If you lie about your hometown, why?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:? It’s not a lie, it’s a different way of answering the question.

It is a lie, ESPECIALLY if it's asked in that same city they're currently living. The obvious implication is "where did you grow up/ where are your roots". People trying to find out the town that truly raised and shaped you.

it's disingenuous at best, and I'm curious why anyone would engage in it.

Why are you so bothered by this? When we are traveling, people make small talk and ask where you're from. The answer is "we come from DC, nice weather you have here," not "Well, my wife is a DC native but I was born and raised in small town Ohio, but I spent several years living overseas before moving to DC where we have lived for 13 years."

If you care so much, you can ask people specifically where they were born. I can't imagine being so strident about this.

Who not just say "I'm from Ohio and she's from DC"? Pretty simple, actually. But more importantly, I'm asking about people who answer that to someone WHILE they're in DC.

If you met someone in DC and they asked where you're from, what would you say?

If I knew the person I met already knew I lived in DC, I'd tell them my hometown. But I've lived here for 15+ years, and I haven't lived in my hometown for over 25 years, so unless the person is specifically asking where I was born/grew up, I'm likely to answer "DC." I'm not ashamed of it, it's just rarely relevant information anymore.

And when travelling, if someone asks where I'm from, I say "DC," unless I'm in or near my hometown, in which case I will say, "DC, but I grew up near here."

Well you can rationalize your lies however you like, but you are lying. you're not "from" DC, you're from small town Ohio. But I guess you dont want to say it.

Don't be obtuse. "From" is vague. if you want people's hometown, then ask for their hometown but don't call them liars for interpreting "from" as their current residence. Nobody owes some random busybody their life story just because you asked.

Agree

When visiting the MIL in Chevy Chase, one of the busy bodies in the neighborhood stopped me to ask "Where are you from?" This was the second question after ascertaining I was the son in law. It was very odd. But, I think all of Chevy Chase residents are pretty odd.

Why in the world did this bother you? Is it because you feel where you're from is inferior to Chevy Chase?

The busybodies in Chevy Chase? Hardly. Does your second question about my entire existence have to be my hometown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:? It’s not a lie, it’s a different way of answering the question.

It is a lie, ESPECIALLY if it's asked in that same city they're currently living. The obvious implication is "where did you grow up/ where are your roots". People trying to find out the town that truly raised and shaped you.

it's disingenuous at best, and I'm curious why anyone would engage in it.

Why are you so bothered by this? When we are traveling, people make small talk and ask where you're from. The answer is "we come from DC, nice weather you have here," not "Well, my wife is a DC native but I was born and raised in small town Ohio, but I spent several years living overseas before moving to DC where we have lived for 13 years."

If you care so much, you can ask people specifically where they were born. I can't imagine being so strident about this.

Who not just say "I'm from Ohio and she's from DC"? Pretty simple, actually. But more importantly, I'm asking about people who answer that to someone WHILE they're in DC.

If you met someone in DC and they asked where you're from, what would you say?

If I knew the person I met already knew I lived in DC, I'd tell them my hometown. But I've lived here for 15+ years, and I haven't lived in my hometown for over 25 years, so unless the person is specifically asking where I was born/grew up, I'm likely to answer "DC." I'm not ashamed of it, it's just rarely relevant information anymore.

And when travelling, if someone asks where I'm from, I say "DC," unless I'm in or near my hometown, in which case I will say, "DC, but I grew up near here."

Well you can rationalize your lies however you like, but you are lying. you're not "from" DC, you're from small town Ohio. But I guess you dont want to say it.

Don't be obtuse. "From" is vague. if you want people's hometown, then ask for their hometown but don't call them liars for interpreting "from" as their current residence. Nobody owes some random busybody their life story just because you asked.

Agree

When visiting the MIL in Chevy Chase, one of the busy bodies in the neighborhood stopped me to ask "Where are you from?" This was the second question after ascertaining I was the son in law. It was very odd. But, I think all of Chevy Chase residents are pretty odd.

