And that's what I like about the South

The Peachoid water tower, Gaffney, South Carolina
Wikimedia Commons, CC0

So a few of my colleagues went to Atlanta, Georgia, recently for a conference. Since then I've been asking them about their trip, particularly related to food and language usage, two of my favorite themes.

For example,

Colleague #1: "I was talking with this native Atlantian ... is that what you call someone from Atlanta?"

Me: "Atlantan. They're not from Atlantis, they're from Atlanta. You could also say, 'Yew from Lanuh?' This is another acceptable way to refer to someone from Atlanta."

Colleague #2: "We went to this restaurant featuring traditional Southern foods ..."

Me (inside my head): *You found a place that serves Moon Pies and Sun Drop?!*

Colleague #2: "I tried the cornbread. I must say it was rather dry ..."

Me: "Then it's the real deal. If it takes sweet, then that's just cake, also known as Yankee cornbread."

Colleague #2: "But they gave us this little dipping sauce ..."

Me (inside my head): *WTF?*

Colleague #2: "It was like a broth. They said it was made from vegetables. They cook the vegetables in this broth and then use the broth ..."

Me: "Pot likker. You mean pot likker."

Colleague #2: "Yes! That's it! They said it was called 'pot liquor.'"

Me: "So you were with our vegetarian colleague at this restaurant? And she had some of the pot likker?"

Colleague #2: "Yes."

Me: "Did anyone mention to her that pot likker is likely not vegetarian? If it's done authentically, then the vegetables are cooked with bacon, fat back, salt pork, bacon grease, something with meat. It's definitely not vegetarian."

Colleague #2: "She wondered."