yep -- i'm from illinois...

You know if someone is from southern, middle or northern Illinois as soon as they open their mouth.

While these are ALL true -- the blue lines are specific ones that my dear friends have so sweetly pointed out to me over the years!
Oh! And one thing I definitely want to clear up -- There is more to Illinois than Chicago. Just because I say I am from Illinois does not mean I am from Chicago. In fact, I have never even been to Chicago!

~ When you say "the city" - you mean Chicago.
~ You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
~ You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
~ Stores don't have bags; they have sacks.
~ All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, or animal.
~ You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, soddie, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
~ You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" is.
~ You spent a good deal of your high school nights hanging out at DQ.
~ "Vacation" means going to Six Flags.
~ You don't pronounce the "S" in Illinois like the rest of the world.
~ Whenever anyone mentions going out for steak, the first place you think of is Ponderosa.
~ You know more than one person with a septic tank.
~ You pronounce the invisible "R" in the word wash.
~ Down south to you means Kentucky
~ You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Plaines"
~ You think Chicago is a completely different state from Illinois.
~ You know the answer to the question, "Is this Heaven?"
~ You know where all the Yoders live
~ Detassling was your first job
~ You've ever been on a "Geode Hunt"
~ Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice
~ You learn your pickup will run without a muffler
~ When asked how your trip was to any foreign, exotic place, you say, "It was different."
~ You consider being called a "Pork Queen" an honor
~ People from other states love to hear you say "Illinois" and other words with "Os" in them.
~ Your dream vacation is a trip to Rock Home Gardens
~ You drink "pop." (Actually, I call it soda, but that's a sin here in Texas where every carbonated beverage is "Coke." I will not get on my soapbox... But -- Coke is a namebrand, folks.)
~ You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Illinois.