A reader of this list was so astounded at my ignorance that he actually phoned me to tell me what WBTS means.

A random thought. All of my relevant ancestors were Confederate soldiers or Confederate draft dodgers. I have lived and worked for more than a half-century in Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. I have met a lot of folks and have attended a great many SCV, UDC, and CWRT meetings. In all that time and on all those occasions, I don't recall a single instance in which a person actually spoke the phrase "war between the states." Always, always, at least in my limited experience, it has been the "Civil War," even among the most rock-ribbed neo-secessionists.

Is my experience abnormal? Is there some part of the former Confederacy where people actually use WBTS in normal, everyday conversation?