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.
- We’re a commonwealth.
Flickr/Gage Skidmore 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.
- These are called “cokes.” All of them.
Flickr/Andrea 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?”
- There is one coke/soda/pop/whatever that is king in Kentucky, and that’s Ale 8 One.
Flickr/Brent Moore Ale 8 One is a delicious ginger soft drink that has been bottled in Winchester since 1926.
- Schools and businesses close for a horse race.
Wikimedia Commons/Craiglduncan 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.
- We love our horses so much, we even name our streets after them.
Google Maps There’s Man O’War Boulevard, Ruffian Way, Citation Boulevard, Sir Barton Way, and Alysheba Way.
- You can visit Paris, London, Florence, and Versailles without leaving the state.
Flickr/Cédric Boismain You won’t find the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben though.
- Yes, we do say “y’all.”
Flickr/Morgan We don’t think it’s a bad thing, as evidenced by the giant “Y’ALL” on Florence’s water tower.
- The pronunciation of our largest city sounds nothing like how it is spelled.
Flickr/Monique Wingard 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.
- Same goes for some of our small towns too.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM This is not prounounced “Pike-vill.” It is pronounced “Piiiike-vul.”
- But the name of this town IS pronounced exactly the way it’s spelled.
Flickr/Pierre No, it’s not “Ver-sigh.” It’s Ver-sails.
- Kentucky makes 95% of the world’s bourbon.
Flickr/Michelle Spomer Where is that other 5% coming from? It just doesn’t seem trustworthy if it didn’t come from Kentucky.
- We love bourbon so much, we even put it on our food.
Flickr/Kevin Kestler 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.
- And while the rest of the world may view us as nothing more than the birthplace of KFC…
Flickr/Anthony Which we are fine with, by the way.
- …We have our fair share of other culinary wonders.
Flickr/libsciterp 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.
- We even have our own style of barbecue.
Flickr/Wally Gobetz 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.”
- Another barbecue favorite is burgoo.
Flickr/Mack Male 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.
- All of these are best accompanied with ice cold sweet tea.
Personal Creations 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.
- We’ll pass on a pro sports team. Our college teams have got that covered.
Flickr/Chris Breeze 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.
- We have the most heart-wrenchingly wonderful state song in the whole country.
Wikimedia Commons/CTW 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.
- Most of all, we are 100% A-OK with living in Kentucky, because it will always be home.
Flickr/keithreed01
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.
Flickr/Gage Skidmore
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.
Flickr/Andrea
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?”
Flickr/Brent Moore
Ale 8 One is a delicious ginger soft drink that has been bottled in Winchester since 1926.
Wikimedia Commons/Craiglduncan
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.
Google Maps
There’s Man O’War Boulevard, Ruffian Way, Citation Boulevard, Sir Barton Way, and Alysheba Way.
Flickr/Cédric Boismain
You won’t find the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben though.
Flickr/Morgan
We don’t think it’s a bad thing, as evidenced by the giant “Y’ALL” on Florence’s water tower.
Flickr/Monique Wingard
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.
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
This is not prounounced “Pike-vill.” It is pronounced “Piiiike-vul.”
Flickr/Pierre
No, it’s not “Ver-sigh.” It’s Ver-sails.
Flickr/Michelle Spomer
Where is that other 5% coming from? It just doesn’t seem trustworthy if it didn’t come from Kentucky.
Flickr/Kevin Kestler
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.
Flickr/Anthony
Which we are fine with, by the way.
Flickr/libsciterp
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.
Flickr/Wally Gobetz
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.”
Flickr/Mack Male
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.
Personal Creations
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.
Flickr/Chris Breeze
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.
Wikimedia Commons/CTW
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.
Flickr/keithreed01
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