4 ms·

Native Californian, and Angelino here. It took me a minute to realize all the headlines about I-10 meant THE 10 freeway.

mjevans 3y ago
It's a lot catchier to say I-5 or I-95 than it is I-10... However dropping the classification from a number is equally problematic be it the timezone (E.G. EST / New York) or a freeway. Absent even any other context, MOST Americans would probably at least consider a highway / freeway / other major vehicle route in their head hearing I-(number).
- bobthepanda 3y ago
  “The X” in New York would most likely be a train, though no highway numbers in New York go quite as low as the trains. Also, you can’t authoritatively say “the X” because of the multistate nature of the metropolitan area, where talking about “Route 17” may refer to either NY 17 or NJ 17.
  - mjevans 3y ago
    Seemingly, not all Americans (assumption) remember that I-# is shorthand for Interstate (route number) within https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System the "Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" though I can never remember the full title without looking it up either.
RhysU 3y ago
This is my favorite Californiaism, especially whenever I drive "the 101". In Pennsylvania one drives "30" or "22", never with "the" and seldom even prefixing "route" or "US". Texas just says "35".
- idontwantthis 3y ago
  And in St. Louis they call I-64 “fardy”.
  - mohaine 3y ago
    They call it Highway forty after Us 40, which was its pre interstate name. Personally never heard it called fardy, other than in jest but we do like to have local ways to pronounce things. Exhibit a: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_French https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_French
    - idontwantthis 3y ago
      I know it’s after US-40 but I like that it’s a local shibboleth like “Missouree” (St. Louis) vs “Missouruh” (rest of Missouri) and BreadCo vs Panera. We used to say the geographic dividers between those two pairs were identical. I had one professor who was an unironic “fardy” speaker. I think it’s not common under 50 anymore. But I also haven’t been in town for a long time.
- miked85 3y ago
  I don't think it is unique to CA, I've never heard it any other way in other parts of the southwest.
  - pengaru 3y ago
    Makes sense to me, I hear the definite article prefix far more often in SoCal than NorCal/SF Bay. Back in IL nobody did this, at least not when I lived there over a decade ago.
    - tatersolid 3y ago
      Illinois is weird in this regard. In Chicago most of the big freeways have names as well as highway numbers that are used with articles in spoken language far more often, even on the TV news. So it’s “The Kennedy, the Ryan, the Edens, the Ike” instead of say “I-94” or “94”. A notable exception is Lake Shore Drive (US Highway 41) which everyone just calls “Lakeshore” in conversation with no article.
deleted 3y ago
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mjevans 3y ago

It's a lot catchier to say I-5 or I-95 than it is I-10... However dropping the classification from a number is equally problematic be it the timezone (E.G. EST / New York) or a freeway. Absent even any other context, MOST Americans would probably at least consider a highway / freeway / other major vehicle route in their head hearing I-(number).

bobthepanda 3y ago
“The X” in New York would most likely be a train, though no highway numbers in New York go quite as low as the trains. Also, you can’t authoritatively say “the X” because of the multistate nature of the metropolitan area, where talking about “Route 17” may refer to either NY 17 or NJ 17.
- mjevans 3y ago
  Seemingly, not all Americans (assumption) remember that I-# is shorthand for Interstate (route number) within https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System the "Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" though I can never remember the full title without looking it up either.

RhysU 3y ago

This is my favorite Californiaism, especially whenever I drive "the 101". In Pennsylvania one drives "30" or "22", never with "the" and seldom even prefixing "route" or "US". Texas just says "35".

idontwantthis 3y ago
And in St. Louis they call I-64 “fardy”.
- mohaine 3y ago
  They call it Highway forty after Us 40, which was its pre interstate name. Personally never heard it called fardy, other than in jest but we do like to have local ways to pronounce things. Exhibit a: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_French https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_French
  - idontwantthis 3y ago
    I know it’s after US-40 but I like that it’s a local shibboleth like “Missouree” (St. Louis) vs “Missouruh” (rest of Missouri) and BreadCo vs Panera. We used to say the geographic dividers between those two pairs were identical. I had one professor who was an unironic “fardy” speaker. I think it’s not common under 50 anymore. But I also haven’t been in town for a long time.
miked85 3y ago
I don't think it is unique to CA, I've never heard it any other way in other parts of the southwest.
- pengaru 3y ago
  Makes sense to me, I hear the definite article prefix far more often in SoCal than NorCal/SF Bay. Back in IL nobody did this, at least not when I lived there over a decade ago.
  - tatersolid 3y ago
    Illinois is weird in this regard. In Chicago most of the big freeways have names as well as highway numbers that are used with articles in spoken language far more often, even on the TV news. So it’s “The Kennedy, the Ryan, the Edens, the Ike” instead of say “I-94” or “94”. A notable exception is Lake Shore Drive (US Highway 41) which everyone just calls “Lakeshore” in conversation with no article.

deleted 3y ago

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