The Midwest may not be the most famous part of the United States, but it’s definitely special. The people are friendly, the cuisine is hearty and comforting, and it offers a great mix of vibrant cities and cozy small towns. If you’re from this region, you definitely have high standards for your favorite football team and for the corn that you eat. And if you’re looking for a list that celebrates that good old Midwestern lifestyle, you’ve come to the right place, pandas.
We took a trip to Midwest Vs. The Rest on X and gathered some of their funniest memes below. From hilarious jokes about Midwesterners to painfully accurate observations, we hope you enjoy scrolling through this list. And be sure to upvote the images that you can’t wait to send to your relatives!
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And you literally cannot see anything BUT the blinding snowflakes coming at you.
I find it tiring after a while, its easy to get mesmerized
Load More Replies...I never thought of that, or you are in Star Trek starship and traveling through space. .
That's when you go outside and every breath you take feels like it's creating icicles in your lungs.
It is when the temps go into the negative when you cannot even stay out side for a minute because it feels like you are on the moon without oxygen.
Load More Replies...I don't care if there is no wind and the sun is shining. I am staying inside.
You aren't Midwestern if you don't wear shorts and a hoody on a fine day like thet
Load More Replies......and you can't sneak up on ANYBODY in temps like that. Snow is too loud. "Squeak, Squeak, Squeak.."
Laugh all you want, but when the wind comes off those lakes, it's a cold few others in the US will ever experience. A windless day is a blessing.
Back in '85, the outdoor portion of Reagan's inauguration was cancelled due to the cold temperatures (7f, -13c). We were up in Vermont cross-country skiing. No wind, sunny, fresh snow on the ground. It was glorious! Cold, but glorious. Mental imagery is not my strong point, but 40 years later, I can still visualize a section of the trail that was like a tunnel made of snow-covered trees.
No. When I was in high school in Alaska we never had a single snow day, for obvious reasons.
Load More Replies...One Sunday night I got a call. "No school." "No school tomorrow?" "No school this week." (Blizzard of '78.)
I can remember we had too many snow days and had to go to school on Saturdays to make days up.
Load More Replies...I remember President Obama's disbelief when his daughters' school in DC closed because they got a whole quarter inch of snow one day.
That's normal in Ireland. Well, driving is impossible when there's snow on the roads.
Load More Replies...Where I live they still do this but not only on the news but on regular programs also now a days.
You don't own this behavior. Anyone living in snow country did the exact same thing.
This really is the peak Seattle area experience, however the number of inches of snow is probably laughable to Midwesterners: schools regularly close here for half an inch of snow with projected temperatures of 30 degrees Farenheit (barely below the freezing point).
Now, if you’re not from the United States or you need a refresher, the Midwest is made up of 12 great states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In total, about one-fifth of the American population lives in this region. And these states provide a whopping 42.8% of the nation's entire agricultural output.
While this region certainly loves its corn and grows plenty of soybeans, wheat, apples, potatoes, and more, it’s full of much more than just farms. The Midwest is home to amazing cities like Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Columbus. No matter what you’re looking for, you’re certain to find a place (and some people) that you love in the Midwest.
I love these scales. Like, tell me when my garbage bin will need relocation from another block!
Don't remember which Michigan station does it, but a 'garbage can day' IS forecast.
Load More Replies...Storms ought to be named after small dogs. Imagine the morning news, Storm Kibbles is barrelling down on us at about 10 am
If you live in the Buffalo area you also get these alerts for 18 wheelers on the elevated highway.
The little hole in the wall restaurants are always the best . I'll take a BLT
Those prices are great. Fast food joints charge you like $8 to $10 just for a sandwich anymore.
We had these too in the 80th and 90th in germany (and have only a few left). They've been called "Imbiss" and I can confirm they made the best fast food (before we knew what fast food was)
I put them suckers up in the first family room of the first house I bought. It complemented the shàg (can you believe BP bleeped this benign word, requiring me to alter the a???) carpeting. I don't suppose anybody would be surprised if I said that was in the 1970s.
