Californians, if you say ‘Southie,’ better know what it means – or risk Bostonians’ ridicule
There’s a new Wahlburgers restaurant in Palo Alto – the first in California, the Mercury News reported on Tuesday.
But the newspaper apparently made a mistake in the headline: “Wahlburgers in Palo Alto: How to eat like a Southie.”
Unbeknownst to the paper (and likely many others in California), calling residents of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood “Southies” – or apparently anyone else, for that matter – is a big no-no.
“Oops! Turns out that ‘Southie’ usage is as grating to those residents as it is to us when out-of-staters refer to San Francisco as ‘Frisco’ or confuse Silicon Valley’s San Jose with the capital of Costa Rica,” the Mercury News wrote in an apology piece Wednesday that was laced with sarcasm.
The paper was called out by Boston magazine, the Boston Globe, CBS Boston – even actor-singer Donnie Wahlberg, among others, the Mercury News reported.
“Calling one ‘A Southie’ is akin to calling one ‘A Palo Alto,’” the actor-singer wrote.
Calling one "A Southie" is akin to calling one "A Palo Alto". Wahlberg's aren't from Southie. We love Southie, our late fathers last residence was in Southie (rest his soul), but we're from Dorchester. Which doesn't make us Dorchesters. Hope this helps.
— Donnie Wahlberg (@DonnieWahlberg) November 29, 2017
Dear San Jose: There are no Southies in Southie. There also aren't any Wahlbergs. And Dorchester isn't south of Boston. https://t.co/0NcW1LPTaX
— Adam Gaffin (@universalhub) November 29, 2017
The paper got some big things right, including how to pronounce frappe (“frap”) and the popularity of haddock on the East Coast, Massachussetts Live reported.
The Mercury News also pointed out that it was by no means the first to refer to people as Southies – The New York Times and “The Simpsons” have done so as well.
“We’d be happy to make further amends to Wahlberg when he and his brothers come to Palo Alto to check out their new restaurant,” the Mercury News piece reads. “The first fraps are on me.”
The national burger chain is run by Boston’s Wahlberg family, which includes famous siblings Donnie (of New Kids on the Block fame), Mark (formerly Marky Mark, now an actor) and actor Robert. Brother Paul Wahlberg founded the chain.
The chain and family are at the center of an A&E reality show as well.
This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Californians, if you say ‘Southie,’ better know what it means – or risk Bostonians’ ridicule."