Thursday Thirteen - 142 - 13 Ways You'll Know You're From Nova Scotia

For the past two weeks, Anni over at Hootin' Anni's has posted really fun looks at the characteristics of the people who live in two of her home states, Colorado and Texas.

Here's my version - You'll Know You're From Nova Scotia when:














1 - You describe your home province as Down East, Down Home or Up Home. As in, "Yeah. Yeah. I went out west for a couple years, but my brother-in-law heard about a job opening up, so I flew Down East for the interview and I got 'er."

2 - You're genuine and friendly to visitors, but your confusing mark of true affection: the more you admire someone, the more ruthlessly you'll tease the poor dear.

3 - As someone from a province with European settlement dating back to the early 1600's, you're not that keen to embrace change. "But this is the way we've always done it," you'll say.

4 - You divide all residents of your province as Nova Scotians or those who Come From Away. Because many, many Nova Scotians are 12th or 13th generations here, the Come From Away status may stick to the children of Come From Aways, but by the grandchildren's generation, they're finally considered to be Nova Scotians.

5 - When following along in conversation, you indicate your agreement by saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," while inhaling.

6 - If you're making a day trip between Yarmouth and Meteghan to shop at Frenchy's (the used clothing store, where tossing clothes aside in the table bins is an art form) you say that you're "going up the line."

7 - If you're encouraging someone to give it all they've got, you say, "Drive 'er!"

8 - If you're using plastic grocery bags to carry anything other than food, you've pulled out your Cape Breton Luggage.

9 - When someone says something and you can't believe it, you say, "Oh, get out," or "Oh, you shut up."

10 - When you're massively cranky, you say, "Oh, me nerves," or "You're working on my last nerve," or "I've got one nerve and you're on it."

11 - If the person has surpassed the 'nerves' stage, you say, "You're a big friggin' pain in me arse."

12 - While others say they're going to their cottage for the weekend, you say, "I'm heading down to the camp." Even though the 'camp' is definitely a cottage.

13 - When life is sweet, you say it's "some good." And when it's just exquisite, you say it's "right some good." As in, "Mmm, this chowder! Oh. It's right some good."

For a comedy version of the Nova Scotian accent, here are a few snippets from the Cape Breton Summertime Revue, featuring Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison.

Bette MacDonald's comedy piece starts at 2:14, and again at 3:08. Maynard Morrison's piece starts at 5:00.



Janet says As a "Come From Away" I got a big kick out of them - and recognized many!

Wylie Kinson says I could for sure do a similar list for Northwestern Ontarians (sooo different from those in the south) only much shorter. Beer + Trucks + Snowmobiles = Thunder Bay. LOL

Jennifer Leeland says I am TOTALLY stealing this idea and doing 13 ways you can tell you're from Humboldt county. LOL. This was AWESOME!