Take the 5 North, or 5 North?

[2pac Shakur]

Here in CA, we say take "the 5 North" or whatever freeway y'all are talking about. I've been accused by people from the po (anywhere other than CA) that this is arrogance. I asked what your supposed to say, and am told "5 North". I don't think that makes sense. I don't take 5 North - that sounds like I am going somewhere and I am bringing a number 5 with me. What thinks you?

At times, to hear us talk about the freeways, you'd think they were our most prized possession. A friend who recently moved here from the East Coast noted that if he's at a loss for words at a party, he can always strike up a conversation about traffic. If you want to do this and you're from out of town, some important points. First, they're "freeways" and not highways or toll roads like they are in some other parts of the country. Second, L.A. lingo dictates that a freeway must be referred to with the article "the" preceding it. You don't take "10 West" or "Interstate 10;" you take "the 10." Another friend from the East thinks the implication here is that our freeway is the only one, or at least the most important one; as if "the 10" that goes through L.A. is more special than the rest of Interstate 10 that stretches across the country. (See TIME's photoessay: "The Redemption of the L.A. River.")

http://news.yahoo.com/escape-los-ang...025014469.html

Rest of th article is pretty interesting, too.

[Snagus]

Originally Posted by 2pac Shakur

Here in CA, we say take "the 5 North"

Is that a euphamism?

[ORLYLOL]

I just say to take "I-5 North" and don't really care what others say

[Is This Wilt Chamberlain?]

Do you say "take tha5north" real quick together or "take THE 5 north"?

I think it sounds better your way when it's a single digit like 5. But I normally use the I-10 West format personally..not from CA.

[cubedbee]

Originally Posted by 2pac Shakur

Here in CA, we say take "the 5 North" or whatever freeway y'all are talking about. I've been accused by people from the po (anywhere other than CA) that this is arrogance. I asked what your supposed to say, and am told "5 North". I don't think that makes sense. I don't take 5 North - that sounds like I am going somewhere and I am bringing a number 5 with me. What thinks you?

Let's try non-numeric streets. "Take Maple north" vs "Take the Maple north" In the first sentence, the lack of the article "the" strongly implies that Maple is a proper noun and hence a street. It is the second sentence that has ambiguity--do you want me to take the Maple road north, or do you want me to dig up the maple in the yard and take it northwards. You're adding ambiguity, not removing it, with your arrogance.

[Keep It Real, Yo]

I say "the i5 north" but I was born in SoCal so perhaps that's where I picked it up

I also went swimming in the Pacific Ocean. It'd be weird to go swimming in Pacific Ocean.

[mlschop]

Say "the" before saying <interstate number> <direction> sounds the dumb.

[Super Silver Haze]

Originally Posted by Is This Wilt Chamberlain?

I think it sounds better your way when it's a single digit like 5.

This is what I was going to say. The freeways around here are single digits so I always use "the".

IMO anyone who would say someone is arrogant for using the word "the" has an inferiority complex.

[Keep It Real, Yo]

Originally Posted by Super Silver Haze

IMO anyone who would say someone is arrogant for using the word "the" has an inferiority complex.

Probably lacks chemistry too

[Blue Man]

There are many roads in the United States numbered 10. Calling any one of them "the" 10 is wrong. You just call it 10, because the listener is smart enough to mean you don't mean Rte. 10 in Minnesota.