One thing my wife (southern roots) has never liked is that my Chicago based family (6 generations) can never answer a question without giving a sarcastic answer instead of a polite one. One time the Chicago branch of sales guys attended a company-wide meeting in the south and the National Accounts Manager pointed out that we were all a sarcastic bunch.
Example: Somebody asks; "Where are you going?"
Standard answers:
What are you, a cop?
What are you, my mother?
What are you, my boss?
Are you writing a book? Make it a mystery and leave this chapter out.
I expect this from those New Yorker Wally types but does your brain think the same?
What is this, the Chicago Inquisition? 
mtn
MegaDork
3/12/19 6:48 p.m.
Sarcasm is the go to answer between my dad and my brothers. We’re about 4-5 generations in Chicago.
Born and raised in New Jersey. Sarcasm is an art form.
1988RedT2 said:
Born and raised in New Jersey. Sarcasm is an art form.
Who do you think you are, Picasso?
(personally, I think it's a funny answer as opposed to "it's non of your business" which is normally the situation.)
I speak 2 languages: English and Sarcasm.
Its debatable which is my first language
Weird, as a midwesterner, I always assumed sarcasm ran pretty much unchecked from the Rio Grande north to the Canadian border and from sea to shining sea. I guess I figured "Bless Your Heart" and other "southernisms" were just sarcasm with a nice sugar glaze on it.
alfadriver said:
... "it's non of your business" which is normally the situation.)
When I was working in Western New York, I learned the not so easy way that "don't worry about it" is like a blend of it's none of your business and berkeley off.
Wally
MegaDork
3/12/19 7:17 p.m.
My mother in law says I’m more sardonic. She didn’t care for it at first but I’m just too lovable. My one gift is having a comment for every occasion.
Gary
SuperDork
3/12/19 8:15 p.m.
All I can say is WTF?
Well, yes, I can be sarcastic. And I often am here. But is that what this thread is really about?
(I like dissention. It's healthy).
I was riding my 20" BMX bike on my street at night a week or so ago. LEO turns on lights and siren, pulls me over and asked the same question. My answer, "Nowhere."
kazoospec said:
Weird, as a midwesterner, I always assumed sarcasm ran pretty much unchecked from the Rio Grande north to the Canadian border and from sea to shining sea. I guess I figured "Bless Your Heart" and other "southernisms" were just sarcasm with a nice sugar glaze on it.
As a lifelong southerner, I can say you are not wrong.
a corollary Southern sarcastic tendency is the classic misdirection: Person obviously “not from ‘round here” asks directions? You are duty-bound to send them the wrong way, just for lols.
Margie
kazoospec said:
Weird, as a midwesterner, I always assumed sarcasm ran pretty much unchecked from the Rio Grande north to the Canadian border and from sea to shining sea. I guess I figured "Bless Your Heart" and other "southernisms" were just sarcasm with a nice sugar glaze on it.
Maybe my wife is just annoyed I can never answer a question without a sarcastic smart aleck comment back. maybe if she wasn’t so annoying all the time I would.
Sarcasm! That’s original.
My extended family is mostly European immigrants who are fluent English speakers living in the Chicago area and depending on the social situation and gravity of the question will either answer sarcastically or in earnest. It depends.
If a Chicagoan isn't giving you endless E36 M3, its because we don't like you.
CJ
Reader
3/13/19 12:17 a.m.
When I was still working, I attended a training. It had Ground Rules... the first of these Ground Rules was no sarcasm.
I raised my hand and told them they had removed my entire personality.
Wally
MegaDork
3/13/19 12:53 a.m.
Sarcasm seems to be pretty universal. I work with people from all over the world and they all have some variation of it.
Appleseed said:
If a Chicagoan isn't giving you endless E36 M3, its because we don't like you.
Something else I learned in WNY. :)
I learned my sarcasm growing up in Thunder Bay, but refined my Kraft in Niagara Falls NY. It's another level in the US rust belt.
Somebody asks; "Where are you going?"
...to mind my own business
I have lived in OH SC RI FL and GA. It’s universal.
