30 Things Northerners Do That Southerners Find Strange, Ranked in Order

Things That American Southerners Find Strange About Northerners
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Things That American Southerners Find Strange About Northerners
Lauren Kirkbride
| 11/15/25
The United States is so big that people from different parts of the country have unique cultures. For instance, some people in the South struggle to understand people in the North. Southerners have sweet tea and eat dinner at noon. Meanwhile, Northerners have iced tea with sugar (not the same thing) and dinner at night. Here are many more things that Southerners find weird about Northerners.
Southerners Struggle To Greet Strangers In The North
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Life in the South tends to be slower and more relaxed. As a result, Southerners will often talk to each other while going to the store or out on a walk, even speaking to strangers. But people in the North avoid speaking to strangers.
Southerners find their avoidance rude, while Northerners find Southern conversations "nosy." One Redditor explained the Northern attitude: "It's not that we don't like strangers, it's just that 'mind your own business' is culture trait #1 for us." For Southerners, that's bizarre.
Stay tuned for Southern restaurant chains that many people in the North will never enjoy.
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Southerners Don't Like Northern Cornbread
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If Southerners taste Northern cornbread, they might not like it. Traditional cornbread is made with cornmeal, butter or bacon grease, and buttermilk. But most importantly, southern cornbread does not have sugar.
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Northerners often put sugar in their cornbread, while Southerners do not. Depending on where you order cornbread in the U.S., it might taste different! "Proper tea should be sweet. Proper cornbread should not," one Southerner told Southern Living. "Sweet cornbread is called 'cake.'" If you tell Northerners that, they might get a confused look on their face.
Next: these terms of address are very important in the South.
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Southerners Want Northerners To Say "Ma'am" And "Sir"
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In the South, it is common to answer people with "no ma'am," "yes ma'am," "no sir," and "yes sir." It's good manners. But in the North, people don't say that. They might even find it weird when a Southerner is just being polite.
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In the "Ask an American" subreddit, a Southerner asked if Northerners think that using these phrases is rude. Most answered that it's not rude, but strange. "My girlfriend finds it weird when I say "yes ma'am," "thank you sir," etc.," one user wrote. "She is from Boston, I am from south Louisiana."
This sport is especially popular in the South.
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Southerners Like College Football More Than Northerners
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It's no secret that Southerners love college football. But Northerners do not seem to share that love. Some Northerners like it, but few are attending their state college's games like many Southerners do.
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"That was the biggest disappointment of moving to New England," said one Redditor, who moved from the South to the North. "College football is not big here." Even in the West, college sports tend to be a bigger deal than in the North. Many Southerners wonder why, and what Northerners do with their time while not watching games.
Next: do these terms of endearment sound rude or charming to you?
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Southerners Don't Get Why "Honey" Sounds Rude
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In the South, people are more likely to call others "sweetie," "sugar," or "honey." These are terms of endearment in many states. But in the North, few people call each other that. They might even think that a Southerner is being condescending.
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Depending on the context, using those terms might even be illegal. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Civil Rights, calling someone "sweetie," "honey," or "dear" are unprofessional in the workplace. Even if someone means no harm by those terms, they can still bother coworkers.
Coming up: why Southerners don't like Northern coffee.
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Southerners Call It A Buggy, Not A Shopping Cart!
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Pop quiz: what is the metal cart that you wheel into grocery stores? If you answered "shopping cart," then you likely live in the Northern or Western United States. If you replied "buggy," then you probably live in the South (with the exception of Florida).
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If a Southerner moves to the North, they might get confused when someone mentions a shopping cart. Likewise, Northerners do not know what buggies are. But if any American heads to England, they will have to call it a "shopping trolley!"
Coming up: why Southerners think Northerners are brash.
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Southerners Miss Fried Food In The North
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The American South is known for its delicious fried foods. But in the North, people offer fewer fried foods, and they are not made as well. According to a user on Quora, most Northerners have no idea what hush puppies are.
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If you want to find these fried foods in the North, you'll have to find "novelty items on a hipster menu," according to the user. Fried catfish, okra, and pickles practically don't exist there. As a result, a lot of northern food seems bland to a Southerner.
You knew sweet tea would make the list, right? That's next.
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Southerners Can't Stand Northern Sweet Tea
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In the South, sweet tea is a staple. You brew the tea, pour in sugar while it's still hot, and then serve it over ice. In the North, it's the opposite. People will ice their tea first and then put sugar in it.
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Iced tea with sugar is not the same as sweet tea. For one, the sugar will not dissolve in cold water; it'll just sink to the bottom. Two, Northern tea is not usually sweet enough for Southerners. Anyone who travels up north might be disappointed by their tea.
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Southerners Don't Get Northern Coffee
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If a Southerner visits a Northern friend, they might make coffee differently. Instead of home brewing it, many Northerners use instant coffee--which Southerners do not understand. They also make a lot more iced coffee than Southerners have ever seen.
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In the South, pots of coffee are home-brewed, and instant or iced coffees are rare. But they might be surprised to learn that half of the world prefers instant coffee. In Australia and New Zealand, people drink instant coffee 75% of the time.
To learn why Northerners speak "too quickly," read on.
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Southerners Can't Believe That Their Decor Is Copied Up North
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Distressed wood, chicken-shaped vases, milk crates--all of these make up an interior design style called farmhouse. It was inspired by the American South and remains there to this day. But according to Deep South Magazine, farmhouse design is becoming popular in the North.
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Part of it has to do with the popularity of the show Fixer Upper, where designer Joanna Gaines focuses on a "modern farmhouse" look. To Southerners, this might seem weird. Why would Northerners like a farmhouse style when many don't live on a farm?
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Southerners Can't Find Good Mexican Or BBQ Up North
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Because the South is so close to the Mexican border, it has fantastic Mexican food. They also have a long tradition of barbecue. But in the North,…

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