If you’ve experienced these 10 things, you’ve lived in Kansas for far too long:
- You say “Ope!” automatically when you accidentally bump into someone or make a small mistake.
- You drive “caddy corner” instead of diagonally across an intersection.
- You call a small stream a “crick” instead of a creek.
- You refer to group of people as “folks” regularly.
- You know what “Rock Chalk” means and may have chanted it at a University of Kansas game.
- You use “pop” when ordering any kind of soda or carbonated drink.
- You’ve been told to “bless your heart” which can be either kind or sarcastic.
- You know “EMAW” stands for “East Meets Apple West,” a local phrase from town rivalry origins.
- You talk about the “drouth” (drought) like it’s a part of life.
- You’ve experienced both peaceful, vast open prairies and sudden fierce thunderstorms that roll in with little warning.
These everyday experiences and expressions connect Kansans and reflect the local culture, making you realize you have deeply embraced the Kansas way of life.
SOURCES
[1](https://www.washburn.edu/reference/cks/ksquotes.html)
[2](https://historyfangirl.com/quotes-about-kansas-instagram-captions-statuses/)
[3](https://www.reddit.com/r/kansas/comments/10jkgn5/what_are_some_kansas_slangphrases_commonly_used/)
[4](https://matadornetwork.com/read/12-expressions-learn-coming-kansas/)
[5](https://www.movoto.com/guide/kansas-city-mo/kansas-city-words/)