Why in the world did this bother you? Is it because you feel where you're from is inferior to Chevy Chase?

The busybodies in Chevy Chase? Hardly. Does your second question about my entire existence have to be my hometown?

And that is a standard "getting to know you" question so I'm curious why you're so offended by it? I sense you're not being honest about the inferiority issue. Cause this is really bizarre.

[Anonymous]

I kinda lie. I was born in a small podunk town near Houston, TX. No one will know of it unless local so I say Houston. I hate Houston to most times I say near Dallas. I chose to live there after college and loved that city. No one cares anyway.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:^Yes, pretty much. A person will be from a meth capital and think they can lord it over people from new jersey, sometimes new york and pennsylvania, even DC. When I said "i lived all over" I meant as an adult, but I grew up on the east coast, and I noticed east coast people are always direct about it, and will tell you the exact place they're from. It's always someone with a thick southern accent who says "y'all", or who just radiates that "small town" energy, who try to convince you they are a native Manhattanite. I mean, come on! It's just farcical. Stop lying!

Jersey PP: I kind of disagree. If I ask someone where they're from and they say "Chelsea" I know that's where they live and if I'm dying to know more I'll ask where they grew up. I never had anyone dodge that question, and 99% of the time I can say something nice about where they're from (I travel a lot for work). I found Texans are great with this, they tell me where they currently live and follow it up with where they grew up. And they don't insult NJ because they think they should

Also, I suppose I have small town energy because I'm from a small town in Bergen County.

Texas has very honest energy too. They are exceedingly upfront, which is why they are kind southern but kind of not. They kind of have east coast energy, supplanted to texas

I think I just have a fondness for TX because in college one of my friends was prepping for a date and went in the hall to yell that she needed someone from NJ or TX to help with her hair. We were always told we had the best blowouts!

[Anonymous]

If I’m away from here but in America I say Maryland.
If I am abroad I say DC because many foreigners don’t know the states and will clarify if they ask more.
If I am in DC or VA, I say my town in Maryland u less the specifically ask where I grew up or if I am originally from here.
If someone in Maryland asks where I’m from, I will say the town in the Midwest where I grew up.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It seems like OP's mission is to get people to admit that they're from Bumf*ck, KY, because she wants to feel superior. She thinks she is cool because she grew up in an OMG urban area. It's gatekeeping.

Why doesn't someone just say they're from an OMG rural area if that's the truth? Why not be upfront? So strange

Because many of y'all are classist, judgmental, and think that those of us from rural areas are somehow "lesser". I grew up in a rural, southern, poor area and went I went to an Ivy League college. Ignorant, ugly, hurtful, mocking comments were made with a fairly large degree of frequency among my classmates about people with backgrounds similar to mine. Things like having a southern accent, working class habits, etc. were seen as undesirable and unprofessional attributes that should be covered up if you wanted to succeed somewhere like the finance industry in NYC. When you come from the "wrong" background you are encouraged to hide it so you can succeed and it's not a leap to realize that disclosing one's hometown is another element of this.

Don't play dumb. You have to be living under a rock to not know about the stereotypes that are given to rural and/or southern people. And kid who grew up in a distinct culture & had to learn to navigate class enviros at school/work knows what’s up.

Laughs in New Jersian

If southerners hate stereotypes so much why do they make fun of where I'm from? Stop pretending that the south and rural areas are the only ones that get mocked. And stop pretending that people from the south and/or from rural areas are pure of heart and never disparage other places.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is for people who, when asked where they're from, will say the current city they live in, rather than where they grew up.

Aka someone who grew up in Utah, but is living in NYC, and when they meet someone new and asked, the say "New York".

Why do you do it? Is it shame about your hometown? Wishing you could have grown up in someplace more sophisticated?

Why do you want to know where they grew up? Is it relevant to your life? Why do you do it?

People can't be interested in other people's lives? Why do take a simple question as an attack?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is for people who, when asked where they're from, will say the current city they live in, rather than where they grew up.