This may not be region-specific, but I think Midwesterners held onto this decorating style longer than any other part of the U.S., if not the world. When I was house-hunting in Minnesota 8 years ago, nearly every interior had these walls, s**g carpet, and heavy brown furniture.
We bought our 1951 built retirement house that had this same paneling in the basement. Painting it all white cheered up the basement 100%.
The official walls of the seventies and lower income later decades again nothing unique to there.
If you’re from a coastal state and you’ve never considered living in (or even visiting) the Midwest, we’d like to explain exactly why this region is so special. When it comes to the best aspects of living in the Midwest, Colonial Van Lines cites the low cost of living. Even Chicago, one of the largest cities in the nation, is 27% less expensive than New York City.
Another reason why so many people love the Midwest is because residents actually get to experience all four seasons. In some other parts of the nation, it might feel like summer year-round, or winter might seem like it lasts almost half the year. Here, you can enjoy crisp autumns, snowy winters, warm summers, and gorgeous springs.
Since McDonald's fries are so durable, maybe we need to paved the roads in McDonald's fries.
Same! The fries are never properly salted. They seem to put it all on the burgers instead
Load More Replies...Can this person also salt some sidewalks in Brno? I almost fell down yesterday.
A very concerned government about it's citizen's welfare. I don't think there's a housing problem, homeless problem, or any protests. It's a sure thing ICE isn't going there.
ICE doesn't need a problem to show up. They bring it with them.
Load More Replies...We once rented a cabin in the mountains of NC that had asphalt driveway and we arrived in the rain. It was too slippery to drive up the driveway.
Load More Replies...Never buy a house on the downside of a hill. Think of water run-off, snow, and ice.
We're at the bottom of a hill in earthquake country, and there are two 100,000 gallon water tanks on top of that hill. I'm pretty sure my last words would be "Whuh...whut?..burble"
Load More Replies...A friend of mine came to Southern California from Illinois. There is an incline road near her house that she religiously avoided in winter for years because she didn't want to deal with the ice. I don't think there hasn't been an icy road in our area for decades.
Huh? It's easier to shovel and plow than if it was gravel and it'll be far clearer too and then just add salt and it's nothing special.
Now, the Midwestern lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But if you can embrace it, you’re going to love this region. Trips to the Great Lakes can be incredible, and Midwestern terminology is so charming. Locals in this region also love games like cornhole, which are a great way to make friends and get away from screens for a while. And though it may not be the healthiest cuisine, there’s no question that this part of the country has some amazing frozen custard, cheese curds, deep dish pizza, and casseroles.
Pretty norml in eastern ontario canada as well - especially in the winter because you need to dump all that winter clothing somewhere
Load More Replies...We've lived in our house for over 30 years. I have never come home and entered by the front door. Never.
Thus cue the standing living room goodbye, followed by the kitchen goodbye, the hallway goodbye, the front door goodbye and the driveway goodbye.
Omg....38 years I have lived in the Midwest and never thought of using my heel once 🤣
Load More Replies...If you love getting outside and enjoying nature, there’s no shortage of places to visit in the Midwest. The Great Lakes have cliffs, waterfalls, beaches, and more. And if you’re interested in seeing forests and the stunning Cuyahoga River, Ohio’s the place to be. There are plenty of places to hike and/or kayak, such as Apostle Islands and the Cuyahoga Valley. And if you want to see incredible rock formations, you can’t miss Garden of the Gods.
Once again can confirm. I have lived in Kansas around 30 years and the roadwork on Kellogg in Wichita Kansas has never finished
OMG, is it still going? I moved away from Kansas 8 years ago!
Load More Replies...That looks like the M5 motorway here in uk 😂there is ALWAYS traffic cones n road works on some part of it , has been since the day it was opened ,
I thought you've been housebound for years. How do you know what the M5 is like?
Load More Replies...One nice thing about living in the less affluent part of town. You never have to worry about road work or repair being done anywhere close to you.
