Where in the U.S. do you come from if...

[go_go_gadget]

... You refer to a store using the definite article? So you'd say "I went to the Target yesterday," rather than "I went to Target yesterday." I see it in written form sometimes on these boards but never hear it here in CA, so I'm assuming it's a regional thing.

[AnnE-girl]

In some parts of the Chicago area people say "going to the Jewel (grocery store)." I'm not sure if it's anywhere else though.

[Guest]

South and Midwest I've heard it. Or military folks from there, when they get moved up here

 

 

My grandmother from Tennessee used to do that. It was cute :D

[DawnM]

... You refer to a store using the definite article? So you'd say "I went to the Target yesterday," rather than "I went to Target yesterday." I see it in written form sometimes on these boards but never hear it here in CA, so I'm assuming it's a regional thing.

 

 

But I bet you use it for freeways!~ 

 

I still use "the" in front of the numbers for the freeways here.  I just can't help it, I lived in CA too long!

 

It isn't I-5, it is "the" 5.  It isn't I-405, it is "the" 405.

[4ofus]

It's in the south. It's not necessarily prevalent, but it's there & it's been there for as long as I've been around.

 

Also...

 

Walmark/Walmarks/Walmarts instead of Walmart.

 

Public instead of Publix.

 

In my area I sometimes go to Kroger, sometimes go to the Kroger :). 

[idnib]

But I bet you use it for freeways!~ 

 

I still use "the" in front of the numbers for the freeways here.  I just can't help it, I lived in CA too long!

 

It isn't I-5, it is "the" 5.  It isn't I-405, it is "the" 405.

 

That's true in So Cal, but not Nor Cal, in my experience.

[DawnM]

That's true in So Cal, but not Nor Cal, in my experience.

 

gottcha.  The only people in Nor Cal I visited or hung out with were originally from SoCal, so it makes sense that I would have heard it from them.

[Farrar]

I say it that way much of the time and I'm from the south, but dh says it that way often too and he's from New England. Both ways sound fine to me - I never would have thought it was regional.

[Crimson Wife]

I get funny looks when I talk about taking "the BART" rather than just "BART". It's my East Coast roots showing (the T in Boston, the MTA in NYC, the Metro in DC, etc.)

[maize]

I guess it's the same kind of variation as saying I am "going to hospital" in Britain but "going to the hospital" in the US.

[go_go_gadget]

That's true in So Cal, but not Nor Cal, in my experience.

Precisely this. In NorCal, saying "the 101" garners smirks from the natives (guilty).

 

Maize, I've thought about that one, too. Americans go to "the" hospital, but not "the" school. I always wonder how these things come about.

[Ellie]

That's true in So Cal, but not Nor Cal, in my experience.

 

It's only true in the Los Angeles area. In San Diego, it's I-5, I-8, I-15, etc.

[Ellie]

I've never heard that. I don't think I've seen it *here*, either.

 

My grandparents were from the Outer Banks of NC, and they migrated all the way up to Portsmouth, Virginia; they would say K-Marts instead of K-Mart, Penneys instead of J.C. Penney, and so on. I think they said Giants instead of Giant (a grocery store chain).

[Orthodox6]

I went to Target.

I went to the Target on Beltline.

 

Those are the forms of speech I know from Texas and Alabama.

[go_go_gadget]

It's only true in the Los Angeles area. In San Diego, it's I-5, I-8, I-15, etc.

We don't bother with the 'I' in the Bay Area unless it's a single-digit one like I-5 (I don't think we have any other single-digit ones, in fact). I've never heard anyone say "I-580"; it's just "580."

[alisoncooks]

My eastern NC granddad says "the Walmarts"... but he also says he has a "chimley" (instead of chimney).

[go_go_gadget]

I've never heard that. I don't think I've seen it *here*, either.

