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[Huh?]

What part of the country is "flyover country"?  And where did this nickname originate?

[middle man]

Huh? wrote:

> What part of the country is "flyover country"?  And where did
> this nickname originate?


The middle, the part that you want to avoid, you just fly over it to get from the (interesting) east coast to the (interesting) west coast.

[Never Named]

And to many international students there is no such thing as flyover country since they think that the US only consists of the East Coast and the West Coast.  We had a student once who thought he could take a weekend trip to New York from Southern California by bus and still be back in time for class on Monday.  He had no idea of the distances involved for the flyover part.

[Aussie]

Australia also has a middle that's considered the equivalent of flyover country. Australia is like a donut with a hole in it.

[%sig%]

[Abufletcher]

In Montana people talk about "Miles and miles of miles and miles."

And US military pilots overflying Saudi referred to it simply as "Wall to wall f*ck all."

Problem is there seems to be more "fly over" country than all the interesting bits put together.

[history anon]

Flyover country is where you can actually buy a home on an academic salary.  It also includes a high number of outstanding research universities, SLACs, and other good opportunities for academics.  While many/most of the states in question are "red" in national elections, there are pockets of progressive politics and cultural diversity, particularly in college towns, and lots of bright students whose horizons you can help broaden.

[js]

"Flyover country" is the part of the United States that people who ought to know better--you know, academics, grad students, and other smart types--instinctively berate on these fora. If you want an example, just pick a location in the South or Midwest and start a thread saying that you're applying there and asking about the locale. Then watch what happens.

[BeyondHope]

My definition of Flyover Country is anywhere that is NOT a suburb of a major city where you have to travel more than fifty to a hundred miles to reach a major airport.

Prescott, Arizona (2 hours by shuttle from Phoenix) would qualify. I've lived most of my adult life in what could pass for flyover country. Sometimes it was pretty good but it can also be terribly isolated if you like an urban environment.

[Sredni Vashtar]

Flyover country is the part of the U.S. that I didn't think I'd like until I moved there -- and missed terribly when I had to move away.

Much of flyover country is beautiful, affordable, and welcoming.

Flyover country is where I'd really love to get a TT job so that I can return there for good.

[case insensitive]

I once had a friend who was living in Texas who thought he could drive to Miami to visit for the weekend. It's not just the internationals who don't know how big it is.

Frankly, though I like coasts... i don't see the middle as uninteresting or unimportant.  It's all good, just different!

:o)

[case insensitive]

Aussie wrote:

> Australia also has a middle that's considered the equivalent of
> flyover country. Australia is like a donut with a hole in it.


Ah, but your middle is a lot less inhabitable than ours - ie. it's more desert than we have.  And, a real trick to drive across! :o)

[LarryC]

Shhhh! Don't go telling everyone about our affordable housing, beautiful countryside, and excellent quality of life.  You want a bunch of Californians moving in and ruining it all?!

[John Proctor]

Yall'd hate New York even more if you knew that most natives here think anything away from the actual island of Manhattan (and even then parts of the upper East and West sides are suspect) borders on being "Flyover."

Queens?  Staten Island?  Jersey?!?  Fuggedabowdit.

[js]

See Sail Steinberg's famous *New Yorker* cover "A View of the World from Ninth Avenue."

[LarryC]

http://www.cartoonbank.com/product_details_zoom.asp?mediaTypeID=2&sourceID=50326&title=New+Yorker+Cover+Print