How to speak Minnesotan
“Well, we might as well get started with our first lesson here. These 3 workhorses of Minnesota conversation will carry you through your first scary hours. In fact they should be good for a week if you only speak when spoken to which is a good idea anyway.” If you’re making a journey to Minnesota or Northern Wisconsin for Thanksgiving this season, you absolutely must watch this. I especially want to call your attention to a few pointers found in the nonverbal communication and body language portion (9 minutes in). 1.Keep your distance. 2.Avoid touching people. 3.Shake hands quickly. You may think the cultural mileu of Minnesota stops at the border of the Gopher state. If so, you’re sorely mistaken. In my upbringing I didn’t see people touch in public until I was 18 and went off to the big city of Eau Claire and I was raised in central Wisconsin. Here’s a personal space equation that I think is certain to save you from embarrassment in all areas North of Tomah. 100 – x = y X is the number of counties between you and the Mississippi. Result Y is the closest possible socially acceptable distance in inches between more »
