30 Commandments of Living in Cincinnati

By CityBeat Staff on Fri, Jul 8, 2022 at 11:57 am

Whether you were born in the Queen City or moved here and became one of us, there are just some things that every Cincinnatian knows: Cincinnati-style chili is a delicacy, our traffic sucks and our pride runs deep for our sports teams — no matter how many times we've been burned.

Some rules about Cincinnati life exist for all Cincinnatians. Scroll through to see our list of Cincinnati commandments.

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You will not swim in the Ohio River, even if people assure you it’s “safe.”

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

You will not swim in the Ohio River, even if people assure you it’s “safe.”

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You will pledge loyalty to either Skyline or Gold Star, but not both.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

You will pledge loyalty to either Skyline or Gold Star, but not both.

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You will avoid the Brent Spence Bridge at every opportunity.

Photo: Facebook.com/BrentSpenceInfo

You will avoid the Brent Spence Bridge at every opportunity.

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You will believe “blue” is a creamy whip flavor.

Photo: Sami Stewart

You will believe “blue” is a creamy whip flavor.

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You will get a fancy overpriced cocktail somewhere in Over-the-Rhine.

Photo: twitter.com/OTRCINCY

You will get a fancy overpriced cocktail somewhere in Over-the-Rhine.

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You will have a favorite local brewery, even if you don't drink beer.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

You will have a favorite local brewery, even if you don't drink beer.

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You watch the WKRP in Cincinnati “Turkeys Away” episode every Thanksgiving.

Photo: IMDb.com

You watch the WKRP in Cincinnati “Turkeys Away” episode every Thanksgiving.

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You will always remind people about the period of time The Racer at Kings Island also ran backwards.

Photo: provided by Kings Island

You will always remind people about the period of time The Racer at Kings Island also ran backwards.

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You will defend the fact that George Clooney is from Cincinnati, even though he hasn’t lived here since the 1970s.

Photo: Nicolas Genin/CC BY-SA 2.0

You will defend the fact that George Clooney is from Cincinnati, even though he hasn’t lived here since the 1970s.

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You will do the same for Sarah Jessica Parker

Photo via Georges Biard/Wikimedia Commons

You will do the same for Sarah Jessica Parker

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You have the phrase “Ope, didn’t see ya there. Let me squeeze right past ya,” as part of your daily vocabulary.

Photo: Hailey Bollinger

You have the phrase “Ope, didn’t see ya there. Let me squeeze right past ya,” as part of your daily vocabulary.

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You will always make room for a scoop of Graeter's black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream.

Photo: Jesse Fox

You will always make room for a scoop of Graeter's black raspberry chocolate chip ice cream.

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You will memorize the entire Bengals “Who-Dey” chant.

Photo: Tony Frank

You will memorize the entire Bengals “Who-Dey” chant.

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You will talk about how quickly the weather changes.

Photo: twitter.com/nwslin

You will talk about how quickly the weather changes.

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You will defend the existence of goetta.

Photo: Facebook.com/GliersGoetta

You will defend the existence of goetta.

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You're destined to attend at least one Reds game, even if you hate baseball. You'll also attend at least one Reds Opening Day Parade, even if you hate baseball.

Photo: Casey Roberts

You're destined to attend at least one Reds game, even if you hate baseball. You'll also attend at least one Reds Opening Day Parade, even if you hate baseball.

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You will watch Babes in Toyland every Christmas — even though it's awful.

You will watch Babes in Toyland every Christmas — even though it's awful.

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You will ask every new acquaintance which high school they attended.

Photo: Facebook.com/STXHS

You will ask every new acquaintance which high school they attended.

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You will get stuck in traffic after watching the end-of-summer fireworks at Riverfest.

Photo: CityBeat Archive

You will get stuck in traffic after watching the end-of-summer fireworks at Riverfest.

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You will sneak a selfie with Fiona at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Photo: facebook.com/cincinnatizoo

You will sneak a selfie with Fiona at the Cincinnati Zoo.

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