Idahoisms

In our time living here in Rexburg, Idaho, I have noticed quite a few phrases, quirks, and methods used only here in Idaho... "isms", if you will. Here are my observations:

- anything that has handles, holds groceries, garbage, etc., and resembles what I call a "bag" is called a "sack"

- instead of investing in some good snow plows to rid of the winter's awful snow and ice, Idahoans convert an everyday back hoe, tractor, or pick-up truck into a plow

- on top of the amazing snow plowing, the state uses red rock from the Tetons to use as traction on the roads... not sand, not salt, RED ROCK, which is really only effective as a stain for your pants and shoes

- whether they're pants, a jacket, or a skirt, anything denim is called "Levis"
- the word "meal", and any other word to rhyme it, sounds like "mill", and the like

- no one here knows how to use a turn signal while driving, unless the driver is from a state where they were actually taught to use it

- every school year is interrupted in October by the week-long "Spud-Harvest Break", a time for local farmers to, well, harvest "spuds", or potatoes, as normal people would call them

- just because we're from NY, doesn't mean that we're from NYC... why does everyone here assume that? The Idahoans need to get out and live a little... and maybe inform themselves on the location of Syracuse, NY

- not showing up for class is called "sluffing" here... I thought it was just "skipping class"...?

- something we love (honest): right after "Spud Harvest", 15-pound bags of potatoes are $2 each, sometimes less

- I have never seen such an odd highway system... in addition to exits, there are just normal turn-offs, as if we're just driving down a normal TWO-LANE road (at 70 MPH) and need to turn right to get to Grandma's

- specific to Rexburg, the highest speed limit in the whole city is 35 MPH, but it's mostly just 25

- living so close to an LDS temple is one of the biggest blessings... even if we didn't live right down the street from the Rexburg temple, it would only be a 30 minute drive to the Idaho Falls temple

I'm betting there will be more in the future, but that's all I can think up right now...

Idaho can be a crazy place to live, but for now, we are loving it, whether they call my jeans "Levis" or not. :)