17 Seemingly Normal Words That Mean Something Completely Different In Indiana

To you, Santa Claus is just a jolly old fellow who brings you gifts once a year. In the state of Indiana, Santa Claus is a city, a winter wonderland, and home to one of the most exciting amusement parks there are.

To you, a colt is a young male house. In the state of Indiana, Colts is single handedly the best football team there is. Seriously. We would die for this team.

When you hear the word patriots, you think about the 4th of July. You think about fireworks and people who really love the USA. In Indiana, this isn’t a word you ever hear. In fact, Hoosiers tend to think about fire torches and pitchforks when they hear the word patriots. We consider this to be evil manifested in the form of a football team.

Here’s the thing…. Don’t be surprised if you ask for a green pepper in Indiana and we hand you a mango (or vice versa). How do you know it isn’t your state getting the names mixed up, hm? Maybe Indiana has it right!

Do what? You throw a Hoosier on a subway and you are going either going to see their eyes spin or fill with stars if they’ve only ever lived in Indiana. In Indiana we have a bus system, we drive ourselves, we walk, we ride bikes, we take a taxi, or we car pool. None of which we refer to as public transportation.

In Indiana, the idea of there being different seasons is hilarious. We consider the weather to be more of an exciting game of chance. It can snow, rain, and creep to 100 degrees all in the same week. And you know what? We like it that way!

Most people see the word tornado and think, RUN AWAY! In Indiana, it is custom to grab a beer, sit out on the lawn, and watch the twister pass you by.

So, right now you are either saying "corn what??" or you know this phrase because people say "shut your cornhole" or "shove it up your cornhole." In Indiana, cornhole isn’t a negative word at all. In fact, it is a really fun game to play during tailgating parties!

When you see the word beach, you probably think about looking out at the beautiful blue ocean while feeling the warm sand between your toes. In Indiana, we consider a lake with some sand wrapped around it to be a pretty nice beach.

When you think of corn, you think of a delicious yellow vegetable on a cob. A vegetable you enjoy during a cook-out. In Indiana, corn is so much more than a vegetable. It is a scenery. Depending on what part of Indiana you are in, you can see corn fields for miles, and miles, and miles.

You probably think about Bambi when you think about deer. Such a cute little creature, right? Not in Indiana. In Indiana, these are obstacles strategically placed in the middle of the road to destroy your car. It is also extremely common for these creatures to dart out of nowhere at the last minute just to test your ability to brake or swerve out of the way.

If you don’t live in Indiana, you may not really be sure what to make of this. French Lick is actually the name of a town in Indiana. What did you think we were talking about?!

You may know them as fireflies, but that is not what we call them in Indiana. In Indiana, those nifty little bugs that light up at night are lightning bugs.

To some people, a tenderloin is a cut of beef. In Indiana, it is a delicious piece of pork that has been breaded, deep fried, and served on bread. To some Hoosiers, tenderloin is just code word for "let’s go to Mug ‘N’ Bun."