Customs, traditions, and obsessions can vary greatly across the country. When people from outside Iowa think about the Hawkeye State, they might think it's nothing but corn, or in the case of the real geniuses, potatoes...that's another "I" state.

I was reading recently an article from Laura at our "sister station" 103.7 The Loon in Minnesota. Not being too far away from us, some of their normal things that are weird to others aren't too different from ours.

View our list of examples below and feel free to weigh in with your additions!

11 Things Normal for Iowa, But Weird for Everyone Else

I kid you not, I just learned "hotdish" and tater tot casserole are the same thing. My native midwest coworkers already knew that think I'm weird, so it goes to show there are odd variations of things everywhere.

Parts of the movie "Twister" were filmed here, but people in other states might leave it at that and think we're nuts because we will live it every time a storm hits, grabbing snacks and hitting the deck (as in the patio outside to watch the storm roll by.)

An inch of snow is an emergency in Oklahoma, a foot of it might get us to work 10-15 minutes late here in the midwest. And oh yeah, if you see the plow still on our pickup on our way to work, mind your business, we might just be picking up a couple of side hustles or helping our neighbors on the way.

Here in Iowa, we drink "pop" (not soda) and as much we hate it, the corn stereotypes are all too real. But what's wrong with that? Don't talk to strangers? We'll talk to them and PAY them at a random stand outside the drug store where they are selling local produce. We're feeding a lot of those ungrateful snobs that make fun of us (ESPECIALLY the "vegan" and "vegetarian" types.)

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

You Know You're From the Midwest When...

We asked listeners to complete the sentence: "You know you're from the Midwest when..." and we got some very accurate responses! Here's a look at some of our favorites.

[H/T Laura, 103.7 The Loon]

More From Q98.5