Sign is in Maryland. There's a road in Rockville called Randolph Rd. For the entire 17 years I lived near that road, they were digging up one side, filling it in, then digging up the other side. Thank goodness I don't have to go anywhere near there any more. Sign may be fake, but the reality wasn't.
In Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill NC they widen I-40 every few years. "Four lanes ought to be able to handle the traffic." Three years later: "Six lanes ought to be able to handle the traffic." But then the contractor forgot to add water drainage and it all had to be ripped up and redone. Three years later: "Maybe 8 lanes will be able to handle the traffic."
Right?? Not that I'm complaining about the lack of snow though...
Load More Replies...Here, we don't get the 1st picture. I think the lat time was about 20-25 years ago. I've lived in NC for 55 years. The weather has definitely changed.
January 9th, am temps 50+ degrees, January 9th evening temps, mid 20's.
I hired a snow removal company last year. Great decision! It’s amazing how quickly they can clear my driveway.
One of my neighbors is also one of the snow plow drivers. my road is always plowed.
I'm very lucky and grateful for my neighbor John who does my driveway.
I ain't the sharpest tool, but even I know that discharge chute can be turned downwind...and if you can't, the trajectory can be lowered.
In Seattle, the neighbor with a good quality, steel snow shovel is amazingly popular
Perhaps you’re purely a city person, though. We can respect that! Whether you want to see live theatre, experience a bustling nightlife, or catch a concert by your favorite band, Chicago is the place to be. If you’re looking for a smaller city with amazing museums and plenty of trendy coffee shops, hit up Kansas City. And if you want to visit beautiful parks and see awesome architecture, don’t hesitate to make a stop in Detroit.
The awesome power of a group when it needs something done can't be over-estimated.
When you can use Schapps as a verb. "We Schnapped the car on down the road."
Or Rice, Wheat, and Corn Chex with pretzels and cocktail peanuts, baked in a 350 deg oven for 3 20 minute periods.
From the view of a 'troll' you can have it. 12" of snow per day for a week...NOPE!
I've thought about moving someplace like the Upper Peninsula. I've changed my mind.
Thank The Great Lakes... My brother lives in the snow belt on the Canadian side.
If you’re not from the Midwest, there are some words and phrases that might confuse you when you encounter Midwesterners. For example, did you know that they call soda “pop”? And if they’re getting ready to do something, they might say they’re “fixin’ to” do that. You might also hear a casserole referred to as a “hotdish.” And you may hear phrases like “full as a tick” or “over yonder” when you’re in Midwestern territory.
Cheese dip, lil' smokies and the third is a wonderful mystery. If you're lucky some form of mac'n'cheese
I'm bringing my homemade from scratch Sloppy Joes with a big pack of hamburger buns and ai expect that crockpot to be empty by the time I go home
After my third crockpot wore out (not counting the one I dropped), I went to an InstaPot. I pull that thing out of the cabinet so often I should just give it a home on the counter.
crock pots. You make food at home in one of these, carry the whole thing to the pot luck, then plug it in when to keep the food nice and warm
Load More Replies...I (a New Yorker) actually know what this is! It’s a walking taco.. tho oddly enough the first time I experienced one was at a bat mitzvah in Boca Raton.
What's not to love? You've got a container, add lettuce, tomatos, taco meat, and cheese and you are good to go.
Are there still Doritos in there? I think it looks a great idea!
Load More Replies...This is actually a Texas thing - chili and cheese in a bag of fritos. You can get them at high school football games and the like. (My Texas grandmother used to make frito pie, which was a casserole with the same ingredients.)
Load More Replies...It's a Frito Pie (regardless of what brand or type of chip is used) and it's more Texas/Oklahoma than upper Midwest.
Walking taco just chips, cheese, meat, and maybe lettuce. Fritos pie is cooked in the oven like a casserole
Load More Replies...We call them either Pepper Bellies or Frito Chili Pie. Not baked in an oven. Simply slice open a single serve pack of corn chips, add cheese, taco meat, tomatoes, onion, lettuce & jalapenos etc. & enjoy!
