14 Undeniable Habits That No Wisconsinite Can Ever Unlearn

There's no denying that living here in Wisconsin creates a certain kind of person. We are a bit odd and quirky, and we tend to pick up even more habits the longer we live here. From reserving our Friday nights to a long-term rivalry with our neighbors, some things just don't change. After all, you can take the Wisconsinite out of Wisconsin, but you can't take the Wisconsin out of the Wisconsinite, right? You know you're from Wisconsin when you do the 14 things listed below. How many of these fun facts about Wisconsin do you agree with?

1. Reserving your Friday nights for a fish fry.

No matter where you go or what the season is, you never get over wanting to have some delicious fried fish alongside fries or potato pancakes and a cold beer. There is no better way to catch up on local Wisconsin news than at a fish fry.

2. Hoping your cheese squeaks.

There's just something so delightfully Wisconsin about cheese curds.

3. Preferring Brandy in your Old Fashioneds.

Preferring Old Fashioneds at all, really.

4. Using vacation time to sit out in the cold while looking like a traffic cone.

I won't pretend that I understand, but I do know that planning for a deer hunting weekend can be more of a production than some formal events.

5. Disliking all things Minnesota and Chicago.

Hate the Bears! Hate the Cubs! Hate the Vikings! Hate the Gophers!

6. Standing over a hole in the ice with a spear in hand hoping a big fish will swim right under the hole that's been drilled.

You do you, people.

7. Being a cheese snob.

My mother in Tennessee told me this week that she couldn't find Gruyere or Fontina anywhere. That seems unfathomable here where we have the very best cheese at our fingertips at all times, but that's what she gets for leaving Wisconsin.

8. Preferring brats to all other cased meats.

Miller Park is the only stadium in Major League Baseball that sells more brats than hot dogs. It's because they're amazingly delicious!

9. Calling it a TYME Machine.

This one is falling off a bit, as so few of us actually use ATMs anymore, but it's still one of those ingrained localisms you never quite lose.

10. Grilling no matter the weather.

We're not really fazed by snow, and we know a grilled brat, steak, or hamburger is far superior tasting to one that isn't. Because of this, we'll grill out anytime, anywhere.

11. Heading up north.

If you don't have a place up north, odds are you know someone who does. Up north is as much a state of mind as it is a direction.

12. Calling it a bubbler.

At the very least, it's a drinking fountain. A water fountain is a baby Cupid spitting water in a fancy garden.

13. Expecting your Bloody Mary to come with accouterments and a chaser.

We don't always need the whole kit and kaboodle with a Bloody Mary, but a meat stick, some cheese, and some celery go a long way. And that chaser is pretty uniquely Wisconsin.

14. Measuring distance in time instead of miles.

This one irritates folks out east who sit in traffic pretty much constantly. Because of this, they find it impossible to know how long something will take. Here, we're pretty much tied to the one mile equals one minute version of mileage marking. According to this sign, we should be in Green Bay in about 17 minutes.

For more info about life in Wisconsin, be sure to check out our article explaining things no one tells you about surviving a Wisconsin winter.