I am not a Massachusetts native, I am a native New Yorker, but after living here almost twenty years, I’m starting to understand these things, and can attest that they are true…

You Know You’re From Massachusetts If …

* You consider a yellow light as a sign to speed up.

* You know how to pronounce Worcester and Gloucester.

* You compare with friends what Boston was like pre-Big-Dig and post-Big-Dig.

* You shudder in October when all the tourists come up to clog the roads for foliage season.

* As a kid, there was more than a foot of snow on the ground, and you STILL had to listen to the radio to see if they’d declare it a snow day to cancel school. (My kids experienced this!)

* You’ve had to shovel your car out from snow up over its tires – and you still took it out on the road that same day.

* An April weather warm-up of 60F or more meant it was time for a tshirt. (Sooo true about my own kids, growing up!)

* You’ve grilled on your back porch when there was snow on the ground. (The Gohns do this all. the. time. And I’m bereft if the snow is too high between the porch door and the grill.)

* You understand why they call it Taxachusetts. (To which I reply, it’s still cheaper than NY!)

* You’ve ever made a run to New Hampshire to get alcohol without sales tax.

(More of this here.)

Then there is this quirkiness. I have no idea if all of these are true. Some are corroborated here. I do know about the Boston Terrier. I have one you know.