Our grass is quite a bit taller than 8". It's been uncut since spring as we're trying to get a bit of an ecology going instead of the usual ecological desert that is the modern lawn. Good thing we don't live in Minneapolis. (We have planted native meadow flowers as well, though they haven't fared so well.)
Also, it hasn't rained for weeks in our part of the UK. Our lawn is very brown, as are most of our neighbours'.