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We named most of the regions in America after the cardinal directions. There's the West, the South, and the East. Yet there's no North, is there? You never hear somebody from Indiana or Wisconsin saying, "I'm from the North." Only characters from Game of Thrones say that.

We call the North Central states the Midwest. And the Midwest is a special place: with its Great Lakes, gently rolling hills and plains, and its famous sayings and phrases. It's so special, in fact, that there's a meme page dedicated to it, titled "Midwest Vs. Everybody." So, here's a selection of a few we think you might like, even if you're not a Midwesterner yourself.

#2

Midwestern hospitality: helping push a car 40 feet to avoid a tow in Wisconsin.

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Huddo's sister
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

P-platers (permit licence) in my state have to have 0 blood alcohol and I could definitely see a similar problem occurring here!

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You might think you know where the Midwest is, but, turns out, it's a pretty subjective question. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 12 states in the American Midwest. They include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

However, in a 2023 poll by the University of Nebraska and Emerson College, the people living in Oklahoma and Wyoming also said they think of themselves as Midwesterners. The most Midwestern state, according to the poll, turned out to be Iowa. 96.7% of the people there think of themselves as Midwesterners.

And in Ohio, which the U.S. Census Bureau officially counts as part of the Midwest, only 73.8% of the respondents said they "live in the Midwest."

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#4

A humorous tweet about Midwesterners preferring a ten-hour drive over flying.

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Geoffrey Scott
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Michigan here: "Let's see...spend $600 on two round trip tickets then have no car and rent one, or drive 15-20 hrs each way for $200 and have MY car to use".

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As Jon K. Lauck, editor of Middle West Review, notes, there are nuances to what is the Midwest. "The western parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas are sort of the West. The southern tier of counties in Ohio, are Appalachia. 

"The southern half of Missouri is quite southern. So there are some nuances it's important to take notice of. That's what the historians and social scientists involved in Midwestern history are sorting out and making more clear," he explained. 

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#9

Luigi from Mario Kart driving, illustrating Midwest humor about highway speed limits.

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John Boy
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, if you're in the left lane only doing 5 over, get the hell out of that lane as we're trying to really break the speed limit!

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But wait a minute, what does "west" even have to do with this region? Isn't this technically the center of America, in between the West and the East Coast regions? Well, the term "Midwest" comes from the time when all the territories west of the Mississippi but in between the North and South were considered the West.

#10

Split image comparison of Midwest fireworks: modest town display versus extravagant show.

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so glad we are not allowed to buy fireworks in my state in Australia. The stories from my dad when they had them for bonfire night (which we also don't have now) and my general knowledge of bogans and other idiots in my state tells me it's a good thing!

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#11

Emoji depiction of driving in the Midwest with corn, animals, signs, and Cracker Barrel reference.

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Helena
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You missed all the jesus signs, the anti abortion signs, and all the beef promotion signs.

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Some claim that you'll know the Midwest when you see it. As Jacob K. Friefeld, a research historian at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum writes, "People may not agree on where to find the Midwest, but they generally agree on what you'll find there." 

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#14

Tweet from "Midwest vs. Everybody" about Midwest meditation and slipping on ice.

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Nikole
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two years ago I was going down my back steps and slipped on snow. I hit my shoulders as I slid and my neck snapped back. When I landed I just sat there, feeling like I was dying and also like I wanted to die. So… yeah.

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And the idea of the Midwest in most Americans' minds is one of a pastoral paradise. A simple place where everyone knows their neighbors and farm fields sprawl as far as the eye can see. That's why people call it the Heartland of America: it helped form the agricultural and economic foundation that the country is built on.

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But being from the Midwest is not just about geography. Being a Midwesterner is a cultural identifier too. Many say that state fairs are the quintessential part of the American Midwest. In 2015, USA Today named the Minnesota State Fair as the very best, with Iowa taking second place.

Then there's the food, like the classic Midwest hotdish. Although it's the unofficial state cuisine of Minnesota, you can find different iterations of hotdish in other Midwestern states as well. There are three main components in a hotdish: starch, protein, and vegetable. Food blogger Molly Yeh, who now lives in North Dakota, describes the hotdish like this: "If you were to place [the hotdish] on an x/y chart where x = how much it looks like barf, and y = how delicious it is, they would be maxed out on both accounts. That's the charm of a hotdish."

