People from Delaware tend to be pretty laid back – the majority of us live in rural, small towns, where we know our neighbors and take our time, enjoying life in the country. Even those of us in the city tend to be more mild mannered than our northern neighbors (Sorry, Philly – but we wouldn’t throw batteries at Santa Claus, or destroy a peace-loving robot…).
That being said, there are a few things you can do to really make us mad – and you don’t really want to put anyone in that position, right? So just keep this list in mind next time you travel through the First State.
- Say “Dela-where?!”
Wikimedia Commons / Tubs HA HA HA GET IT?! Yes, we get it. We’ve heard it before. And you can stop now.
- Charge us for sales tax.
Wikimedia Commons / Dough4872 Get out of here with that, other states. We’ll keep shopping in Delaware if you’re gonna charge us to spend money.
- Diss our seafood.
Facebook / Woody’s Dewey Beach Look, Maryland has great seafood. We know that. But we also know that some of our local seafood restaurants can serve up catch that’s just as good, or better, than even the best Maryland places. And honestly? In Delaware, it’s usually cheaper.
- Crowd our country roads.
Wikimedia Commons Ugh, tourist season. When even the most rural roads in slower lower get mucked up with people looking for a shortcut. Guess what, there aren’t any. Stay on the main roads and leave the scenic byways to us.
- Claim Wilmington is “dangerous” or “scary.”
Wikimedia Commons Every city has its rough spots, and Wilmington has some neighborhoods that you really shouldn’t explore on your own. But overall, it’s a beautiful city, and the vast majority of it is lovely. The Riverwalk is great and Trolley Square is one of the coolest places in the entire state. Plus, Alapocas Run State Park and the Brandywine Creek! Wilmington is so underrated, and it’s such a great city.
- Serve us chicken and dumplings.
Facebook / Rigby’s Rehoboth If you’re going to try to serve us chicken and dumplings, you’d better do it right. Slippery dumplings are the ONLY way this dish should be served!
- Try to talk sports.
Facebook / Wilmington Blue Rocks We can all agree that Blue Rocks games are fun - but that’s about as far as you should go. Some of us like the Ravens and O’s, some prefer the Phillies and Eagles, others are Redskins and Nationals fans, and of course, everybody knows that one neighbor that loves the Giants and Yankees. Because we don’t have any real “Delaware” teams, it’s a big mixture of team loyalty, and it’s probably best to talk about something else.
- Tell us Dogfish Head isn’t amazing.
Facebook / Dogfish Head At this point, Dogfish Head Beer is one of the most famous Delaware exports. Their IPAs are well regarded throughout the country, and their pumpkin beer is one of the best I’ve ever tried. So don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.
- Talk about Ocean City, Maryland.
Wikimedia Commons I’ve got nothing against OCMD - I’ve partied at Seacrets and wandered the town plenty. However, don’t try to tell us that Ocean City has the best beach or town in the area. On your way down, you pass through Fenwick Island, which is a perfect little paradise that is so overlooked. Not to mention Rehoboth Beach being an incredible beach, and Bowers quaint little town being overlooked by so many.
- Ask us “Do you know…?”
Wikimedia Commons We KNOW it’s a small state. But that doesn’t mean we know your cousin’s neighbor’s friend that grew up in Delaware……although, okay, we probably do.
- Judge us based on I-95.
Wikimedia Commons So many people think Delaware is just a stretch of highway between New Jersey and Maryland. Don’t be one of those people. If you want to form an opinion on the first state, get off of the highway and explore it a little. I promise you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
- Be an obnoxious UD student.
By Superman7515 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Newark Natives are happy to open up their little city to college students. Everyone loves cheering for the Blue Hens, and the college population has brought a lot of great main street businesses with it. But please, don’t be one of those UD students screaming “Don’t Stop Believing” at 2 AM. We love Journey, but we also love our sleep…
- Hate on Wawa.
Facebook / Wawa #837 We LOVE Wawa. Anyone who doesn’t can just leave and return to eating whatever Sheetz they prefer…
- …On that note, it’s a sub.
