this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
240 points (97.6% liked)

xkcd

8843 readers
198 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Alt text: Even with a blank map, a lot of people can only name 45-50 of the 64 states.

all 31 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] JollyG@lemmy.world 52 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] SgtAStrawberry@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

Ninessee pronounced Nanci

[–] randoot@lemmy.world 27 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I was expecting this one to be interactive but then I noticed the alt text. I'm not a geography nerd who's going to explain this one

[–] brown567@sh.itjust.works 45 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The map looks correct at first glance, but he's added another 14 states by drawing the borders wrong XD

[–] pomodoro_longbreak@sh.itjust.works 18 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Not American, but I assume it's wrong in some subtle and hilarious way?

[–] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Bunch of extra states with similar shapes to existing states, so it messes with your eye and kinda blends in.

Might be harder to do with a map of Africa, Asia, Europe or south America because there aren't as many straight line borders and things are a bit more curvy.

[–] dragontamer@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Working from the bottom left... California, Arizona, New Mexico.... Wtf?

[–] cerement@slrpnk.net 14 points 11 months ago

California, Arizona, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Texas …

[–] Gork@lemm.ee 18 points 11 months ago

Ah yes the great states of Arkansas and Arkan'tsas, of Kansas and Kan'tsas.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 months ago

What's interesting are the states you can't modify too much or it gives away the game.

Texas is a key example, people are pretty familiar with that shape, even many non-Americans will recognize it. Florida and California are also pretty well known. Also, many people have a rough idea of NY State, though you could probably tweak the north and west borders a bit and nobody would notice too much.

The ones it's easy to fiddle with are the rectangular ones in the mid-west. I think a lot of people only know them starting from another reference point, like "north of Texas" or "east of Nevada".

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 10 points 11 months ago

A couple of my friends had a go at this one:

Some notable quotes:

"Wrong. It goes washingyon, oregon, gravity falls, hotel california"

"pennywise AND ohio, rough spot for maine"

"New Hampsire is not a state. I haven’t heard shit from someone in New Hampshire"

[–] callyral@pawb.social 10 points 11 months ago

Texas, California, Colorado, Wyoming, Colorado again-... wait a minute

[–] lessthanluigi@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah yes, Washington, Oregon, Orecan't, and California!

[–] littlebluespark@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Even Washington is mostly "S Seattle". C'mon Cascadia! Fuck these Orecan't posers, let's go hang with Hawaii. 🤙🏼

[–] Infynis@midwest.social 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't know if that's West Ohio or East Indiana, but either way, it is a crime against nature

[–] robotopera@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

An Ohio without Columbus is an Ohio I want to be a part of.

[–] EchoCranium@lemmy.zip 7 points 11 months ago

North and South Dakota now have a Middle Dakota buffer zone.

[–] ornery_chemist@mander.xyz 7 points 11 months ago

I'm just tickled that this map shows MN's northwest angle as the (pseudo)exclave that it is.

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My favorite is asking people what the 51st state is, Hawaii or Alaska?

[–] criticon@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago

How many states are in New Mexico?

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Glad Jefferson got included.

[–] Steex33@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Finally Center Dakotans have their own state! Justice after all!

[–] Perhapsjustsniffit@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Canadian here, from the outside it seems to just be 3 states. Almost crazy, crazy and don't come here if you want to exist.

[–] fujiwood@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The United States of America

[–] TheGreenGolem@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago
[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

The chef is intact but is holding 2 plates now.

[–] problematicPanther@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

i got all the way to kentucky before i spotted the issue