Aka someone who grew up in Utah, but is living in NYC, and when they meet someone new and asked, the say "New York".

Why do you do it? Is it shame about your hometown? Wishing you could have grown up in someplace more sophisticated?

I can't imagine what this looks like when some native New Yorker says something like, "cool. I grew up on the Upper West Side, how about you?"

Mega embarrassing for Provo.

I'm from NY and this happened to me. I asked someone at work where they were from and they said "New York." Except I wasn't quite as subtle as your post. I immediately answered "No you're not." (There's that New York directness.) They were a bit shocked that I knew immediately (from their accent), stammered something about saying how much they loved living in Manhattan for two years of grad school and dodged me. It was very awkward and I wish I hadn't outed them but it was weird.

What do you get out of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is for people who, when asked where they're from, will say the current city they live in, rather than where they grew up.

Aka someone who grew up in Utah, but is living in NYC, and when they meet someone new and asked, the say "New York".

Why do you do it? Is it shame about your hometown? Wishing you could have grown up in someplace more sophisticated?

I can't imagine what this looks like when some native New Yorker says something like, "cool. I grew up on the Upper West Side, how about you?"

Mega embarrassing for Provo.

I'm from NY and this happened to me. I asked someone at work where they were from and they said "New York." Except I wasn't quite as subtle as your post. I immediately answered "No you're not." (There's that New York directness.) They were a bit shocked that I knew immediately (from their accent), stammered something about saying how much they loved living in Manhattan for two years of grad school and dodged me. It was very awkward and I wish I hadn't outed them but it was weird.

What do you get out of this?

Probably a good laugh and an insight into the person's character. What does anyone get out of any social interaction?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:? It’s not a lie, it’s a different way of answering the question.

It is a lie, ESPECIALLY if it's asked in that same city they're currently living. The obvious implication is "where did you grow up/ where are your roots". People trying to find out the town that truly raised and shaped you.

it's disingenuous at best, and I'm curious why anyone would engage in it.

Why are you so bothered by this? When we are traveling, people make small talk and ask where you're from. The answer is "we come from DC, nice weather you have here," not "Well, my wife is a DC native but I was born and raised in small town Ohio, but I spent several years living overseas before moving to DC where we have lived for 13 years."

If you care so much, you can ask people specifically where they were born. I can't imagine being so strident about this.

Who not just say "I'm from Ohio and she's from DC"? Pretty simple, actually. But more importantly, I'm asking about people who answer that to someone WHILE they're in DC.

If you met someone in DC and they asked where you're from, what would you say?

If I knew the person I met already knew I lived in DC, I'd tell them my hometown. But I've lived here for 15+ years, and I haven't lived in my hometown for over 25 years, so unless the person is specifically asking where I was born/grew up, I'm likely to answer "DC." I'm not ashamed of it, it's just rarely relevant information anymore.

And when travelling, if someone asks where I'm from, I say "DC," unless I'm in or near my hometown, in which case I will say, "DC, but I grew up near here."

Well you can rationalize your lies however you like, but you are lying. you're not "from" DC, you're from small town Ohio. But I guess you dont want to say it.

Don't be obtuse. "From" is vague. if you want people's hometown, then ask for their hometown but don't call them liars for interpreting "from" as their current residence. Nobody owes some random busybody their life story just because you asked.

Agree

When visiting the MIL in Chevy Chase, one of the busy bodies in the neighborhood stopped me to ask "Where are you from?" This was the second question after ascertaining I was the son in law. It was very odd. But, I think all of Chevy Chase residents are pretty odd.

Why in the world did this bother you? Is it because you feel where you're from is inferior to Chevy Chase?

The busybodies in Chevy Chase? Hardly. Does your second question about my entire existence have to be my hometown?

Np a more busybody question would be what do you do and how much you make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is for people who, when asked where they're from, will say the current city they live in, rather than where they grew up.

Aka someone who grew up in Utah, but is living in NYC, and when they meet someone new and asked, the say "New York".

