Hometown Meme

Scribal Terror has been tagged by our good friends at Neatorama, who want us to say four cool things about our hometowns. Neatorama used Los Angeles. Some people have all the luck. But here goes with Cincinnati:

• Cincinnati is a largely German Catholic town, which accounts for some of its oddities. In World War I a number of the main thoroughfares were given new, non-German-sounding names, but no one bothered with the little byways, which is why you have Liberty Parkway, Victory Parkway, and a lot of little Schnitzeldorfer Lanes. It may also account for the fact that Catholic schoolkids say "Please?" (i.e., "Bitte?") instead of "Huh?" or "Pardon me?" when they don't hear something.
• Nothing in my experience accounts for the fact that Cincinnatians at least USED to call delis "pony kegs" and green bell peppers "mangoes." As I child, I could say, "I'm going to the pony keg to buy a mango" and my fellow Cincinnatians would understand that I was going to the deli to buy a green bell pepper.
• The Greater Cincinnati Airport is located in Northern Kentucky.
• An important Cincinnatian comfort food is "chili spaghetti," i.e., spaghetti with chili used as a sauce, smothered in grated parmesan cheese. I still make it frequently and it has always been my kids' favorite.

Now I need to tag four people. I have never done this before. I am a tagging virgin, but here goes: Diana at Cream of the Crock, Jim at Parkway Rest Stop, AGR at Another Gay Republican, and Carin at Is This Blog On?

Comments

[Carin]

You forgot to mention that the chili has CINNAMON In it.

[gail]

That's just Skyline Chili. I don't put cinnamon in mine. We used to get it at Frisch's without the cinnamon.

[Carin]

Oh, now you have to explain what "Frisch's" is ... I know, of course, since I lived there.

[Carin]

And, Cincinnati has a totally different interpretation for "X-way" terms: "three-way", "five-way", etc.

[Jim - PRS]

Okey dokey. I'll percolate a bit, then post something.

[gail]

It has to be interesting; it's New Jersey.

[Julie]

Hometown: Brazil, Indiana

Four Neat Things:

1. We used to have a mayor named Norval Pickett, Jr.
2. Everyone there has had "relations" with at least one sibling.
3. Brazil, South America gave us a big statue because we're their "sister city." (which kind of goes along with #2).
4. This year the town broke its own record for number of operating meth labs.

[gail]

Frisch's is kind of like Shoney's, if that helps.

[Tommyboy]

Hold it, hold it, hold it gosh darn one second. You cannot use any food that comes out of Frisch's as anything Cincinnati Original. When you talk Chile, you can only talk Skyline Chile. No execptions. Anything smothered in grated parmesan cheese knocks it right off the Cincinnati orginal map. I suspect you eat the chili spaghetti by sticking the fork in it and twirling?!! You see, THAT"S JUST WRONG!!!! Damit.

[jordanwf]

I have to agree with Tommyboy, parm has nothing to do with Cincy chili (nor does Frisch's).

Yes, they still call them ponykegs.

The airport being located in another state is hardly an interesting enough fact. Newark is an airport for NYC, all of the DC airports exist in other states. Clearly there is something more inspiring to you about the 'nati. I'll get you started... Jerry Springer was the mayor... people are crazy obsessed with HS football... the differences between the east and west side... the police shoot/beat up an unarmed african american youth every 6 months or so leading to riots/protests/boycots... people play a ton of cornhole, etc.