Florida is a hotspot for snowbirds and younger folks alike seeking everything from warmer weather to no state income tax and a change of politics. But according to some Florida natives, no matter how long a transplant has been a resident in the Sunshine State, it’s obvious they’re not from there.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: It’s I-4
Floridians have grown up hearing “I-4” used when referring to Interstate 4. Although Floridians know it’s perfectly acceptable to shorten I-75 and I-95 to “75” and “95,” they know they’re talking with a non-native when they hear someone say “4” when referring to “I-4.”
2: An Instagram Paradise
A native Floridian says they know they’re dealing with a Florida transplant when they’re “constantly” taking pictures of any beach they visit and posting them online.
3: Weather Eye Candy
A native Floridian says they can spot a transplant if they’re “amazed by the weather.” The heat and humidity aren’t noteworthy to locals.
4: Come Again?
Many Florida locals agree that one of the most obvious signs that they’re dealing with a transplant is the way they talk. As one person puts it, the moment non-Florida natives open their mouths, locals can tell they’re not from there.
5: Mispronouncing Kissimmee
No, it’s not “kiss-sim-me.” A Florida native says the moment they hear someone say that they know they’re not a local. However, many Floridians diverge in how they pronounce Kissimmee. “Kiss-uh-mee” is used by some, while “kuh-sim-ee” is widely accepted.
6: Appearance Is Everything
One Florida native says that “simply their appearance” is enough of a sign that a person is a Florida transplant. They claim that non-Floridians have a different facial structure and posture, citing they can often tell the difference between northeasterners and midwesterners.
7: What’s a Blinker?
People who use their blinkers when driving are putting the spotlight on themselves as someone not from Florida, according to one local.
8: The Grass Is Browner
Not all Floridians love their state. But you can bet your manatee bottom that many don’t enjoy hearing out-of-staters complain about it. A local says they can tell someone is a transplant when they talk about how good things in their life used to be.
9: Golfing Has Seasons
Um, no, it doesn’t have to. If you describe golfing as a “summer” sport while in the Sunshine State, that’s a fast-track way to peg yourself as a Florida transplant, according to one local.
10: Wearing Shorts All the Time
Florida can get downright cold during the winter, especially in the north. One commenter says a telltale sign that someone isn’t a Florida native is when they walk around in shorts when it’s 60 degrees out.
11: Sports Merch
Wearing out-of-state sports merch is a quick way for a native Floridian to know a person isn’t from the Sunshine State. However, one local says that sporting a “conspicuous amount” of local sports merch is also a giveaway that someone wasn’t born and raised as a Floridian.
12: Too Hot to Handle
Florida residents complaining about how hot the weather is in April and May are prime subjects for native Floridians to identify as transplants.
13: Startled by Lizards
No, lizards aren’t baby alligators waiting to grow large enough to eat you. A native Floridian says they know someone is from out-of-state when they’re scared by “a baby lizard no more than 2 inches long.”
14: Sprinkle Me Cautious
One commenter says they know they’re dealing with a non-native Floridian when they turn their hazard lights on and drive 10 miles per hour in the rain.
15: Blinding Bumper Stickers
One Florida native says they know they’re dealing with a Florida transplant when they see a car filled with “shiny new Floridian bumper stickers.”
16: Gator Phobia
Alligator sightings are part of life for most Floridians. So, one local says they know they’ve spotted a Florida transplant when a person has an utter fear of gators.
17: Too Dangerous to Drink
A telltale sign that someone isn’t from Florida is when they insist on getting the pipes in their home filtered, says one native resident. They explain that people from out-of-state are under the impression that Florida’s water is “dangerous or tastes gross.”
18: Nebraska Fish
One Florida native says they can tell someone isn’t from the Sunshine State when a person starts “floundering in the surf” and requires a lifeguard to help them out of waist-high water. “We call them Nebraska fish,” they say.
19: Compass Mishaps
Old habits can be hard to break. A Florida native says they instantly know they’re talking with a northern-turned-Floridian resident when the person says they’re “going down” to a location north of their current Florida GPS coordinates.
20: The Unloving Bug
You’ll be hard-pressed to encounter a native Floridian who loves lovebug season; The mating insects squash themselves into nearly every car crevice. But one local says they can identify a Florida transplant when the person says, “lovebugs are worse than mosquitos.”
21: Only in Florida
A Florida resident says that they know someone moved there from out of state when they say the phrase, “Only in Florida.” Another giveaway phrase is, “That’s so Florida.”
22: Propaganda-Free Property
A Floridian implies they don’t need to see a Florida transplant to know they’re dealing with one. Instead, they say that Floridians “don’t have ten American flags” outside their houses. Their cars also don’t boast “Jesus and Trump stickers.”
Source: Reddit.
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