You're So Memphis If...

You're So Memphis If...

Earlier today, I asked you guys to complete the sentence "You're so Memphis if...". You did, and it turns out, there are a ton of things that bind us together as a city that transcend geographic area.

Downtown Memphis, Tenn.

Here are the collected responses. If you've got more, list them in the comments and I'll add them to the post.

Food:

- You criticize every non-Memphis barbecue joint, regardless of how good it is. (submitted by @JDPeery)

- When you smell like barbecue smoke. (submitted by Kevin M.)

- The phrase "gas station sushi" makes you hungry instead of disgusted. (submitted by @thatswanlady)

- You serve eight kinds of vegetable at Thanksgiving dinner and not a single one is vegetarian. (submitted by @HitsyBitsy)

- Spaghetti isn't a full meal. It's a side item served with chicken or catfish.

- Mac'n'cheese is a vegetable.

- You own a full set of 12 Central Barbecue (or Young Ave. Deli) cups. Bonus points if you bring them out at dinner parties.

 

Driving and Navigation:

- You know the difference between E. Parkway S. and S. Parkway E. (submitted by Doug)

- You drive down one road and it changes names more than two times. (submitted by @JohnnySteph)

- You can explain how the city is mapped out. (submitted by Andrea O.)

- You believe that every lane is the turn lane. (submitted by John L.)

- You get disoriented in other cities cause they don't have the Mississippi river to give you a sense of direction. (submitted by Lisa M.)

- You have no idea what the bridges' proper names are because you've always called them "old bridge" and "new bridge".

- You get on the interstate and are either run into by someone going 40 mph or run over by someone going 90 mph. (submitted by Karen S.)

- Your metro area spans three states and you don't feel like you belong in any of them. (submitted by Charlie)

- You never use your car horn, no matter how bad someone else's driving is. (submitted by Dave)

 

Weather:

Winter, Memphis, Tenn.

- When you're 1500 miles away and you still use "Dave Brown" as shorthand for "the weatherman". (submitted by Candace C.)

- You start listening to school closings on the news the night before it snows.

- You wake up to snow in November and think "wait, it's not March yet." (submitted by @shannonrlittle)

- You know we only have three seasons: hot, raining and basketball.

- You think taking a stand is refusing to turn on your air conditioner in March, no matter how hot it is.

 

Politics:

- You know that the Ford dynasty is not a new model of American car. (submitted by @HistyBitsy)

- You hear "AC" and don't think "air conditioning". (submitted by @hstovallmemphis)

- You thought that there was only one mayor of Memphis because for most of your life, that was the case.

 

Sports:

FedExForum, Memphis, Tenn.

- You know that Tiger Nation is our nation, not theirs. (submitted by @bdvanderheyden)

- The pep band knows "Knuck if You Buck" and "Stuntin' Like My Daddy".

- You pull for Tiger Basketball and any SEC football team. (from @Kevinandsuji)

- You have no idea what the words to "I'm So Glad I Go to the U of M" are, but you sing along anyway. Bonus points if you didn't actually go to the U of M.

- You thought our first pro sports franchise was Saturday morning wrestling. (submitted by @kevinandsuji)

- You get excited about Tiger basketball billboards. (submitted by Andrea O.)

- You schedule your life around Tiger basketball. (submitted by Kaitlyn P.)

- You know that T.O.M. is not a name, but an acronym. (submitted by Rachel)

 

And in general:

- You meet someone from Memphis and the first question you ask is "Where did you go to high school?" (submitted by @The_RDJ)

- You still say "Memphis State". (submitted by Gil L.)

- You have more street cred than someone from Detroit. (submitted by Trisha G.)

- You couldn't think of anything to say after being asked to keep it clean. (submitted by Nathan P.)

- You have exceedingly low standards for what makes a neighborhood "sketchy". (submitted by @lbillingz)

- You've lived here your whole life and have never seen Graceland in person. (submitted by @clay1278)

- You can finish this sentence: "Get the dope out your veins..." (submitted by @kevinandsuji)

- You hear the number "201" in any context and cringe. (submitted by @vincentcakes)

- You run into the mayor, your high school best friend, your ex-boyfriend and your congressional representative in one grocery store trip.

- You ever tried to scare your friends by taking them to Voodoo Village. (submitted by Richard F.)

- Getting an email from Prince Mongo makes your month.

- You ever got out of school for Fair Day.

