sunshine0221's Diaryland
Diary
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Don't Be a Masshole
Don’t Be a Masshole
I grew up in western Massachusetts, and lived there until I was 17. Now it might be because I am from western Mass, or because I have not even visited Massachusetts in so long, or maybe just because I am not sensitive about this sort of thing, but when someone I had just met called me a Masshole - I laughed my ass off.
Here is the official definition from Wikipedia: Massholes is a portmanteau word used as a derogatory reference to residents of the U.S. state, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The term is primarily used by residents in states bordering Massachusetts, in reference to the perceived elitest attitude and driving habits of the Bay State's residents.
A symptom of friction often found when rural and urban cultures meet, its use has increased with the migration of upper-middle-class families from eastern Massachusetts to districts with less crowding, lower home prices, and lower taxes, either as a primary residence or a vacation home. The term is a direct reference to the perceived rudeness, snobbishness, and high-pressure lifestyle of the migrants and current residents of the Bay State. It indirectly refers to upward pressures on real estate prices, due to their higher average income and net worth. Californication is a similar regional term.
However, just as New Englanders consider "Yankee" a term of pride, the term is sometimes used as a boastful local symbol, especially when talking about the drinking and/or driving habits of Massachusetts residents.
And yes, I won’t even pretend that I did not have to go look up what portmanteau means. But man will I sound intelligent when I somehow manage to use it casually in a conversation tomorrow!
And this of course got me thinking about derogatory state nicknames. Like apparently Iowans call people from Wisconsin “Cheeseeaters”. Now personally, I think that is rather inoffensive, and it’s not even a portmanteau for pete’s sake. Also cheese is really good. Kinda like insulting someone for being a “Chocolate Eater” - it’s really a compliment.
And then I was dying to know what other states call Iowans. I googled like crazy, and then enlisted Jodi’s help, and we really couldn’t find anything. After much consideration, we came to the conclusion that should another state wish to say something derogatory about Iowans, it will probably include the words “pig” and a euphemism for “fornication”.
10:46 p.m. - February 28, 2006
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