No one hands you a set of rules when you move to Boston. That being said, there are certain things that we do – or avoid doing. Being familiar with the expectations of Bostonians can help you to acclimate when visiting or relocating. And, if you’re a long-term resident, you can probably relate to some of these unwritten rules.

1. Don’t call it Beantown because that's not a term that locals often use. Boston is also known as the Athens of America, which sounds much classier.
Flickr/Bert Kaufmann
According to one theory, the nickname "Beantown" came about because early Bostonians added molasses to baked beans, creating a yummy twist on a classic dish. Alternatively, the moniker traces its origins back to 1890, when souvenir bean pots were gifted to attendees of the Civil War veterans’ convention that took place in Boston. The final possibility is that the term "Beantown" was coined in 1907 while advertising Old Home Week, which involved a tourism campaign to lure those who’d once lived in Boston to come back for a visit.
2. We buy coffee from Dunks. (An indie store is also acceptable.)
Flickr/m01229
Obviously, Starbucks stays in business here but, overall, Boston runs on Dunkin’.
3. If our drink preferences run to something harder, we probably buy our alcohol from a package store (a.k.a. a packy).
Yelp/McCarthy Bros.
Not only does Boston have its own lingo, but our city also has extremely tight laws surrounding alcohol sales. These heavily restrict how many grocery store locations are allowed to sell booze. End result: runs to the packy.
4. We don't leave home without an item that expresses our sports team allegiance. Bobble head doll, bumper sticker, baseball cap... we're not fussy.
Flickr/photophile
Just so long as we are promoting the Sox, Pats, Celtics, Revolution, or Bruins – preferably all five.
5. We never compliment the Yankees.
Flickr/Robert J. Castaldi, Sr.
It doesn’t matter if they hit ten home runs in a row; if the Yankees did it, it automatically sucks.

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6. We acknowledge that Boston drivers are horrendous…
Flickr/Jeffrey Beall
…But we're the exception. We are in no way a Masshole. FYI, according to Forbes, Bostonians are involved in accidents 167.7% more than the national average for collisions!
7. If we own a car, we get an EZ Pass ASAP. Paying by cash is no longer an option.
Flickr/JJBers
Does anyone else find those pay-by-plate signs kind of creepy? We will track you down…
8. Scouts and Bostonians have at least one thing in common: we’re always prepared (at least when it comes to weather).
Flickr/Eric Ferraiuolo
It can snow in Boston anytime from October through April… wait, make that May, as well. Actually, make that… oh, never mind. We just keep an ice scraper in our car year round along with some extra layers of clothing.
9. We measure snow in feet.
Flickr/Davis Doherty
Yeah, yeah, the weather person tells us the forecast in inches, but whenever a blizzard’s coming we may as well just skip to feet.
10. If anyone claims that Boston’s not wicked awesome, we feel sorry for them…
Flickr/Harald
…Because, regardless of its quirks, Boston is an amazing city.

What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

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