Webster’s define a Hoosier as, “a native or inhabitant of Indiana.”However, those from Indiana know that there is so much more to being a Hoosier. There really is more than corn in Indiana. Here’s a list of things that Webster left out of their definition.

1. Our accent

If you ask a Hoosier, they’ll probably tell you that we don’t have an accent. However, our midwest roots are obvious when we speak. We often forget to pronounce the ‘g’ at the end of “-ing words.” Example, someone from New York may be going to the creek to catch some crayfish. But in Indiana, we are goin’ to the crick to catch some crawdads.

2. Purdue vs. IU

Whether you wear black and gold or cream and crimson is a big deal in Indiana, no matter where you’re from. Even those who could not care less about sports are forced to pledge their allegiance to one of these universities and despise the other. It’s practically a law.

3. Corn

If you ask any U.S. citizen what is in Indiana, cornfields will be their answer. As a Hoosier, eating delicious corn on the cob in the summer and going to a corn maze (a maize maze, if you will) in the fall is inevitable.

4. The County Fair

Another Hoosier summer staple is attending the county fair, looking at all the animals, and enjoying a tenderloin that is bigger than your face washed down with a sugary lemon shake-up.

5.  Tailgaiting

Even non-sports fan Hoosiers have attended more than a few tailgates in their day, where they played some corn hole. When it isn’t a tailgate to support your favorite sports team, it’s a backyard BBQ with burgers, pop (not soda), something with ranch involved, and for dessert, s’mores around a bonfire.

6. Chicken and Noodles

Every rational human around the country enjoys a hot plate of chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, and corn on a cold, rainy day. However, Hoosiers take it to the next level. Only in Indiana, when we hear our favorite dinner is being served, do we grab a bowl, not a plate.  

7. Puppy Chow

To most, puppy chow is disgusting-smelling food for a small dog. To Hoosiers, it’s a delicious, peanut-butter chocolate snack that is served at every birthday party and packed as a road trip snack.

8. The Beach

Summers for a youthful Indiana resident are full of days spent at the lake. However, much to a Hoosier’s disapproval, the rest of the country doesn’t consider laying out on your towel with a Kool-aid jammer a day at the beach. However, Hoosier’s know a day at the lake is, in fact, a day at the beach.

9. Euchre

It is Indiana law that every resident knows how to play Euchre by the time they are a teen. It is a staple game at every barbecue, family gathering, and party.

Hoosiers are more than Nascar loving, tractor driving, mid-Western farmers. We have gifted the world with many great things, such as Reddi-Whip, puppy chow, Michael Jackson, John Green, and the excellence that is the chicken-noodles-mashed-potatoes-corn dish. Another common Hoosier trait is the desire to get out of Indiana the first chance you can, but no Hoosier can deny that they’re proud of where they grew up, and they will be nostalgic for their days spent in the great state of Indiana where their love for euchre, ranch, and sugar cream pie was fully appreciated.