Minnesota Humor

On a recent trip to Minnesota, I was introduced to Minnesota Humor. Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes and mosquitoes.

Minnesotans are a hardy breed of people who have learned to adapt to a variety of weather conditions, and a geography that supports four distinct ecosystems. They do so with a sense of humor and sophistication that’s uniquely their own. 

You’ll find many influential and famous people that were born here, many successful Fortune 500 companies that were started here, lots of interesting places to visit, and a great many traditions and outdoor activities that take place year around.

Minnesotans many ancestors came from the Northern European countries, thats why they identify with the Vikings (see picture right, a statue by the museum in Alexandria, Minnesota).

Many people have also heard of Garrison Keillor, of A Prairie Home Companion fame, and his cool wit.

Here is some of the ways you know you are from Minnesota:

You say "You betcha" instead of you are right.

Your daily meals are breakfast, dinner, and supper.

You drink POP, not SODA.

You laugh out loud every time you see a news report about a blizzard shutting down the entire east coast.

Down south to you means Iowa.

The only reason you go to Wisconsin is to get fireworks, to fish, or to buy beer on Sunday.

You've gone trick-or-treating in 3 feet of snow.

You know about Ole and Lena jokes. 

You know how to spell: M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i because the big river starts here.

Some other fun facts:

Minnesota was named after the Dakota Indian word "minisota" meaning sky tinted waters.

Minnesota is the 12th largest state at 84,068 square miles.

We have more than 10,000 lakes! There are 15,291 lakes that are over 10 acres in size.

On March 3, 1849, Minnesota was designated a U.S. Territory.

The Minnesota state bird is the loon.

The skyway system in Minneapolis allows people to live, eat, work and shop in nearly five miles without ever going outside.

The Mall of America in Bloomington is over 9.5 million square feet in size.

Because of its thousands of lakes, Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined.

Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River, was discovered and named by Henry R. Schoolcraft in 1832.

Here is Mac’s original story:

I was driving back home one night early October after I got a car wash in town. As I drove around the bend down by the lake I saw a police car which turned around and started flashing his lights behind me. I pulled over, and the officer appeared by my car window. He said: “Can I see your driver’s license, sir?” He started asking: “Mac, why are you driving so fast? Do you know that you were driving 72 miles/hr. in a 45 mile zone?” Mac’s answer: “Officer, you would not believe me if I told you.” Officer: “Try me.” Mac: “I got a car wash in town, and since there was no traffic out here I wanted to dry off the car before getting home.” The officer, who didn’t know Mac from town, started walking back to his police car, checking Mac’s records. He came back, handing back Mac’s license. He said, “Mac, I checked your record, and you have a clean record but can I give you some advice? Next time, find a better method of drying your car.” And he let him go.

Obviously, the officer had a good sense of humor.

You can see that I had a good time in Minnesota and enjoy the Minnesotan humor.