- If you ever ice skated at the Mall of Memphis. (submitted by Jenny M.)

- When you answer "How you doin?" with "How you doin'?". (submitted by Christy T.)

- When you get offended by any cover charge over $5. (submitted by Marjorie C.)

- If you read this blog. (submitted by Joel)

- You know that somewhere in Tom Lee Park is that flip flop you lost at Music Fest. (submitted by Rachel)

- If you ever blew off high school prom to go to Music Fest.

- If you say "might could" or "might should".

- If you've ever called JAM-JAM1. Bonus points if you referred to the time zone in Memphis as "Capt. D's Time."

 

 

Comments Make Us Happy

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Jason Filbert
The Bartlett Panters football franchise played a greater role in your life than God. At least in the 80s. 
January 25, 2014 10:13am
richard Secher
You're so Memphis if you graduated from Lauderdale Elementary school and South Side High School and ate warm Dortch's vanilla wafer pieces after school.
January 25, 2014 10:26am
Roger Bailey
Dates that started or ended at the Pig n Whistle.
January 25, 2014 11:05am
Debbie C.
If you know how to navigate I-240 without ending up in Arkansas or Mississippi by accident!          
January 25, 2014 12:12pm
David
you've taken over the microphone at The Arcade..
January 25, 2014 12:12pm
kb
You remember the old man who used to stand on that corner in Binghamton and wave. Oh, you know what/where Binghamton is, lol.
January 25, 2014 12:30pm
Andie
You're so Memphis if you'd rather go to dive bars like E&H and Alex's than almost any bar on Beale Street AND if you'd rather be caught dead than supporting chain stores and restaurants instead of the local economy. I <3 MEMPHIS.
January 25, 2014 12:54pm
Barbara Tiscia
If you arrive at any occasion 5 minutes before it starts!
January 25, 2014 1:14pm
Kembel
-When you've opened up Captain Bilbo's and closed down the NorthEnd.
January 25, 2014 1:35pm
Kembel
-If you can sing the Fleming Fine Furniture jingle in its entirety.
January 25, 2014 1:40pm
Sarah
The shrunken head at the pink palace museum ... Concerts or graduations at the coliseum... Gibson's ...if you've ever tried to sneak in the old Sears building (or wanted to)... Prom at the Peabody ... Neon Moon ...Racks at Overton Square
January 25, 2014 1:45pm
Toni Zoblotsky
You still morn the departure of Seesel's Bakery as if it were a person who died.  Yes, I'm talking about you Devils Food Pecan Cake.
January 25, 2014 1:45pm
Russel Wilkinson
You ever got a ticket from Officer Selby. Double bonus if he knew your name :-(
January 25, 2014 1:57pm
Jenna
You can talk crap about Memphis, but the minute someone else does whose not from there, shits goin down. 
January 25, 2014 2:19pm
Katherine
You say things like, "Yeah, Memphis doesn't always get good press, but I wouldn't live anywhere else.....there's just something special about this town."
January 25, 2014 2:20pm
Jeff
You know who Joe Cool, Mr. Chuck, Bad Dog, Danger Frog and (I hope) Vogad are. You know that Tim McCarver isn't a person but a place. You know what you're helping when you hear about a Radiothon. You know where Malfunction Junction refers to.  
January 25, 2014 2:33pm
Margie
I haven't lived in Memphis and 15 years, but so many of these are spot on! Including blowing off prom to go to music fest. I love this!
January 25, 2014 3:49pm
PreSheAteYa
When there are at least two broken down cars per mile of interstate that are on fire.
January 25, 2014 3:53pm
Molly
You know the phrase "Ophelia, we feel you" has nothing to do with Shakespeare's Hamlet and all to do with the antics of one of our city's notorious politicians.
January 25, 2014 5:01pm
Oneata
Remember eating at "Po Folks".
January 25, 2014 5:15pm
Sally
You're so Memphis if you believe using your turn signal is a sign if weakness
January 25, 2014 5:30pm
Chris H
If pretty much everyone in your family has their concealed weapons license
January 25, 2014 5:35pm
Sarah
IF you go out of town and find it weird that people are using their turn single when driving.
January 25, 2014 5:43pm
Melissa
You ever "repped yo hood" on K97 with Stan Bell....what's up y'all whatcha gotta say...who's on the mic with Stan Bell today" if you sing the phrase below: S. O. U. T. H yeah PARKWAY...
