You're So Memphis If...

You're So Memphis If...

Earlier today, I asked you guys to complete the sentence "You're so Memphis if...". You did, and it turns out, there are a ton of things that bind us together as a city that transcend geographic area.

Downtown Memphis, Tenn.

Here are the collected responses. If you've got more, list them in the comments and I'll add them to the post.

Food:

- You criticize every non-Memphis barbecue joint, regardless of how good it is. (submitted by @JDPeery)

- When you smell like barbecue smoke. (submitted by Kevin M.)

- The phrase "gas station sushi" makes you hungry instead of disgusted. (submitted by @thatswanlady)

- You serve eight kinds of vegetable at Thanksgiving dinner and not a single one is vegetarian. (submitted by @HitsyBitsy)

- Spaghetti isn't a full meal. It's a side item served with chicken or catfish.

- Mac'n'cheese is a vegetable.

- You own a full set of 12 Central Barbecue (or Young Ave. Deli) cups. Bonus points if you bring them out at dinner parties.

 

Driving and Navigation:

- You know the difference between E. Parkway S. and S. Parkway E. (submitted by Doug)

- You drive down one road and it changes names more than two times. (submitted by @JohnnySteph)

- You can explain how the city is mapped out. (submitted by Andrea O.)

- You believe that every lane is the turn lane. (submitted by John L.)

- You get disoriented in other cities cause they don't have the Mississippi river to give you a sense of direction. (submitted by Lisa M.)

- You have no idea what the bridges' proper names are because you've always called them "old bridge" and "new bridge".

- You get on the interstate and are either run into by someone going 40 mph or run over by someone going 90 mph. (submitted by Karen S.)

- Your metro area spans three states and you don't feel like you belong in any of them. (submitted by Charlie)

- You never use your car horn, no matter how bad someone else's driving is. (submitted by Dave)

 

Weather:

Winter, Memphis, Tenn.

- When you're 1500 miles away and you still use "Dave Brown" as shorthand for "the weatherman". (submitted by Candace C.)

- You start listening to school closings on the news the night before it snows.

- You wake up to snow in November and think "wait, it's not March yet." (submitted by @shannonrlittle)

- You know we only have three seasons: hot, raining and basketball.

- You think taking a stand is refusing to turn on your air conditioner in March, no matter how hot it is.

 

Politics:

- You know that the Ford dynasty is not a new model of American car. (submitted by @HistyBitsy)

- You hear "AC" and don't think "air conditioning". (submitted by @hstovallmemphis)

- You thought that there was only one mayor of Memphis because for most of your life, that was the case.

 

Sports:

FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.

- You know that Tiger Nation is our nation, not theirs. (submitted by @bdvanderheyden)

- The pep band knows "Knuck if You Buck" and "Stuntin' Like My Daddy".

- You pull for Tiger Basketball and any SEC football team. (from @Kevinandsuji)

- You have no idea what the words to "I'm So Glad I Go to the U of M" are, but you sing along anyway. Bonus points if you didn't actually go to the U of M.

- You thought our first pro sports franchise was Saturday morning wrestling. (submitted by @kevinandsuji)

- You get excited about Tiger basketball billboards. (submitted by Andrea O.)

- You schedule your life around Tiger basketball. (submitted by Kaitlyn P.)

- You know that T.O.M. is not a name, but an acronym. (submitted by Rachel)

 

And in general:

- You meet someone from Memphis and the first question you ask is "Where did you go to high school?" (submitted by @The_RDJ)

- You still say "Memphis State". (submitted by Gil L.)

- You have more street cred than someone from Detroit. (submitted by Trisha G.)

- You couldn't think of anything to say after being asked to keep it clean. (submitted by Nathan P.)

- You have exceedingly low standards for what makes a neighborhood "sketchy". (submitted by @lbillingz)

- You've lived here your whole life and have never seen Graceland in person. (submitted by @clay1278)

- You can finish this sentence: "Get the dope out your veins..." (submitted by @kevinandsuji)

- You hear the number "201" in any context and cringe. (submitted by @vincentcakes)

- You run into the mayor, your high school best friend, your ex-boyfriend and your congressional representative in one grocery store trip.

