From an article in "American Speech" (via The Washington Monthly):
"In about 1941, just before the completion of the first of the famous freeways, intercity traffic came into Los Angeles on the north-south axis on U.S. 99, U.S. 101, or California Route 1....Before the freeways were built, locals generally preferred the old, time-honored street or road names instead of numbers in conversation. So for 'U.S. 99' they said San Fernando Road because the highway followed that particular named street, as far as the distant end of "town." Likewise, 'U.S. 101' was Ventura Boulevard and 'Route 1' was Pacific Coast Highway....Route 1 or Route 101 was not used in town.
...When the federal interstate system grew up, the southern California area got its share of funding and road numbers....However, for the first 20 years of the interstate system, no one used the numerical designations....The interstate routes around Los Angeles were called the Ventura Freeway, the Hollywood Freeway, the Santa Ana Freeway, the Golden State Freeway, the San Bernardino Freeway, the Pasadena Freeway, the Glendale Freeway, the San Diego Freeway, the Santa Monica Freeway, the Harbor Freeway, the Riverside Freeway, and the Long Beach Freeway.
....The strange-sounding usage of the plus number, as in the 118, was the natural result of an amazing proliferation of new, minor interstate cutovers, extensions, and bypasses that began about 1975....[It] was even more pronounced when new major Los Angeles interstates sprang up without having any precursors and without being extensions of earlier, nonnumerical freeways. The first one I remember in this category was the 605 Freeway."
Oh, sorry - I was talking about your tag. I steadfastly call it "Orange" as opposed to "The OC". But my comment was also a quote from The OC, which I must admit to being mildly in love with, despite everything about it.
I do actually call PCH, PCH. So we're good there. And I do put "the" in front of all freeway numbers. Works for me.
"the oc" is ironic when used around here - i picked it up circa the show (which i found fairly hilarious,* particularly because my father is an attorney who now lives in newport beach). in seriousness i say "orange county," i assure you.
*mischa barton's acting excepted. there's nothing funny about that.
Don't call it that!
ReplyDeletebut that's what it always was for us. what do you call it?
ReplyDeleteWhatever name you like in words. But I am sad that the Southern habit of THE 101 is creeping up our way for the numbered freeways.
ReplyDeleteFrom an article in "American Speech" (via The Washington Monthly):
ReplyDelete"In about 1941, just before the completion of the first of the famous freeways, intercity traffic came into Los Angeles on the north-south axis on U.S. 99, U.S. 101, or California Route 1....Before the freeways were built, locals generally preferred the old, time-honored street or road names instead of numbers in conversation. So for 'U.S. 99' they said San Fernando Road because the highway followed that particular named street, as far as the distant end of "town." Likewise, 'U.S. 101' was Ventura Boulevard and 'Route 1' was Pacific Coast Highway....Route 1 or Route 101 was not used in town.
...When the federal interstate system grew up, the southern California area got its share of funding and road numbers....However, for the first 20 years of the interstate system, no one used the numerical designations....The interstate routes around Los Angeles were called the Ventura Freeway, the Hollywood Freeway, the Santa Ana Freeway, the Golden State Freeway, the San Bernardino Freeway, the Pasadena Freeway, the Glendale Freeway, the San Diego Freeway, the Santa Monica Freeway, the Harbor Freeway, the Riverside Freeway, and the Long Beach Freeway.
....The strange-sounding usage of the plus number, as in the 118, was the natural result of an amazing proliferation of new, minor interstate cutovers, extensions, and bypasses that began about 1975....[It] was even more pronounced when new major Los Angeles interstates sprang up without having any precursors and without being extensions of earlier, nonnumerical freeways. The first one I remember in this category was the 605 Freeway."
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_07/014178.php
So there are good historical reasons for southern Californians to call the 1 "PCH."
Oh, sorry - I was talking about your tag. I steadfastly call it "Orange" as opposed to "The OC". But my comment was also a quote from The OC, which I must admit to being mildly in love with, despite everything about it.
ReplyDeleteI do actually call PCH, PCH. So we're good there. And I do put "the" in front of all freeway numbers. Works for me.
"the oc" is ironic when used around here - i picked it up circa the show (which i found fairly hilarious,* particularly because my father is an attorney who now lives in newport beach). in seriousness i say "orange county," i assure you.
ReplyDelete*mischa barton's acting excepted. there's nothing funny about that.
I thought that must be the case... kindred spirits and all. Go forth and use "the oc" ironically. I'm on board with that.
ReplyDelete