I forgot to say we’re in the Mojave Desert here in Southern California.
Load More Replies...I visited Boise, Idaho one winter and the city parking spaces available had big piles of snow in them. Well parking per hour was cheap and I had a rental pickup truck, so...
In Toronto there's a pile so tall it's still melting in August
There is a 1 block street which is the side street at the post office. We have a good snow(10-12"), that street is impassable for weeks as that's where all the snow from downtown removal gets piled. Kind of a ceremony, as they then work overnights and 'dump truck' loads to a vacant area.
There are also some fun facts about the Midwest that you might not have heard before. Midwest Wanderer notes on their blog that Colon, Michigan, is known as the Magic Capital of the World. And The Mall of America in Minnesota is the largest mall in the country. And did you know that Ohio has a larger Amish population than any other state?
That cold October wind is nasty when you've just come out of summer. It takes at least a month to thicken the skin for fall and winter.
Thst is about right. Before I retired I had to drive by a housing addition. They h ad a play area by the road. When it became February and it got warm out that play area was packed with kids and parents. They had a parking area that was packed with cars.
I was in Minnesota during a February "warm" spell in the lower 30's, and saw people having a picnic in their short sleeves.
You arent a true Midwesterner if that hasn't happened at least once to you
There is nothing like watching harvesting machines when it is pitch black out! They seem like fictional monsters come to life.
It takes brute fortitude to get up in the middle of the night to go work a huge field.
Load More Replies...Are you enjoying this celebration of Midwestern culture, pandas? We hope that you’re feeling proud of your region or inspired to visit this part of the country if you’re from somewhere else. Keep upvoting the memes that make you giggle, and if you’re interested in checking out even more Midwestern humor on Bored Panda, look no further than this article!
In Indiana we always had to get in "Hoosier mama" and then laugh like an idiot.
In, but not of Indiana. Oh, yes - pain. All you need to know about Indiana is that it's the northernmost southern state.
WI has more than cheese...we also have beer. And apparently the distinction of "if registered hunters were considered military, WI would be the second largest in the world."
Don't sell Wisconsin short. You also have bratwurst cooked in beer. I am from Illinois, but I will give you your due.
Load More Replies...Corn...yup 👍 and we've got a cow made out of butter at the state fair.
You don't have to be from Iowa to love a life-size cow sculpted from butter.
Load More Replies...They (i,e., everyone in the U.P) still plays at least a snippet of the song on Nov 10 at 7pm. Every year. And the song is sometimes know as the Second Canadian National Anthem.
Our first national anthem is "The Hockey Song" by Stompin' Tom Conners.
Load More Replies...I had the great privilege to sit front row with my Dad and listen to Gordon sing this song on Father's Day 2018.
When I first heard that song I didn't realize it was based on a true wreck until years later.
I currently live in a small town in southeast Iowa. We have less than 100 people in our "town". We have a school (K-8th grade). Of the dozen or so businesses in town, none of them are open to the general public. No retail businesses. Closest gas station is 14 miles away, closest McDonald's or Walmart is 16 miles away. My closest neighbor is over a mile away, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Actually small towns are arre roomy than cities. They have more spaces between houses. Unless you live in a housing addition. But one thing about small towns, there is not a whole lot of things to do in them. If you like to go to plays, theaters, museums and things like these you are going to need to drive to a city to do these activities.
Same if you want to shop anywhere other than Walmart or the hardware store.
Load More Replies...In bed you only spend 1/3 of a day, sleeping. In a city you can do much more with the rest of your day - more job opportunities, more ways to spend your money, more events for free. I was growing up in a small town an I hated it, I couldn't do anything without my parents driving me to places.
And you can go outside and not have to check for ticks when you come in.
Looks like that other Gordon Lightfoot song: "Blackflies in July...."
There may be not method to our madness, but there's plenty of m**h.
