They are very polite and obedient ( it is their defining trait )
They do not understand Southerners, as they are prone to make statements about the south that would puzzle any of us. They speak of us as though we don't really exist, but were some sort of made for TV oddity.
Johnny is "going away" to school means attending college in a different county.
They believe a government can solve personal problems.
They are trusting.
They have a sense of superiority to the rest of the nation. Not smug, but a simple belief that they are indeed better.
They are fans of cold weather sports, hockey primarily, and football. They like baseball but it is more of a passing summer interest, rather than an obsession.
They are Democrats, but not reliably so. They never exhibit the burning passion over political issues that folks elsewhere do.
They eat fried cheese with ketchup.
They hate the heat and will spending silly sums on cabins in the North Country.
As neighbors go, they are difficult to get to know, but are generally helpful in a pinch.
As drivers, they are slow to react to change, such as the light turning from red to green. (They never seem to get that "green arrow thing" at intersections)
They never honk their horns in traffic. Anyone honking is obviously from out of state.
In the end, all this is trivial stuff, funny little things. As people, they are about as good as we get.
