alright from lake itasca to la push is the West, the middle of these is located around Havre Montana. Havre is the MidWest. if you wanted to spread the range a bit and count by longitude you could maybe swing Salt Lake City and Phoenix
Midwest is a state of mind
The US Census Bureau defines the Midwest like this, but I think the Dakotas and most of Kansas and Nebraska are Great Plains, not tha Midwest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midwestern_United_States#/media/File:Map_of_USA_Midwest.svg
I have heard the term Midwest before. Upbear because I want to know more US lore as an ameriboo
Upbear because I want to know more US lore as an ameriboo
I think there’s something about the mythos of America that I find interesting. Even the idea of things like liberty, freedom, and democracy is fascinating to me. Of course, all these concepts are as real in the USA as Thor’s Hammer, but that’s exactly how I view them—as mythological ideas. I view these things as almost a religious facet of the USA.
I’m virulently opposed to the American Empire, but I do greatly appreciate some of their cultural output. Like I dont mind admitting some of the stuff the Yankees make is either fun, entertaining or “sometimes” even good.
Doesnt change that we have to demilitarize and balkanize the USA sooner or later.
In a mild hell. Seriously though, your assessment of Ohio is on point. I’d say everything surrounding the Great Lakes and throw in Iowa. Some people consider the great plains states like the Dakotas and Nebraska, even Missouri and Kansas but those all have a very different vibe ino.