A colleague's family (in Wisconsin) always celebrated Christmas Eve by having a progressive drink tour at each house. This was in an area of Wisconsin known for winding, hilly roads that would all be covered in ice. I asked him which relative had that idea and how much did they stand to inherit.
I was into historical diaries and journals for a while. The ones in Ireland had few entries from November until the booze ran out, then picked back up in late winter as life came back into focus. Note - I'm pretty sure other cultures also pass the time as such.
Nice how that blob stops just short of Thunder Bay. From personal experience: nope, it doesn't.
Here in central lower mid -Mich, it's 'school safety day'. Blows kids minds from Detroit and GR.
Hutchinson's only claim to fame is the time it randomly started blowing up
Load More Replies...I've heard about my small Ohio hometown on the national news twice: Once was when a girl got in trouble in school for giving an aspirin to another girl having period pain and the other was when the local Korean restaurant got in trouble for driving over bags of cabbage to make them the right consistency for kimchee. Was never so proud.
Not in the Midwest, but this was my face when a movie mentioned the road the theater I was in is on
If it is 2 degrees outside, I am staying in inside wrapped in a blanket sitting in my recliner with the TV on even if the sun is shining outside.
You aren't a real Midwesterner if you aren't wearing shorts on a fine day like that
Load More Replies...What sun? I grew up in Buffalo and the winter and the sun do not interact.
That's not really the Midwest ( new york) that's norrheast and
Load More Replies...Why are only talking about the winter in the Midwest? How come we're not talking about being able to swim through the humidity in the summer?
It gets 32 degrees and sunny we are pleased as we KNOW stuff will be melting.
It's like 10 at night, no moon, no light, go to put my wipers down after work, one gets away from me and snaps off. i have a 20 minute drive home and will not make it without the driver wiper. Found that wiper in the dark, in a snowbank, and even though i'm unfamiliar with how this one snaps on, snapped it on by feel, with frozen hands. I have never felt so triumphant.
Fuuuck I forgot to do this. - 14°C (7°F) to night. Really hope I don't need to go anywhere tomorrow.
Just pour boiling water on it(DON'T!!)
Load More Replies...Even here in Maryland, I was taught to do this if the next day was going to be very cold and I had to go out.
You cover your windscreen though, right? I only live in the Uk and I have a lovely windscreen cover designed for my make and model of car. It also fits over the wing mirrors and the front side doors. Before I found the perfect windscreen cover I was using cardboard. You don’t just leave it nåked?
Load More Replies...I grew up in N Idaho and always hated when it was so cold and snowy during Halloween that I had to cover my costume with a coat.
I don't understand? We have coats on beds at parties and I live in fricking London.
It's a bit different when the windchill is -20
Load More Replies...Not Los Angeles. The front hall might be crowded with shoes though?😄
Load More Replies...Nope. I'm a Midwesterner, but not an idiot. Well, not complete idiot anyway
I live in Massachusetts not the Midwest but northern and I wear shorts unless it’s single digits
Apparently some midwesterners visited Czechia, I saw a few guys like this .
Every fall on the college campus, we'd see couples holding hands, one in shorts and flip flops, the other in a head to toe parka. Love finds a way (through the sleeve, I guess).
Conversely, it's 100 degrees out and some dude is walking around in shorts with a long sleeved black hoodie. Hood up.
This is the second time Indiana is put down. What is so wrong with Indiana?
Load More Replies...I would like to take a road trip up around Michigan side of Michigan lake to visit some of the lighthouses.
It's always baffled me that some religious groups use the lighthouse as a symbol. We invented them to warn folks away from dangerous shoals and prevent tragedy.
If you have ever stood on the bank of any of the Great Lakes you would think it was the ocean.
Experienced mariners treat those lakes like oceans. The depths are full of wrecks.
Again, I am amazed that the little town towns I go through in France always seem to be able to patch up their roads relatively quickly, when in the US the roads were ALWAYS torn up, or when they were fixed they weren't much better or didn't last long. This may have to do with there being worse weather in the US, however, as southwest France's weather is very moderate.
