<p>can someone please explain this reference to me? I just can’t figure it out - I have heard it on NPR/Praire Home but someone used the reference today and I am feeling very dense because I didn’t really understand the Lake Wobegon reference.</p>
<p>Garrison Keillor ends each of his “News from Lake Woebegon” segments on PHC by saying, “That’s the news from Lake Woebegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” The latter, of course, being the one that gets people going.</p>
<p>Lake Woebegon is the fictional location of most of Keillor’s stories, a place in Minnesota where, in addition to what Frazzled mentions, the population contains a large number of Norwegian- and other Scandinavian-Americans, many (if not almost all) of whom are Lutherans.</p>
<p>Oh, thank you. I do not listen to PHC very often - just when I happen to be in the car when it is on…</p>
<p>Well, now I can laugh my head off because the person who used this reference was talking about this Lily Pulitzer dress wearing overly competitive mom and her annoying D!!</p>
<p>Proper spelling = Wobegon.</p>
<p>And although the majority of people (and hence the jokes) in that fictional town are Scandavian/Lutherans, there is also a visible German/Catholic minority and their church: Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility.</p>
<p>The story goes on and on - often told through the regulars at the Chatterbox Cafe. There are also hilarious businesses in town, e.g. Bob’s Bank – motto: “Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be.”</p>
<p>Magsmom:</p>
<p>I love Garrison Keillor Lake Wobegone stories. I have a house guest from overseas and she also laps them up.</p>
<p>My kid’s going to Carleton in Northfield. WIll that be near Lake Wobegon?</p>
<p>Well, I think Carleton kids all qualify for being above average, so I’d say Carleton must be either in Lake Wobegone or very close to it.</p>
<p>Marite…post #8 has me LOL!</p>
<p>my favorite are the Powdermilk biscuits that" give shy people the strenght to get up and do what needs to be done!" tasty too!
<a href=“National Geographic Magazine”>National Geographic Magazine;
<p>(and expeditious.)</p>
<p>I love the ketchup ads.</p>
<p>I find myself humming the Bebop-a-rebop Rhubarb Pie jingle.</p>
<p>Carleton is in southern Minnesota (good school!) while Lake Wobegon is somewhere “up north.”</p>
<p>although carleton is full of above average students, it is not near lake wobegon. Lake wobegon can be found 2 hours north west of minneapolis along I94 in central minnesota. . .look to a map to find Freeport MN, and there you will find lake wobegon. . .if you get a chance to stop by Charlies Cafe (owned by Keillor), the real life restaurant based on the Chatterbox Cafe.</p>
<p>I know, i have been there and practically grew up in lake wobegon</p>
<p>I found Freeport, MN on Google Maps, but none of the lakes near it were named Wobegon.</p>
<p>There is no Lake Wobegon. It’s a fictional place. Trust me, I’m a lifelong Minnesotan.</p>
<p>you wont find lake wobegon on a map. . .it is a fictional town. . .freeport is the inspiration for lake wobegon. . .there is no real lake wobegon. . .</p>
<p>you wont find lake wobegon on a map. . .it is a fictional town. . .freeport is the inspiration for lake wobegon. . .there is no real lake wobegon. . .</p>
<p>I always assumed it was fictional, but post #14 indicated otherwise.</p>
<p>So did I, which is why I made those comments about Carleton. Ah, literalness…</p>