she was born in November, 1963, the day Aldous Huxley died

[topaz]

[Poll #1158758]

Comments

[maebeth.livejournal.com]

Actually I was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Why isn't that a choice?

Erin was born in Jamestown, North Dakota, but my brother put a bag of Vermont dirt under her mother during delivery so he can say that his daughter was born on Vermont soil. That way she can grow up to be a native Vermonter, not some flatlander.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

My pet peeve is when people on the phone or intarwebz ask me "Where are you from?" I think they mean, "Where do you currently reside?" which I think has a different answer from the question they asked.

You were born in the city you were born in. Dat's it.

[mizarchivist]

not that anal is a bad thing.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

My pet peeve is when people on the phone or intarwebz ask me "Where are you from?" I think they mean, "Where do you currently reside?" which I think has a different answer from the question they asked.

Oh GOD yes! I am always answering this question as "where did you grow up?" which I only realize later was probably not what they want to know.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

I almost always answer that question with, "I live in [town/state]." Because the answer to the question they asked is always gonna be "Wyoming", but I'm certain that's not what they really want to know.

[ceo]

Substitute Lexington for Cambridge and Cambridge for Boston and that describes me. And I've always said I was born in Cambridge, because, well, I was.

However, I wonder how my niece would describe herself; she was born in Concord MA, but her family was living in Moscow at the time.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I don't understand the dilemma here. If you were born in Boston, you were born in Boston (I also checked Beantown, since, well, it's Boston), whether your family lived in Cambridge, MA, Cambridge, UK, or anywhere else.

[opadit.livejournal.com]

What I'm seeing lately is people wanting to know my "hometown."

I lived in semi-rural Virginia, south of Richmond, until I was 9. Then I lived in Delaware until I finished college. Next: about 10 years in Seattle. Now I'm in Philadelphia.

Mostly I grew up in suburban Wilmington, Delaware, which gets all its media from Philadelphia -- so I say my "hometown" is Philadelphia.

But I will never, ever say "wudder."

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

You were born in Boston, but you're from Cambridge.

Unless your memory of your time in Boston is especially vivid.

[jss]

What surrealestate said. I was born in Detroit (proper), then went home to the suburban house I grew up in for the next twenty years (modulo things like summer camp and college). "Where were you born?" and "Where did you grow up?" and "Where are you from [now]?" are three distinct questions with three possibly-different answers (in the example of the text, Boston, Cambridge, and Wherever; in my case, Detroit, suburban Detroit, and suburban Minneapolis).

[keyne.livejournal.com]

You and me both! The argument is whether Tim's describing himself as "born in Brooklyn" is accurate. It is not; he was born in Manhattan and raised in Brooklyn. He says I'm anal. :-)

[keyne.livejournal.com]

Yes! I keep trying to explain this to Tim and he ain't getting it :-)

[lady-mishegas.livejournal.com]

I hate that question, because I was BORN in Philadelphia, I GREW UP in New York, I GREW UP in Queens, but went to high school in BROOKLYN (and Manhattan, if you count Hell Prep, I don't), and lived in Manhattan, and I don't really know my way around Queens at all even though I lived there until I was 17! And then after college and after grad school I went on to live in Vermont, Wisconsin and Delaware. So when people ask me where I'm from, do they mean where did I originate ORIGINALLY (Philadelphia) or where I'm FROM (New York always feels like home, but not Queens!) or where in Delaware I live, even though I've only lived here a year and a half.

And I don't WANT to say I'm FROM Wilmington, damn it! I'm proud to be from New York. Only then we get into the whole Queens issue.

Best to answer, "I'm from your dreams, baby. Banana bread?"

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's what I usually do, though sometimes I'll say both, ie, "I'm from Brooklyn, I live in [relevant place]," to answer their literal question as well as what I believe their intended question is.

Total pet peeve of mine, too.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Well, as a born and bred Brooklyn girl, I can understand why he'd want to make the claim, anyway. 8)







(Yes, yes, the Mets play in Queens.)

[inahandbasket]

So it's not a literal question, it's a colloquialism.
"Where were you born?" tends to mean "where to you hail from?" and not "which hospital did your mother get rushed to?"
Many people especially in rural areas don't have a hospital in their hometown, but saying they were born in bumblefuck and not 'local-town-with-hospital' is colloquially correct.

