20 Ways Kentucky Is America's Black Sheep And We Love It That Way
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Rachel Shulhafer
Author
Despite what the rest of the country may think, Kentucky is a unique and beautiful place with a culture of its own. We might do and say things a little differently than folks from other states, but that’s what makes living here so awesome. If you have any friends or family members from out of state coming in town this holiday season, show them this list of why we’re proud to be America’s black sheep.
Kentucky is one of four states in the whole country that is officially called a commonwealth. There's no real difference between American states and commonwealths, but the term "commonwealth" was originally used to describe an area governed by its own people, not a monarch.
What a person calls a soft drink varies based on where they live. Most people debate whether it's called soda or pop, but most Kentuckians simply call it a coke, whether or not it's a Coca-Cola. There are a few pockets of eastern Kentucky that refer to it as pop, but for the most part, if you order a coke in Kentucky, the follow-up question will be "what kind of coke do you want?"
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Ale 8 One is a delicious ginger soft drink that has been bottled in Winchester since 1926.
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Everyone knows the Kentucky Derby is held the first Saturday in May, but the Kentucky Oaks always runs the day before on Friday. The "Run for the Lillies" is a horse race for fillies, and attracts more than 120,000 people each year. It's treated like a holiday, so many schools and businesses are closed on Oaks Day.
There's Man O'War Boulevard, Ruffian Way, Citation Boulevard, Sir Barton Way, and Alysheba Way.
You won't find the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben though.
We don't think it's a bad thing, as evidenced by the giant "Y'ALL" on Florence's water tower.
Most locals pronounce Louisville something like this: Loo-a-vull. Or ditch the "a" sound in the middle to make it a simple two-syllable "Luh-Vull." Do not, ever, under any circumstance, call it "Looeyville." If you do, everyone will know you're not actually a Kentuckian. The trick is to try to pronounce it without saying any of the vowels. If all else fails, just say "Luh" and the rest will just kind of fall out.
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This is not prounounced "Pike-vill." It is pronounced "Piiiike-vul."
No, it's not "Ver-sigh." It's Ver-sails.
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Where is that other 5% coming from? It just doesn't seem trustworthy if it didn't come from Kentucky.
You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced bourbon balls, or any combination of bourbon and chocolate, really. It also goes great on steaks and grits.
Which we are fine with, by the way.
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Like spaghetti in our chili, which is something we borrowed from our neighbors to the north in Cincinnati. Apparently everyone else thinks this is gross. How? How could this glorious combination ever be gross? Some other Kentucky-made dishes include the Hot Brown, benedictine, and beer cheese.
Western Kentucky barbecue is famous for using mutton, which is sheep. The sauce is typically thinner and vinegar-based, and is sometimes referred to as "dip."
This thick stew most often uses mutton, pork, or chicken with various vegetables, but it used to be nicknamed "roadkill" soup because it used whatever was available. Sometimes that meant it contained squirrel, rabbit, venison, raccoon, or various game birds.
The English may have perfected the hot breakfast tea, but Kentuckians have perfected iced sweet tea. If it's not so sweet that you feel like you've gotten a cavity after drinking it, you did it wrong.
There is no rivalry quite like Louisville vs. Kentucky, and that goes for basketball, football, baseball, soccer, anything. Just say the name "Rick Pitino" in front of a Kentuckian and see what happens.
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Can anyone else argue otherwise? Put your hand down, Alabama. "Sweet Home Alabama" does not make more than 150,000 people cry simultaneously every year.
If you’re a Kentuckian who has done some traveling, you’ve undoubtedly heard someone ask “You’re from Kentucky? Is there even anything fun to do there? Do wear shoes? Do you ride a horse to work? Have you met Colonel Sanders?” Instead of rolling your eyes or getting defensive, just continue to give them that typical Southern hospitality, because after all, they’re the poor folks who are missing out on all the greatness of being a Kentuckian.
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