[DJlaysitup]

I grew up in deep Southern Illinois. When asked I always say I’m from around St. Louis or near Paducah...if I say Illinois everybody just takes it for granted that I’m from around Chicago.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

I grew up outside St. Louis and I always say Southern Illinois too. I see a lot of use of that term there, probably to distinguish it from the rest of Illinois and probably because Southern Illinois is just different from the rest of the state.