January 25, 2014 5:46pm
Carla
You have a set of 24 Garibali's cups dating back to your days as a student at Memphis State.
January 25, 2014 5:51pm
Skid Marxist
If you're offended when someone brings donuts that are not Gibson's. 
January 25, 2014 6:38pm
jackie
1. Any sinus-related illness between October and April is explained by the phrase, "Memphis weather." 2. You think it's normal, in winter, to dress for the Arctic one day and wear t-shirt and shorts the next.
January 25, 2014 7:34pm
Kim
If you know Corey B. Trotz's phone number.
January 25, 2014 7:41pm
K Red
If you'd give the shirt off your back to another local, no questions asked!
January 25, 2014 8:49pm
Robin Hodges
"You know who Trent and Tiny were. Oh and Happy Hal and Bo and were even on the show. Watched George Klien's Dance Party. Went to Goldsmith's downtown to see Mr. Bingle. Last but not least, we're glad to see the Big M bridge when returning home from a long trip wherever.
January 25, 2014 9:21pm
Shelby M
If you know who people refer to when they say 'FREE SAMPLE!'
January 25, 2014 9:28pm
Chris
You haven't lived in Memphis in over a decade but you still don't allow a single person not from there to say a single bad word about it because only people from Memphis are allowed to do that!
January 25, 2014 9:50pm
Jenn E.
From East Memphis, you can get anywhere in the city in 15 minutes. Oh, and every grocery store is a "Krogers." 
January 25, 2014 9:52pm
JonnyG
If you live in ANYWHERE in East Memphis and can smell Corky's.
January 25, 2014 10:12pm
G.
- If you remember getting out to the 'burbs without Nonconnah Parkway. - If you remember the driving instructor (giving you driving lessons) specifically going to the intersection of East Parkway and Poplar Ave. just to teach you to look for that second traffic light. - If you remember that horrible/firey truck/car accident on the onramp from I-40 to I-240N (leaving downtown). - If you referred to the Mall of Memphis as "Murder Mall" just because of one incident that happened 10 years prior. - If you remember following the "West Memphis 3" case. - If you remember how excited Dav Brown gets when there's severe weather/a tornado. - If you remember the Pyramid as the "Tomb of Doom". Many more!
January 25, 2014 10:26pm
MariainMemphis
When you say you live on a cove, everyone understand you live on a dead end instead of on little jut out on a lake.  This terminology for dead end is ONLY in Memphis...
January 25, 2014 10:27pm
C.S.
You've been away from Memphis for years, but still know all the words and numbers to Corey B. Trotz's theme song.
January 25, 2014 11:27pm
Stacy
You know who Tim, Bev, & Bad Dog are. 
January 26, 2014 12:40am
GGG
You are willing to stand in line in the hot sun for an hour to get a sno-cone from Jerry's
January 26, 2014 12:41am
Debbie
While attending "Memphis State" you ate at Buntyn's on Southern almost every day.
January 26, 2014 1:00am
Big Dave
If you hung out playing Mystic gate @ Big Daddy's & Across the Tracks.
January 26, 2014 1:01am
Erica
You know a yellow light means speed up.
January 26, 2014 2:06am
Carri
When you get into very passionate debates about the quality of zoos because you know the Memphis Zoo is the best.  3 words. Jerry's Sno Cones.
January 26, 2014 6:47am
Mark H
You have absolutely no idea that your car is equipped with a turn signal, and you are equally clueless as to what "yield" means.
January 26, 2014 8:01am
Sally M
If you spent your summer days at Adventure River and your summer nights watching the Chicks play ball. If you've closed down Raiford's. Jerry's Sno Cones is a summertime staple. If you had a celebrity sighting of Joe Cool at the Hickory Ridge Mall.   
January 26, 2014 8:48am
Dustin A.
If you have ever had Jerry's Sno Cone.
January 26, 2014 9:29am
Sydney H
If you go to Jerry's Sno cones every Saturday, no matter if the line is wrapped around the building twice and it's 90 degrees out, you're still going to get that sno cone bc they're THAT good.   
January 26, 2014 10:56am
DonnaM
If you go from AC to Heat in the same day! - DonnaM
January 26, 2014 11:18am
Reese
1,  You think Memphis has a lot to offer. 2.  Your turn signals have never been used.
January 26, 2014 12:02pm
Dk Ellis
YES I want slaw on that barbecue!
January 26, 2014 12:09pm