- You ever tried to scare your friends by taking them to Voodoo Village. (submitted by Richard F.)

- Getting an email from Prince Mongo makes your month.

- You ever got out of school for Fair Day.

- If you ever ice skated at the Mall of Memphis. (submitted by Jenny M.)

- When you answer "How you doin?" with "How you doin'?". (submitted by Christy T.)

- When you get offended by any cover charge over $5. (submitted by Marjorie C.)

- If you read this blog. (submitted by Joel)

- You know that somewhere in Tom Lee Park is that flip flop you lost at Music Fest. (submitted by Rachel)

- If you ever blew off high school prom to go to Music Fest.

- If you say "might could" or "might should".

- If you've ever called JAM-JAM1. Bonus points if you referred to the time zone in Memphis as "Capt. D's Time."

 

 

Comments Make Us Happy

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Somer S.
Prescila Presley went to your high school.
December 7, 2011 4:45pm
Mary Jean Weymouth
That no matter how far away you live, Memphis will always be home.
December 7, 2011 4:52pm
Jacob F
If you remember the Castle shaped toystore on american way
December 7, 2011 4:52pm
David S
Without any additional information, you understand the words: Leonards, Tops, Gridley's, Interstate, Neely's, Rendezvous, epicurian style, Pirtles, Pic-Pac, Stax, Booker T (2 different ways), "No suhhh, Mr. Dee's, This is Billy Frank Birmingham, coming to you from my home in Hernando, MS...Place your hands on the radio and you shall feel the radio!  Lance "banana nose" ____?  Big Star, Easy Way, The "40-year old" New Bridge, Jerry the "king", Sun, Ardent, A.W. Schwaab, Pappy & Jimmy's (and their lobster hands), Pete & Sams, Sam & Dave, Miss Polly's, Gus's, Arcade, Peabody, Orpheum, south Memphis, north, Memphis, Orange Mound, Binghampton......
December 7, 2011 5:02pm
Amy Perry
You're so Memphis if you don't know how to drive or use your turn signal. LOL
December 7, 2011 5:08pm
Beth Hendrickson
You meet Fred Ford & Honeymoon Garner in your Clue class back in elementary school and then grow up to be a sax player in an R&B band. ;)
December 7, 2011 5:08pm
ChelleBell
You will never forget the phone number for Pizza Hut delivery.
December 7, 2011 5:09pm
Dave S.
If you have a personal opinion about the proper location of Midtown's eastern boundary and East Memphis' western boundary, and are willing to discuss it at great length.
December 7, 2011 5:21pm
antoinette cappello
i was in menphis tn for 4 days ,it has been a very long way from malta ,it seems to me like i was home because i loved it dearly .i send al my love to menphis and every 1a happy christmas and new year .if i win the lottery i will be back for sure .
December 7, 2011 5:28pm
Lisa
you meet someone new and you spend at least 30 min trying to find a person you have in common.  What high school did you go to?  what church? which sorority were you in?.... you will find a common person if you try, no mattter where you are in the world if you both spent time in Memphis you have a mutual friend
December 7, 2011 5:35pm
Adam
It's not "Where did you go to high school?"  It's just "Where did you go to school?"  Memphians know you mean high school.  (This was really confusing when I moved here.) Also:  You know McLean is pronounced "McLane."
December 7, 2011 5:46pm
Amy
Even if u grew up in Memphis and moved only an Hour away u still pay attentionot everythign that happens in Memphis mor ethen you do where u live now
December 7, 2011 6:10pm
Gene
You were born at Baptist Centra, skated/had birthday parties at East End, know you can't ski Mt Moriah, miss the purple palace and shed several tears when Bad Dog passed. Oh, and the school thing and drivers is overblown. I've seen that all over the midwest, especially St. Louis. And St. Louis has much worse drivers.
December 7, 2011 7:13pm
Amanda
....you always keep your folding chair in your trunk for outside concerts or neighbor's parties.
December 7, 2011 7:15pm
Cathy Waggoner