As a literal answer Boston is obviously the only 'correct' one, but as a colloquial answer either Boston or Cambridge are perfectly acceptable.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Right! That's what I think! If I'm filling out a census form or something that wants to know my "town or city of birth" or whatever, then I put down "New York, NY". But I think it's entirely reasonable to describe myself as having been "born in Brooklyn". I am clearly in the minority. :-)

[jss]

Regardless of whether you're anal, you're correct: Based on the data you provided, he was born in Manhattan and raised in/lived in Brooklyn.

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

Living in California (where my children were born at home :-)) as I do, I would probably simplify it as Boston because otherwise people would think I was claiming to be British.

I would think, say what feels right to you, which may vary depending on whether you're filling out a government form, having a casual conversation, or what have you.

[jss]

If by "in the minority" you mean "outright incorrect," then yes.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's how I answer it, too. Sometimes they then ask, "But where are you from?" which makes me feel stupid. But oh well!

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I was born in New Hartford, NY because that's where the hospital was. The house where I was taken home to was in Utica, which was the next town over. I lived in Utica for the first five years of my life.

I say I was born in New Hartford and first lived in Utica. If asked where I'm from, I say 'mostly Maryland' because that's where I spent the majority of my life (age 6 through my early twenties with 2 years abroad somewhere in the middle). But I do specify that I wasn't born in MD. Because I wasn't.

You Think You Have Problems With "Where Are You From?"

[fj.livejournal.com]

I laugh at all of you.

[primal-pastry.livejournal.com]

I'm with you! While I will frequently interpret questions literally -and never just to see folks' heads implode, no no - it's perfectly acceptable to answer the question that's being asked even if the words used mean something else.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

[✓] Your parents should've gone to a hospital in Cambridge to avoid all of this nonsense.

[malefica-v.livejournal.com]

You picked a great weekend to be Jesus Anal Christ.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Honey, I am always going to be outright incorrect in your eyes. That's no surprise. :-)

[jss]

Not always. Only when you're WRONG.

[catya.livejournal.com]

yes, that. Though I never say "I was born in Cambridge", because, well, who cares where the hospital was?

(That's not entirely true, i do say it but only when telling stories about getting my passport and having to go get my offical birth certificate which it turns out i never had before that?)

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

yes, that. Though I never say "I was born in Cambridge", because, well, who cares where the hospital was?

But that's exactly the question!

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I just don't want to think about where the eggs come from.

[catya.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't say "I was born in Framingham", either :) I say "I grew up in Framingham" (or "I grew up in Framingham then Lexington")

The point about colloquialism that R made is a good one though - maybe this just isn't a colloquialism people use here?

Re: You Think You Have Problems With "Where Are You From?"

[keyne.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain.

[bitty.livejournal.com]

It must be an Amherst minority or something.

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

Heh. I grew up in Maryland, but I was born at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. While I have never once lived in D.C., I would never claim that I was born in Maryland. Nor would I claim that I am from D.C., because I am from Maryland. :-}

[coraline]

yes, all of these are actually true, about me specifically even! :)

*hi5s*

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

Born in Boston, grew up in Cambridge. The birth record is in Boston (for the sake of future genealogists).

[concrete.livejournal.com]

he was born in New York City!

/me runs!

[concrete.livejournal.com]

People notice my accent and ask me where I'm from. I usually say "Texas"

[rintrahroars.livejournal.com]

When I'm casually asked the question "Where were you born" I say "Marblehead." Because when I answer "Salem" -- where the hospital is located -- although it is literal, it isn't like I remember the event. And I'm tired of the inevitable follow-up question "Oh, does that make you a witch?" *slams head on wall*. I can't tell you how often I've had to answer this question.

Officially, the birth record says "Salem." If I'm speaking to someone who needs accurate information to search public records, I use it. All other inquiries get "Marblehead."

So, my answer is: answer according to your audience. :)

[blk]

Fortunately, I was born in a hospital in Tampa, taking home to my parents' house in Tampa, and raised in Tampa until I went away for college. No dilemma for me!

[wotw]

On my college application forms, under "Place of Birth",
I wrote "Einstein General Hostpital, Northern Division". I
was baffled when my parents looked over the forms and found
this amusing.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Do you think so? I've never heard anyone ask "Where were you born?" when they just wanted to know where the person grew up, but perhaps it is a regionalism or something. To me, it seems an odd choice of words to use if you don't actually mean them.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

They were probably amused that you misspelled "hospital" :-)

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I mostly say "I grew up in X" or "I'm from X," which seem much fuzzier and yet more important to me :)

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It was a fluke that I was born in Baltimore--my parents were only in town for my uncle's wedding--but I am so glad that I don't have to wear "born in Iowa" around my neck like a ethanol albatross.

The Internet Knows

[malefica-v.livejournal.com]

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