We Nebraskans all have diverse beliefs and personalities, but we also share a whole lot of things in common. These things make us the Cornhuskers that we are, and most of us wouldn’t change them for anything. They also help us tell a true Nebraskan apart from an imposter. If anyone you know does these weird things, it just might mean they’re not really from around here.
- They prefer oceans over lakes or rivers.
flickr/George Thomas You can keep those shark-infested, too-salty, garbage-filled beaches. We love our unsalted lakes and rivers where we can go fish, swim, tube, boat, and play for hours.
- They’re terrified of driving in the snow.
flickr/Jan Tik Most of us are a little afraid of driving in winter weather, but a non-Nebraskan will outright refuse to drive in it.
- …And they’ll expect a snow day whenever there’s a few inches of white stuff on the ground.
flickr/Tim O’Brien Nope, sorry - it takes some pretty major weather to call off school, work, or anything else, and it hardly ever happens.
- They don’t know how to pronounce our quirky town names.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM If they can’t say Kearney, Steinauer, Beatrice, Norfolk, Cairo or other town names the way we locals say them, you can bet they’re not from around here.
- They shy away from strangers.
flickr/Chip Griffin It seems like people from other places aren’t quite as friendly as we are. Someone who’s from Nebraska will walk right up to a stranger and happily start a conversation.
- They don’t own a single Huskers-related item.
flickr/Thomas Beck We’ve all got a shirt, a sticker, a fridge magnet or some other red item with the Huskers logo on it. A fake Nebraskan might even have some other team’s memorabilia in their home (gasp!).
- They’ve never eaten cinnamon rolls with chili.
Facebook/Runza Restaurants This will undoubtedly be the most controversial item on this list. It seems that some of us have never tried this heavenly combination, but it’s been a staple of Nebraska public school lunches for generations. It’s also Runza’s most popular wintertime meal that we look forward to all year.
- They get freaked out when it’s stormy outside.
flickr/Matthew Hartman A true Nebraskan runs to the window or to the open garage door to watch a storm approaching. We’ve been through enough severe weather that we know how to tell the difference between a great natural show and a scary, dangerous storm.
- They’ve never done the farmer wave.
flickr/dornorozeto This is such a big part of our hospitable, friendly nature. It’s just second nature to lift a couple of fingers from the wheel when we’re driving down the road.
- They’ve never heard of a sandhill crane.
flickr/John Carrel These beautiful creatures are a pretty big deal here, particularly in the spring when hundreds of thousands of them fly through Nebraska on their yearly migration. A true Nebraskan knows the significance of the majestic crane.
- They don’t know the difference between a green tractor and a red one.
flickr/aiko vanhulsen Even if we don’t actually have an opinion, just about every Nebraskan knows that there’s a very big difference between the two. And if we do have an opinion, it’s one that we probably won’t ever change.
- They don’t know any of the lyrics to “There Is No Place Like Nebraska.”
flickr/George Thomas
You can keep those shark-infested, too-salty, garbage-filled beaches. We love our unsalted lakes and rivers where we can go fish, swim, tube, boat, and play for hours.
flickr/Jan Tik
Most of us are a little afraid of driving in winter weather, but a non-Nebraskan will outright refuse to drive in it.
flickr/Tim O’Brien
Nope, sorry - it takes some pretty major weather to call off school, work, or anything else, and it hardly ever happens.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
If they can’t say Kearney, Steinauer, Beatrice, Norfolk, Cairo or other town names the way we locals say them, you can bet they’re not from around here.
flickr/Chip Griffin
It seems like people from other places aren’t quite as friendly as we are. Someone who’s from Nebraska will walk right up to a stranger and happily start a conversation.
flickr/Thomas Beck
We’ve all got a shirt, a sticker, a fridge magnet or some other red item with the Huskers logo on it. A fake Nebraskan might even have some other team’s memorabilia in their home (gasp!).
Facebook/Runza Restaurants
This will undoubtedly be the most controversial item on this list. It seems that some of us have never tried this heavenly combination, but it’s been a staple of Nebraska public school lunches for generations. It’s also Runza’s most popular wintertime meal that we look forward to all year.
flickr/Matthew Hartman
A true Nebraskan runs to the window or to the open garage door to watch a storm approaching. We’ve been through enough severe weather that we know how to tell the difference between a great natural show and a scary, dangerous storm.
flickr/dornorozeto
This is such a big part of our hospitable, friendly nature. It’s just second nature to lift a couple of fingers from the wheel when we’re driving down the road.
flickr/John Carrel
These beautiful creatures are a pretty big deal here, particularly in the spring when hundreds of thousands of them fly through Nebraska on their yearly migration. A true Nebraskan knows the significance of the majestic crane.
flickr/aiko vanhulsen
Even if we don’t actually have an opinion, just about every Nebraskan knows that there’s a very big difference between the two. And if we do have an opinion, it’s one that we probably won’t ever change.
We natives grew up hearing this song everywhere. If you come across someone who doesn’t know it, well, you’re probably looking at an imposter.
We Nebraskans are, of course, endlessly welcoming to newcomers, and this list is just for fun (but we’ll keep trying to spot Nebraska imposters anyway). How can you tell when someone is just pretending to be from Nebraska? Tell us about it in the comments!
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