......you are not an original Memphian, but you loveeee to go there, you loveeeee Elvis, you loveeeee the food, you loveeee the Music, you just loveeee Memphis!!!!!!
December 7, 2011 7:21pm
Kristinirene
  Agreed with @The_RDJ but I'd change it to "...if you ask another Memphian on first meeting 'Where'd you go to school?' and both of you know the question is regarding HIGH SCHOOL even if you both went to college."  
December 7, 2011 10:25pm
greta
You remember when there were 2 papers thown a day, the Commercial Appeal in the morning and the Press Scimeter in the afternoon. You remember Happy Hal,  Looney Zoo, and most especially and my favorite, Talent Party on channel 13 with the WHBQ Cuties and the one and only George Klein, the GeKer! The main store at Eastgate shopping center was WOOLCO, and around the corner in the shopping center was the Paramount Theater and a Shoney's drive in!
December 7, 2011 10:45pm
Kevin A
If you move to another city and reply to someone "Mane what!" And that person repeats themself and you have to explain to them that is how someone emphatically agrees with a statement in Memphis, lmao!!
December 7, 2011 11:44pm
Regina
If you remember The Creature Feature !   You laugh when you think about the  Hiny Winery in Iyuka, MS or the Disco Duck
December 8, 2011 1:09am
denise walsh
... you played with Kathy Bates next door as your neighbor and your aunt went on dates with Elvis presley. Oh and when you go to see the Peadmont Ducks come down the elevators!!!
December 8, 2011 1:33am
Logun Love
when you get mad at a out of towner when you tell them your from memphis and they mention hustle and flow. also when you listen to saliva and three six mafia and know that there influenced by the reatards
December 8, 2011 4:06am
Rachel
...you respond "Tiger blue!!" to the question, "What's your favorite color?".
December 8, 2011 5:24am
Jeff Jones
. . . When you can recite the history and migration of "Memphis Mall popularity" usually beginning with the phrase, "When I was a teenager the __________________ Mall was THE place to go." 
December 8, 2011 9:45am
Jeff Jones
. . . You drive BY Graceland in order to tour Krispy Kreme. . . . "Chinese" and "Sub Shop" are used as a Proper name to describe an actual place to eat. . . . You know what and where "malfunction junction" is. . . . The tv weathermen are some of our biggest celebrities and tend to host other shows such as wrastlin' and knowledge bowl.
December 8, 2011 9:54am
Carolina
How can "Call 683-7000" not be on that list??? And I know you know the jingle if you're from Memphis!!
December 8, 2011 10:05am
M.Spence
...if you drive down Union Ave. and always have the feeling that the lanes are going to change at any minute.
December 8, 2011 10:27am
Mel Spillman
You remember the phone number to J.C. Levy "Keep Dialin' and Smilin" (JamJam1) and you will always call Macy's "GOLDMITH"S"!
December 8, 2011 11:09am
Stefanie
i'm with mel spillman -- i still call macy's goldsmith's and i remember dialing and smiling but it was 278-2370... the memphis zoo sponsored the little stories the old guy told. i used to give out that number as mine in bars - back in the 80's-90's when there were no cell phones!! =P i got a good laugh at guys calling me on the dialing and smiling (bye, bye now!) number. i was mean back then.
December 8, 2011 11:21am
Erin
... you get very defensive if a stranger says, "Memphis?  Don't they film "Cops" there every couple of weeks?"
December 8, 2011 11:46am
Whitney
You don't use "Avenue," "Street," "Road," or whatever. It's Poplar, Union, Walnut Grove, Airways, etc. BTW, If you know the title "I'm So Glad I Go to the U of M," you know the words. :)    
December 8, 2011 12:10pm
Randy Miller
if you think the only correct time is JamJam1
December 8, 2011 1:42pm
Ashley
You speed up when someone turns on their turn signal to merge into your lane.
December 8, 2011 2:52pm
Jason
You get excited to see the new Mo Money Taxes commercials.
December 8, 2011 4:19pm
josh
You remember " superman... dam fool"
December 8, 2011 5:23pm