Why do you do it? Is it shame about your hometown? Wishing you could have grown up in someplace more sophisticated?

Why do you want to know where they grew up? Is it relevant to your life? Why do you do it?

People can't be interested in other people's lives? Why do take a simple question as an attack?

+1

How is knowing where someone lived tell you abour the person?

[Anonymous]

Omg. Some of you sound like my kids. I live in Chevy chase but if I’m traveling somewhere across the country or out of the country, I will say dc because I think that is something the group will understand. If my kids overhear that, they say, “no, we are from maryland”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is for people who, when asked where they're from, will say the current city they live in, rather than where they grew up.

Aka someone who grew up in Utah, but is living in NYC, and when they meet someone new and asked, the say "New York".

Why do you do it? Is it shame about your hometown? Wishing you could have grown up in someplace more sophisticated?

Why do you want to know where they grew up? Is it relevant to your life? Why do you do it?

People can't be interested in other people's lives? Why do take a simple question as an attack?

+1

How is knowing where someone lived tell you abour the person?

Um... where they were from and what they grew up around?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:? It’s not a lie, it’s a different way of answering the question.

It is a lie, ESPECIALLY if it's asked in that same city they're currently living. The obvious implication is "where did you grow up/ where are your roots". People trying to find out the town that truly raised and shaped you.

it's disingenuous at best, and I'm curious why anyone would engage in it.

Why are you so bothered by this? When we are traveling, people make small talk and ask where you're from. The answer is "we come from DC, nice weather you have here," not "Well, my wife is a DC native but I was born and raised in small town Ohio, but I spent several years living overseas before moving to DC where we have lived for 13 years."

If you care so much, you can ask people specifically where they were born. I can't imagine being so strident about this.

Who not just say "I'm from Ohio and she's from DC"? Pretty simple, actually. But more importantly, I'm asking about people who answer that to someone WHILE they're in DC.

If you met someone in DC and they asked where you're from, what would you say?

If I knew the person I met already knew I lived in DC, I'd tell them my hometown. But I've lived here for 15+ years, and I haven't lived in my hometown for over 25 years, so unless the person is specifically asking where I was born/grew up, I'm likely to answer "DC." I'm not ashamed of it, it's just rarely relevant information anymore.

And when travelling, if someone asks where I'm from, I say "DC," unless I'm in or near my hometown, in which case I will say, "DC, but I grew up near here."

Well you can rationalize your lies however you like, but you are lying. you're not "from" DC, you're from small town Ohio. But I guess you dont want to say it.

Don't be obtuse. "From" is vague. if you want people's hometown, then ask for their hometown but don't call them liars for interpreting "from" as their current residence. Nobody owes some random busybody their life story just because you asked.

Agree

When visiting the MIL in Chevy Chase, one of the busy bodies in the neighborhood stopped me to ask "Where are you from?" This was the second question after ascertaining I was the son in law. It was very odd. But, I think all of Chevy Chase residents are pretty odd.

Why in the world did this bother you? Is it because you feel where you're from is inferior to Chevy Chase?

The busybodies in Chevy Chase? Hardly. Does your second question about my entire existence have to be my hometown?

And that is a standard "getting to know you" question so I'm curious why you're so offended by it? I sense you're not being honest about the inferiority issue. Cause this is really bizarre.

I am 50. Where I went to high school is largely irrelevant at this point. You ask about the weather or hobbies or how was traffic. That's small talk.

As for inferiority complexes, I am not your man. I have a STEM degree. I didn't write about my feelings at university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am 50. Where I went to high school is largely irrelevant at this point. You ask about the weather or hobbies or how was traffic. That's small talk.

As for inferiority complexes, I am not your man. I have a STEM degree. I didn't write about my feelings at university.

Of course it's not irrelevant- your childhood and high school experiences influence us more than anything.

You clearly have an inferiority complex, a big one, since you're so triggered by someone asking where you're from. It's kind of funny. Where are you from, anyway?