As a lifelong Minnesotan (except for those years I lived in Washington, Wisconsin, Texas and Colorado) I am always amazed at how different we are from the rest of the country. Okay, we probably aren’t that different, we just have different regional tastes and traditions. Still, as Minnesota has made it’s way into the vernacular thanks most to movies like Grumpy Old Men, Fargo and The Mighty Ducks, there are some things about us that people from other states just don’t understand.

You know you’re a Minnesotan when:

  1. Pop
  2. No matter what the temperature is outside, you don’t turn the heat on until November 1st.
  3. You know how to pronounce Wayzata, Shakopee, Edina, Owatonna, Faribault, Mahtomedi.
  4. It’s just easier to say you’re from Minneapolis than explain that St. Paul isn’t some little Podunk town.
  5. You’ve given up telling people that Fargo is not in Minnesota.
  6. 2 feet of snow is needed to close the schools.
  7. You prefer Caribou over Starbucks.
  8. Duck, Duck, Grey Duck
  9. The Polar Plunge means cutting a hole in the ice on a lake and jumping in, not just walking into an unfrozen lake in the winter.
  10. Juicy Lucy
  11. You know that Minnesota Nice is just a nice way of saying we’re passive/aggressive.
  12. You hope that summer falls on a weekend this year.
  13. You’ve had Lutefisk and even know some old guy who likes it.
  14. You’ve been to and eaten booya.
  15. The Weather Channel (or WCCO) is always on because blizzards, wind chill factor and tornadoes.
  16. Your urge to pee before putting on a winter coat is hardwired in, even if you don’t have to go.
  17. Winter boots are functional.
  18. You don’t fire up the snow blower unless there’s at least a foot of snow. The shovel is sufficient.
  19. The Zipper Merge is the scourge of at least two generations of drivers.
  20. Iowa = I Owe the World an Apology or something Prince screamed during his songs.
  21. You have a Prince story.
  22. You have a Joe Mauer story.
  23. You have a Garrison Keillor story.
  24. Target Runs originated here.
  25. While everyone else is excited about fall because of Pumpkin Spice everything you’re super excited that Lefse will be abundant in every grocery store.
  26. The friends you made in kindergarten are the friends you have now.
  27. Everyone has a cabin, and usually it’s Up North.
  28. You know how many lakes there really are.
  29. Ending sentences in prepositions is perfectly acceptable – “Where are you at?”
  30. The Vikings suck, but dammit they’re your team.