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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ladybranch, post: 89825, member: 44&quot;]&gt;I was thinking more about the &quot;sir&quot; and &quot;madam&quot; thing. In Texas, it seemed like it was just part of the general friendliness of people, kind of like a verbal smile. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/smilies/smile.png" class="mceSmilie" alt=":)" unselectable="on" />&lt;</p><p><br /></p><p>I agree. Southerners on the whole are a much friendlier lot than the rest of the country and especially of the northeast. They smile and laugh more. Down here if one is asking directions, the person will many times go out of their way to help and direct. In the northeast like NYC, if you ask for directions you might be meant with &quot;What do you think I am, a road map!!! Get yourself a map!!!&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>My family used to notice the smiling differences from the South traveling up to Canada. After my step-father retired, he did consulting work in Ontario, Canada. They lived up there a couple of years before returning to New England. Traveling north to south, you can almost tell what area of the country you are in by facial expression. In Ontario the people were kind and friendly, but smiles were few and far between. Down into New England and the northeast in general, smiles are seen a bit more, but still subdued. Once down past the Mason-Dixon, you are met with smiling faces and sometimes extreme friendliness. In the South it is not unusual while driving on a road other than an Interstate, the driver of an on coming vehicle will slightly raise one of his hands on the steering wheel in greeting even though you don&#039;t know them from Adam. It may have something to do with the weather - frigid temps, stern faces; sunny weather, sunny faces. </p><p><br /></p><p>The accents and manners of the South and the accent and manners of the northeast are misinterpreted by each other. To a Southerner, a Northeastern-er comes across as rude, crude and curt. To a Northeastern-er, a Southerner comes across as slow and dimwitted. How very wrong are both interpretations!</p><p><br /></p><p>--- Susan[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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