I have an illness that can sometimes cause a big spike of adrenaline when I overdo things. I can hear it then, and it’s a sign that I need to lie down and do some kind of meditation to get my stress level down. Conversely, when I’m meditating, and get really relaxed, I can also hear it, but it’s a very different sensation.

It’s not a social faux pas, it’s a severe mental health condition, but I have some fear of becoming a hoarder. My partner and I have several of the risk factors, so I keep trying to get rid of stuff.

I’m afraid so. There are a lot of people still fighting our Civil War, the one that supposedly ended over 150 years ago. Even without those troglodytes, there is a distinct cultural difference between the North and South, as I think there is in many countries. We tend to rub each other the wrong way sometimes.

Old joke about the difference. Walk up to a Southerner’s house, and they say, “can I help you?” Walk up to a Yankee’s house, and it’s, “whaddya want?”

Texan here. Yankee is definitely not a neutral word to refer to everyone from the USA. Some people down here will fight you over it, but most would just give you a confused look.

I’ve always understood gringo to mean white person, especially one who can’t speak Spanish. The term is sometimes used in Mexican restaurants to let the staff know that you can’t deal with too many jalapeños.