Wikimedia Commons Don’t call this sandwich a hero for sure, and really, it’s not a “hoagie” (sorry Philly!). We’re with the majority of the country on this one, and these are called subs.
- Claim that Delaware is boring.
Wikimedia Commons Of all the things you could do to make a Delawarean mad, this is the absolute worst. Our state is a small wonder - with amazing things hidden around every corner. Sure, life in small towns can get a little redundant, but we’re so lucky to have the most amazing things just a short drive away. That’s one benefit of being such a small state!
Keep all of this in mind next time you visit the First State. If you’re a Delaware native, you’ll probably enjoy our list of 10 Struggles Everyone In Delaware Can Relate To.
Wikimedia Commons / Tubs
HA HA HA GET IT?! Yes, we get it. We’ve heard it before. And you can stop now.
Wikimedia Commons / Dough4872
Get out of here with that, other states. We’ll keep shopping in Delaware if you’re gonna charge us to spend money.
Facebook / Woody’s Dewey Beach
Look, Maryland has great seafood. We know that. But we also know that some of our local seafood restaurants can serve up catch that’s just as good, or better, than even the best Maryland places. And honestly? In Delaware, it’s usually cheaper.
Wikimedia Commons
Ugh, tourist season. When even the most rural roads in slower lower get mucked up with people looking for a shortcut. Guess what, there aren’t any. Stay on the main roads and leave the scenic byways to us.
Every city has its rough spots, and Wilmington has some neighborhoods that you really shouldn’t explore on your own. But overall, it’s a beautiful city, and the vast majority of it is lovely. The Riverwalk is great and Trolley Square is one of the coolest places in the entire state. Plus, Alapocas Run State Park and the Brandywine Creek! Wilmington is so underrated, and it’s such a great city.
Facebook / Rigby’s Rehoboth
If you’re going to try to serve us chicken and dumplings, you’d better do it right. Slippery dumplings are the ONLY way this dish should be served!
Facebook / Wilmington Blue Rocks
We can all agree that Blue Rocks games are fun - but that’s about as far as you should go. Some of us like the Ravens and O’s, some prefer the Phillies and Eagles, others are Redskins and Nationals fans, and of course, everybody knows that one neighbor that loves the Giants and Yankees. Because we don’t have any real “Delaware” teams, it’s a big mixture of team loyalty, and it’s probably best to talk about something else.
Facebook / Dogfish Head
At this point, Dogfish Head Beer is one of the most famous Delaware exports. Their IPAs are well regarded throughout the country, and their pumpkin beer is one of the best I’ve ever tried. So don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.
I’ve got nothing against OCMD - I’ve partied at Seacrets and wandered the town plenty. However, don’t try to tell us that Ocean City has the best beach or town in the area. On your way down, you pass through Fenwick Island, which is a perfect little paradise that is so overlooked. Not to mention Rehoboth Beach being an incredible beach, and Bowers quaint little town being overlooked by so many.
We KNOW it’s a small state. But that doesn’t mean we know your cousin’s neighbor’s friend that grew up in Delaware……although, okay, we probably do.
So many people think Delaware is just a stretch of highway between New Jersey and Maryland. Don’t be one of those people. If you want to form an opinion on the first state, get off of the highway and explore it a little. I promise you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
By Superman7515 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Newark Natives are happy to open up their little city to college students. Everyone loves cheering for the Blue Hens, and the college population has brought a lot of great main street businesses with it. But please, don’t be one of those UD students screaming “Don’t Stop Believing” at 2 AM. We love Journey, but we also love our sleep…
Facebook / Wawa #837
We LOVE Wawa. Anyone who doesn’t can just leave and return to eating whatever Sheetz they prefer…
Don’t call this sandwich a hero for sure, and really, it’s not a “hoagie” (sorry Philly!). We’re with the majority of the country on this one, and these are called subs.
Of all the things you could do to make a Delawarean mad, this is the absolute worst. Our state is a small wonder - with amazing things hidden around every corner. Sure, life in small towns can get a little redundant, but we’re so lucky to have the most amazing things just a short drive away. That’s one benefit of being such a small state!
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