It’s definitely because of the winter weather in the Midwest. Not only do road surfaces expand and contract with temperature extremes, but in the snow you need to make the roads passable so there’s damage from the snow plows.
Load More Replies...I personally have seen three different people wake up while driving over the border to say, "Are we in Illinois?" BapBAM BapBAM BapBAM "What do you think?"
One political party has convinced many U.S. citizens we can have nice things but paying taxes is a bad thing.
Funny, a lot of roads in Phoenix look like this. Some places are almost more patch than road.
Yep, and those places always have a daily dice game you can play to win the current jackpot (which is usually a collection of paper money stuffed into a big jar behind the bar). Plus, popcorn to snack on and cheap frozen pizza if you're really hungry.
Always goes 1 of 2 ways. Either everyone stares like you are an outsider or everyone says 'sup
Load More Replies...Complete with obligatory TV permanently tuned to a sports channel, wooden interior, mounted fish on the wall and to complete things a taxidermized something or other high up looking down at you.
How many broken backs are incurred when they come out drunk and slip on the snow covered steps?
You don't know Midwestern drunks, they've been walking in the slippery all their lives.
Load More Replies...There are days I would have sworn that someone had to have watered the parking lot all night for it to be that icy and treacherous.
Looks a little bit like an amorphous crystal. Probably for the same reasons.
Isn't Hidden Valley no.1? It's certainly my favourite.
Load More Replies...Homemade is infinitely better, healthier, and not hard to make. I have a great recipe if anyone is interested.
They left out the dry packets of ranch you mix at home, with sour cream and mayo and milk. My favorite brand is Uncle Dan's, an Idaho product that doesn't have bioengineered foods in it
I really don't eat ranch much at all, I don't even keep any at home (but I also don't live in the Midwest lol) anyways, I gotta say the best ranch to me is the packet of powdered ranch, I think the brand is Dan's?? Mixed into sour cream. The bar I worked at did it that way and I ate way too many chicken tenders and ranch lol
My favorite winter fun is when I would be in my best dress clothes and dress shoes and step out of my car into ten inches of slush.
Slush covers it pretty well: Snowy, Liquidy, Unsteady, Slippery, Harrowing.
Load More Replies...Have to agree. Snow makes such a mess. Then they salt and you track in salty snow and man more mess.
Load More Replies...Until there are, and then it seems like they are as packed as heavily as that snow is.
69. because my husband never left his teen years.
Load More Replies...That... is exactly what my thermostat is set to at this exact moment lol
That is to cold for me. The minimum I keep my thermostat on is 70 degrees.
True! Except they skip Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho too.
One of the benefits of Soaring Eagle Casino. LOTS of good acts perform there. Steely Dan (RIP Walter), Lewis Black, etc..
It's funny that this whole Midwest thing excludes Colorado and parts of Texas. If you live in the US with vast plains, your weather and culture is midwest
Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
My hometown is in Ohio. Somebody commented here in Georgia (southern US) how they don't know how anyone would want to live in such a cold place. I said that there's something bracing and invigorating about a cold winter and I kinda miss it. Then I went back to visit. It was 36 degrees F and sleeting sideways. I thought, F this - I do not miss this at ALL!
I always thought the American Midwest was Oregon or something. Like the middle (n/s) of the west. How is this called Midwest?
Dude! Look at a MAP! Oregon is on the West Coast! 🙄. "Midwest" is, basically, midwest of the east coast. I grew up in Mich, btw.
Load More Replies...My hometown is in Ohio. Somebody commented here in Georgia (southern US) how they don't know how anyone would want to live in such a cold place. I said that there's something bracing and invigorating about a cold winter and I kinda miss it. Then I went back to visit. It was 36 degrees F and sleeting sideways. I thought, F this - I do not miss this at ALL!
I always thought the American Midwest was Oregon or something. Like the middle (n/s) of the west. How is this called Midwest?
Dude! Look at a MAP! Oregon is on the West Coast! 🙄. "Midwest" is, basically, midwest of the east coast. I grew up in Mich, btw.
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