h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In the southeastern US (and possibly much of the rest of the nation, not really sure) This subject is known as "grilling" (due to the fact that it takes place on a grill) wherease "barbecue" is a reserved term for pork or beef that's been cooked low and slow until it's extremely tender and served with one of several styles of sweet or spicy sauces (warning, styles of barbecue vary greatly and may inspire crusade-like holy wars among people of opposing opinions)

Agreed on the point of grilling being very different than barbecue.

In my experience, the south-east portion of the U.S. prefers pork, and the south-west prefers beef.

Tomato based sauces appear to be more prevalent in the west as well. Kansas City has thick, sweet sauces and Texas has thinner, tangy sauce.

A lot of casual cooks never know the difference between grilling and barbecue; at least not in the U.S. tradition.

Hats off to the Carib natives that gave us a word for what man has been doing since the beginning of time!