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Do you use THE when referring to freeways?

S

Syringer

Lifer
For instance would you be more inclined to say.."I'm going to take THE 101", or "I'm going to take 101".. or similarly "I'm taking the 5", or "I'm taking I-5"?

I generally use both and mix it up. I've noticed Nor Cal people tend to not use THE in front of highways, so for freeways exclusive to Nor Cal I've gotten accustomed to not use THE..while in So Cal it seems like a more popular thing to do so I tend to use THE in front of So Cal exclusive freeways.
 
no
i think that is just a california thing


out here, they say the number first when referring to highways, so it is

"50 Highway" not "Highway 50" when spoken, kinda weird
 
It varies. Sometimes I say "Traffic was bad on the 8" or "I'm going to cruise home on 52". I don't really make a habit of saying one or the other all the time.
 
its a california thing

I only use it when its' gramatically correct.... i.e: "the expressway"

"I-95" is a name. I don't say that "I am going to smack THE Syringer with a trout." I say "I am going to smack Syringer with a trout." Therefore, you should say "I will be on I-95" and not "the I-95"

:beer: 😀
 
All my extended family in SoCal Say "The 5." Everyone I know here (Oregon) says "I-5."

Maybe because we have a fraction of the freeways that they do? *shrug*
 
I'm not from L.A., so I don't say "the".

Example:
To get to my parents' house I can either take 80 west to 680 south to 17 south to 1 south, or I can take 80 east to 5 south to 152 west to 1 north, but that's longer.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell what county I live in and what county my parents live in from those directions 🙂
 
I always use "the" around here... Our highways are 400, 401, 402 etc.

"I'm going to take 401 home."
"I'm going to take the 401 home."

Just sounds better to me.

 
Originally posted by: acemcmac
its a california thing

I only use it when its' gramatically correct.... i.e: "the expressway"

"I-95" is a name. I don't say that "I am going to smack THE Syringer with a trout." I say "I am going to smack Syringer with a trout." Therefore, you should say "I will be on I-95" and not "the I-95"

:beer: 😀
Click to expand...

Agreed - I've never heard of highways referred to as "The", in fact. That's a little weird.

From Ohio to Oregon, nobody I know uses that terminology.

They might refer to "THE highway" or "THE freeway", but the actual roads are 'Route 87' or 'Interstate 90' (or 'I-90') or I-5 or whatever.

"THE 5"? Good grief, that just....SOUNDS...Californian.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
I'm not from L.A., so I don't say "the".

Example:
To get to my parents' house I can either take 80 west to 680 south to 17 south to 1 south, or I can take 80 east to 5 south to 152 west to 1 north, but that's longer.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell what county I live in and what county my parents live in from those directions 🙂
Click to expand...

Monterey?
 
Not if I'm referring to a specific freeway.

I might say "I'm going to take THE freeway" or "I'm going to take I-95"

The same applies to other nouns

"I'm going to kill THE spider" or "I'm going to kill Charlotte"

😉
 
Originally posted by: AdamSnow
I always use "the" around here... Our highways are 400, 401, 402 etc.

"I'm going to take 401 home."
"I'm going to take the 401 home."

Just sounds better to me.
Click to expand...

Usually it's the '401', but sometimes I'll say "We came across the 401 and up 410 to home"

So, I guess it's a mix.
 
Originally posted by: Syringer
Originally posted by: notfred
I'm not from L.A., so I don't say "the".

Example:
To get to my parents' house I can either take 80 west to 680 south to 17 south to 1 south, or I can take 80 east to 5 south to 152 west to 1 north, but that's longer.

Bonus points to anyone who can tell what county I live in and what county my parents live in from those directions 🙂
Click to expand...

Monterey?
Click to expand...

Close.
 
I-83 or I-95, and "695".

It appears to me that the generally accepted naming convention is as follows:

Single digit interstates:
Can be anything. There aren't enough of them.

2-digit interstates:
I-number.

3-digit interstates ending in '95'
number.

3-digit interstates not ending in '95'
The-number.

Hence "I-95", "I-70", "I-83", "695", "295" and "The 405"

 
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