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#23

Street view of a small Midwest town with parked cars and historic buildings on a sunny day.

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BunnyMommy
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Small town Michigan, where I spent my summers with my Grandparents! Against which all towns have been measured, and have failed. It's been many years of measuring, I'm 73.

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Midwesterners also have some interesting phrases you probably wouldn't hear in other regions of the U.S. One of them is "Ope" which the "Midwest Vs. Everybody" page has in its title as well. People describe "Ope" in many different ways (and it rhymes with "rope," by the way), but essentially it's somewhat a mix of "oh" and "oops."

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Midwesterners say "Ope!" when they're surprised, when they want to squeeze past someone in line at the supermarket, or even when they accidentally spill wine on their or somebody else's shirt. Linguist Ben Zimmer explained to HuffPost that the word is a somewhat mix between "oops" and "welp." "It could also be thought of as the 'oh' interjection plus a final '-p,'" he explained.

#28

Mini blue buckets at Lowe's showcasing Midwest humor with price tag of 98 cents.

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Firefly
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Should be from Menards (a home improvement chain based in Wisconsin with stores all over the mid-west).

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Have we got any Pandas from the Midwest here? Let us know in the comments if any of these identifiers fit the description of a Midwesterner. And if you're looking for more funny bits from the "Midwest Vs. Everybody" page, check out this article we did about their page back in 2021!

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#40

A humorous chart of Midwest seasons, highlighting "Fool's Spring."

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Geoffrey Scott
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Though with the planet warming, spring and fall are far shorter than` they used to be. Warm,warm,warm,..cold. Cold,cold,cold,warm. Not as gradual as it was.

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#46

Two men discussing Midwest weather in April with a humorous caption about unpredictable conditions.

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Robert Trebor
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Chinese restaurant lady in Nebraska who said she wanted to move to Texas. I told her it was hot most of the year, and she said that's not a problem. Here, she said, the wind never stops blowing.

#47

Person in snowy Midwest setting with text, "Apart from drinking, there is absolutely nothing to do here."

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sofacushionfort
Community Member
1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Drinking while sitting in a tiny, floorless house, staring at a hole in the ice.

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#49

Comparison meme showing Midwestern driving habits versus flying preferences.

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Angie May
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She does this kind of c**p but it's up to us to save the environment by using paper straws.

#50

Midwest humor: birthday cake with candle on a pothole, highlighting unique regional culture.

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think this would work about the d**k and balls graffiti people supposedly do around them in London

#52

Meme depicting Midwest culture with chili in a pot and a person adjusting glasses, highlighting cold weather humor.

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Geoffrey Scott
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lived in Fla for a time. Cut 1/2 the back yard, in August, came in for some ice water. GF's Dad, visiting from Mich said "Can't do the whole thing at once? Huh".. one pass down, one back, and he DRAGs himself in and promptly pours a hot COFFEE. "Damn it's hot here". "Yup", go out, finish back and 1/2 the front.

#54

Historical reenactors humorously debate naming Kansas City in the Midwest.

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Robert Trebor
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But there is a Kansas City, Kansas. Makes me want to say: Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas

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#55

Midwest small town Monowi sign and its sole resident, an elderly woman smiling indoors.

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Libstak
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, so she pays local taxes to herself and gets state and federal government assistance for all the roads and infrastructure plus she can tax gas and electric services....she is one smart lady.

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#65

Midwest drivers meme with humorous interpretations of stop, yield, and speed limit signs.

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Starthief
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Left turn signal: if green, take a nap. When it turns yellow, the next six cars go. If it's red, make a *right* turn across the other lanes.

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#70

Container filled with cups of ranch dressing, highlighting Midwest culture humor.

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Rivet Gardener
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tuna or chicken salad sandwiches made with Ranch as a base are the ultimate! Don't knock it until you try it.

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#74

Midwest historic downtown street with parked cars and meme text overlay.

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't this just the general historic building style for commercial areas? Most old shops where I live are attached and we also have a lot of inner city suburban homes are still row housing.

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#77

Comparison of two calf photos, highlighting Midwest lifestyle humor.

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Helena
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's what happens when mowing your lawn is an obsession and a vanity

#80

Midwest taco night essentials: taco shells, meat mix, sour cream, cheese, olives, chopped tomatoes, and lettuce.

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Carl Roberts
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I assure you, this isn't just a midwest thing. Only thing missing is the shredded lettuce