There are things that absolutely crack me up. They may not be funny to other people, but they have me snickering. 

One of the funnier things I read recently was on Facebook. Someone had posted that I am a yankee. Really? One conversation with me would indicate otherwise. 

I’m from North Georgia, a known hotbed of yankee activity. Not really. But I do realize the accents are bit different in North Georgia than here. So perhaps I sound a little different. But Lincolnton is my hometown. And y’all is a part of my vocabulary.

But it got me thinking…just what constitutes a yankee? With people being so transient nowadays, those lines are a bit more blurred than they used to be. 

I googled the word yankee, and found that it’s a person who “lives in or is from the U.S.” Well. That’s as clear as mud. That same entry went on to say a yankee is an “inhabitant of New England or one of the northern states.” OK. A bit clearer. 

The Urban Dictionary defines a yankee in this way: “To foreigners, a yankee is an American. To Americans, a yankee is a northerner. To easterners, a yankee is a New Englander. To New Englanders, a yankee is a Vermonter. And in Vermont, a yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast.”

Pie for breakfast, huh? Well, I am certainly not a yankee then. I prefer my grits and eggs, thank you very much.

To further clarify, there are some things a Southerner would never say. Here’s just a few…

• We don’t keep firearms in this house.

• You can’t feed that to the dog.

• Do you think my hair is too big?

• Deer heads detract from the decor.

• Unsweetened tea tastes better.

• These grits need some sugar.

• I’ll have the arugula and radicchio salad.

• I don’t have a favorite college football team.

Mind you, my tongue is planted firmly in my cheek. 

I have lived north of the Mason-Dixon line, and I have to say, Southern folks are generous to a fault, and hands-down the most gracious you’ll ever come across. 

Even when dealing with an undefined and often quite puzzling yankee. 

You can reach Angye Morrison at angye.morrison@gafl.news.com.