Tamara Watson Hayes
You refer to U of M as Memphis State and get excited when you hear the fight song, but the only words you know are "Go Tigers Go!"
December 8, 2011 8:50pm
Tamara Watson Hayes
Mr. Z's Mr. Z's...........
December 8, 2011 8:59pm
Stephanie Will…
You know what jookin' is & after your prom, you hung out all night on Beale and ran into everyone from school there. Or you graduated from the Pyramid ;)
December 8, 2011 9:40pm
Stephanie Will…
You grew up watching Jerry Lawler wrestling on the weekends and Gunsmoke ;)
December 8, 2011 9:43pm
Stephanie Will…
You HAVE to have coleslaw atop your barbecue sandwich, spell barbecue bar-b-q and know what Dixie Queen is ;)
December 8, 2011 9:45pm
Andrea O
This is one of your best blog ideas, Kerry. Thanks for the shoutout above.  I think Memphians could talk about this topic forever.
December 8, 2011 10:01pm
Anna
...you remember calling LINC for facts on school projects and you remember the wax animal figures the zoo used to have.
December 8, 2011 10:22pm
Bella O.
This was so Awesome to read...brought back many great memories. You should do a follow up about "Nightlife" ex: If you know what the term "farm party" means and how to find it, If you went to Newby's every thurs, fri & sat night from age 16-21, but never once since you actually TURNED 21, you know every Patsy Cline & Frank Sinatra song on "The Buc's" Jukebox, and you went to concerts at the Coliseum, not the Fed-ex forum...just to name a notable few from my high school days :)
December 8, 2011 10:39pm
Mark J.
...If you automatically associate the words sunset & rooftop, with the word party, if you've "walked" the mississippi at mud island, you always know who has the best tent come that Thursday in May, and you will always think of the 4th of July when you hear the 1812 Overture.
December 9, 2011 12:57am
Paul
If you got jealous at surrounding counties for all the snow days they got off as a child. And fair day was the jam and Memphis is the only place I know of that had that
December 9, 2011 1:19am
Jarrod
You'll never get nowhere smokin' the pipe. Never.
December 9, 2011 2:05am
David S
You could climb any tree of size anywhere in East Memphis and you could see the top of the "UP Bank" building on Poplar.  You could go to Maywood and experience the coldest water and the hottest sun, and the dumbest bumper stickers that would be on your car.... You watched Sivad, your Monster of Ceremonies, and were afraid....you grieved when you heard that Dave Brown's daughter had been killed by a drunk driver... you remember 1968, the riots, MLK, and RFK, and the Democratic Nat'l Convention.  You remember going to the airport to see our Tigers in 72 when they returned after losing the Nat'l Championship to UCLA, and that big ugly red head.  You remember the nicest coach we ever had... clean Gene Bartow... You remember that Memphis won the National "City Beautiful" award year after year after year.....
December 9, 2011 2:44am
David S
The Shoe-Shaped Shoe Store on Lamar.... DiscGorilla... You are so Memphis when you go to a Metro-Conference end of season Conference Basketball tournament at Cincinnati, and when they are in the process of beating our Tigers for the 3rd time in the same season, MSU fans start chanting, "Go to hell, Ole Miss, go to hell!"
December 9, 2011 2:53am
Corey
You eat bbq nachos at all public events
December 9, 2011 9:41am
Carly Shields
when you always dreamed of going to the university of Memphis and while in college you're a member of the mighty sound of the south(marching band)...playing knuck if you buck( C-3) and stuntin like yo daddy( only played in basketball pep band). But we play "sexy back", that is recorded by Memphis- area's own Justin timberlake. :)
December 9, 2011 10:25am
Tat
You were a white person but when you got home from school you grew up on black television shows on UPN30: Hanging with Mr. Cooper, The Steve Harney show, The cosby show, Martin, A Different World...and you thought nothing of it and LOVED THEM!
December 9, 2011 10:26am