Question for the english language Guru's - Page 5

cmyX6go · #41 10-27-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunder22

The Grand Central, the Cross Bronx, the Deegan, the Hutch, the Wilbur Cross, The Wantagh, The Meadowbrook, the Cross Westchester, the Cross County, The Northern State Parkway (or "the parkway" if you're a LI Native, as opposed to the GSP), the Seaford Oyster Bay expressway... The only roads that I refer to by the # is 95, 27, 3 and 46, and none get "the" in front.

That's what I meant, I just didn't name them all. A number is a number, not THE number.

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Thunder22 · #42 10-27-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid

The Gowanus, the Throgs Neck, the Whitestone, the GW, the Henry Hudson Pkwy,
the Lincoln Tunnel, the Verrazano, the Village, the etc...;>)

btw- Since you've been up here last, they renamed the Triborough Bridge the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

motordavid · #43 10-27-2009, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunder22

btw- Since you've been up here last, they renamed the Triborough Bridge the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

I saw that: when we were up in NJ for our annual autumn trip, '08 version,
we had to go into the City for a lunchola meeting with old work friends,
and then out to Jackson Heights for the funeral of our dear old office mgr.
I saw the sign and was confused for a min.

For having lived/worked in the area for a qtr of a century, it feels sort of like "home" when we go back,
but different, if that makes sense.

Krimson X · #44 10-27-2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motordavid

As yours truly posted earlier, (and also Krimson X), it's a local/regional manner of speaking. It ain't no big deal, imo...

Here's a colloquial map of the US for the word "soda":

Yep. In Chicago, its "Pop."

Down here in the south, everything is a Coke. i.e. "What kind of coke do you want?" "Make mine a Bark's Root Beer."

In New Orleans it is a "cold drink" (phonetically "drank").

Quicksilver · #45 10-27-2009, 05:04 PM

WOW

That's gonna surprise the wife for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thunder22

btw- Since you've been up here last, they renamed the Triborough Bridge the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

Quicksilver · #46 10-27-2009, 05:12 PM

Actually if someone gave me directions and said take 405 or 5 or 101 or
110, 90, 105, 710, 605, 210, 134, 170, 91, 60, 118, 14, 2 I would no problem
understanding and there would be no need to add the additional "THE".
Doing so is just unnecessary verbiage.

Now if there was more than one 405, 5, 10, 101 ect then there might be a need to distinguish one from another but as it is that's not the case.
Therefore imo there's just no need to add the word "the" in this case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

maybe it's because here in Socal, particularly the LA area, there are a gazillion freeways and to say "head down the freeway" would beg the question, "which freeway" so we replace freeway with which one we're talking about

we have in the LA area the 405, 5, 10, 101, 110, 90, 105, 710, 605, 210, 134, 170, 91, 60, 118, 14, 2... did I miss any?

x5GuyInLA · #47 10-27-2009, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

Actually if someone gave me directions and said take 405 or 5 or 101 or
110, 90, 105, 710, 605, 210, 134, 170, 91, 60, 118, 14, 2 I would no problem
understanding and there would be no need to add the additional "THE".
Doing so is just unnecessary verbiage.

Now if there was more than one 405, 5, 10, 101 ect then there might be a need to distinguish one from another but as it is that's not the case.
Therefore imo there's just no need to add the word "the" in this case.

I guess we Socal folks don't like to follow rules, hence why there are so many bad drivers here, but I digress

Just looked up the "controversy" and here are a couple of websites that discuss the "the" controversy. Interesting discussion.

The THE Controversy - Davis Wiki

languagehat.com: "THE" + FREEWAY.

A couple of posts say that in England, "the" is used in front of freeway names. And if England is where English originated from, wouldn't the use of "the" be grammatically correct? Also, for those in NY, do you say "take the A train" or "take A train"? Isn't "A" the name of the line?

Quicksilver · #48 10-27-2009, 10:30 PM

Hey x5Guy

I went to school in SoCal so i'm with you. Been there 4
times in the last year. But Really there's no "controversy"
it's all good. Some of us just like to razz our neighbors about it
and as always they're always good sports.

B&R

JCL · #49 10-27-2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x5GuyInLA

A couple of posts say that in England, "the" is used in front of freeway names. And if England is where English originated from, wouldn't the use of "the" be grammatically correct?

Well, I drove down the M40 last Friday on my way to the M25 and the M4 on my way to LHR (because England has motorways, not freeways).

The problem with your theory is that this is the same country that produced Scouse, Cockney, and my favourite, Brummie. Proper grammer was never part of the deal.

x5GuyInLA · #50 10-28-2009, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

Well, I drove down the M40 last Friday on my way to the M25 and the M4 on my way to LHR (because England has motorways, not freeways).

well you obviously knew what i meant, but i apologize for not knowing the proper terms.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

The problem with your theory is that this is the same country that produced Scouse, Cockney, and my favourite, Brummie. Proper grammer was never part of the deal.

The same can be said for American English with all our dialects, so what is proper grammar? Until we have a definitive answer, I don't see what's wrong with the theory that if they were the originators, then maybe they know how proper English should be spoken. The different dialects shouldn't take away from that.

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