Five Things To Say To A Mainer To Make Them Mad

I've lived in Maine all my life and I've heard every one of these questions multiple times, and yet, they still can get under my skin.

Every state has those particular topics that seem to come up, again and again. I'm sure if we lived in California, we'd get asked things like 'have you ever met a movie star?' New Yorkers might hear, 'have you ever been mugged?' So I started thinking about what kinds of questions Mainers often hear. These five questions topped my list:

1. Can You Say Something With A Maine Accent?

I've been asked so many times, by people 'from away,' why I don't sound like I'm from Maine. My best guess is that they expect everyone in Maine to have that deep downeast accent that's been highlighted by the 'Bert & I' recordings and, of course, Tim Sample. Truth is, Maine's speech patterns are different, depending on where you live in the state. And 'Ayuh' is not part of every region's dialogue.

2. Isn't Maine Part Of Canada?

This one sets my teeth on edge, every single time, and I can't tell you how any times I've been asked. Yes, the state sits on the Canadian border. Yes, most of our businesses accept Canadian money. But no, we are not actually connected to a different country. 50 states, remember? Maine is one of them.

3. Don't You Think It's Cruel To Drop Live Lobsters Into Boiling Water?

We all know the explanations we make to these folks, like the fact that a lobster's brain is the size of a pea, or that they die instantly when their heads hit the water. But, be honest, haven't you told at least one outta stater that the noise they make when they're boiling is really a scream, just to freak them out? No? Maybe that was just my ex-husband's sense of humor. Bottom line, they're delicious.

4. Do You HAVE The Internet In Maine?

Yes, we have the internet, cable TV, airports, and indoor toilets. It's amazing to me how many people seem to think Maine is a backwoods state that is still living in the past. In fact, it's a constantly-growing society, that includes fine dining, quality higher education, and, yes, high-speed internet. Of course, the squirrels get pretty tired on those wheels that run the 'lectricity.

5. Do You Know Stephen King?

This question comes up constantly. Or 'have you ever seen his house?' The short answer is that most Mainers have not met him, but have seen his beautiful house in Bangor. We've even taken our out-of-state visitors over so they could take selfies in front of the famous fence. But it's not like we all stop over to Steve's house to borrow a cup of sugar. Although, how cool would that be?

Okay, so that's my list. What questions do you get from people 'from away?' Let us know in the comments section under this post on our Facebook page, or send it through the Q-106.5 app. I can't wait to see them.