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Indiana, where basketball is a birthright, cornfields double as scenery and conversation starters, and the phrase “Hoosier hospitality” means you’ll get a smile and unsolicited advice about your driving. Hoosiers are a practical, friendly bunch with strong Midwestern values and stronger opinions about high school sports and the correct way to eat a pork tenderloin sandwich. But if you’re looking to stir the pot (and not the chili), here are 11 subtle ways to mildly annoy someone from the Hoosier State.
Ask what a Hoosier actually is.
No one really knows. But asking will instantly label you as an outsider.
Say it’s “basically just Illinois with more corn.”
Ouch. That’s not only wrong—it’s fighting corn talk.
Complain about how boring I-65 is.
Of course it’s boring—it’s a straight line to get to the good stuff.
Call it a flyover state.
Great. More tenderloin for the rest of us.
Mock how excited they get about the Indy 500.
It’s not just a race—it’s a way of life. And yes, they do tailgate at 6 a.m.
Ask if they’ve ever been to the beach.
Ever heard of Lake Michigan? That’s the Hoosier Riviera, thank you.
Say “basketball isn’t that big of a deal here.”
That’s not an opinion. That’s sacrilege.
Question the structural integrity of a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
The bun’s too small on purpose. It’s tradition, not a mistake.
Confuse them with Ohio.
Ew. Just… no.
Say corn is just corn.
Hoosiers will list 14 different varieties and offer to let you meet their cousin who judges at the State Fair.
Complain about the weather like it’s unique to Indiana.
Everyone knows it can snow, rain, and hit 95° all in the same week. It’s called character-building.
Still, Hoosiers are a welcoming, down-to-earth crowd who’ll help you out of a ditch, feed you like family, and send you home with leftovers and a strong opinion on Bobby Knight. Just be polite, bring an appetite, and never, ever say “what’s the big deal about March Madness?”
The post 11 Subtle Ways to Instantly Annoy Anyone from Indiana appeared first on When In Your State.