 

My grandparents were from the Outer Banks of NC, and they migrated all the way up to Portsmouth, Virginia; they would say K-Marts instead of K-Mart, Penneys instead of J.C. Penney, and so on. I think they said Giants instead of Giant (a grocery store chain).

My husband's family is contrary with regard to possessives, so they go to "Trader Joe" instead of "Trader Joe's", but they also go to "Nordstrom's" instead of "Nordstrom".

[Word Nerd]

No one says that here. I used to have a coworker who would say he was going to the Walmarts or the Safeways.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My husband's family is contrary with regard to possessives, so they go to "Trader Joe" instead of "Trader Joe's", but they also go to "Nordstrom's" instead of "Nordstrom".

We go to Nordies.   ;)

[dancingmama]

I've heard it said "the target" here in the Midwest only when it's the only Target around. Same with other stores. So "the Jewels" if there is only one Jewels. And it's Jewels not Jewel. Well, it was. There are none around anymore. We go to The Whole Foods because there is only one close by but just Dominicks because there are several around.

[dancingmama]

Oh, and "The Walmart" referred to the big giant Super Walmart that had everything and then some. Just going to Walmart meant any which one, usually whichever was closest.

[4ofus]

Penneys instead of J.C. Penney, 

 

 

Definitely this.

 

It's always been Penney's!!

[Orthodox6]

I've heard it said "the target" here in the Midwest only when it's the only Target around. Same with other stores. So "the Jewels" if there is only one Jewels. And it's Jewels not Jewel. Well, it was. There are none around anymore. We go to The Whole Foods because there is only one close by but just Dominicks because there are several around.

Completely logical!

[catz]

I live in the upper midwest and I've never heard "The Target".  I don't hear people referring to any place like that.   I do live within 5 miles of like 4 Targets though.  ;)

 

ETA I might say something like "I went to the Whole Foods downtown Minneapolis to get overpriced organic produce" to differentiate location sometimes.

[Word Nerd]

Penneys is a pretty common way to shorten JC Penney. I don't think that's comparable to saying the Walmarts.

[mamaraby]

I live in the midwest and I've never heard "I'm going to the Target." It's always been "I'm going to Target." Dh is from a different part of the midwest and the same is true for him.

[Junie]

My grandmother (from northern Pennsylvania) shops at "The K-Mart".

[8circles]

I've heard some people talk that way but it seems to be more specific regions than the midwest or the south etc.  Like, I've heard it in certain Chicago neighborhoods but not everywhere.  Not in the suburbs that I ever heard.  Not in Peoria or Normal.  Further south I wouldn't know.  Not anywhere in WI or CO.  I've seen it online occasionally but I didn't note where those people were from.

[carriede]

I shop at Aldi and Kroger. I have local friends who shop at Aldi's and Krogers.

Mid GA here.

[poppy]

Hickville, USA..... where people get "the cancer" instead of just cancer.

[texasmama]

Not in my part of Texas.

 

 

[mommaduck]

My priest does this. He's Southern born, but old school Greek. So I don't know which it is or a combination. He even calls my husband The (Firstname).

[Ellie]

We don't bother with the 'I' in the Bay Area unless it's a single-digit one like I-5 (I don't think we have any other single-digit ones, in fact). I've never heard anyone say "I-580"; it's just "580."

 

True. I lived in San Jose for 16 years, after 12 years in San Diego (where we usually just said the freeway #), plus multiple visits to Los Angeles, Modesto, and Sacramento, so I can speak freeway in most parts of the state. :D

 

[The Girls' Mom]

Tennessee here, and I hear that all the time.  I've even been guilty of saying it a time or three.

[monstermama]

Where I grew up in eastern PA, it was "I'm going to the Clover's" or "I'm going to the Target's."  

[KarenNC]

NC---I tend to say Aldis, Penneys, but Target, Kroger, Food Lion, and Walmart. It may have to do with the name ending in a vowel, not sure.

 

I would say I go "to school" if I were talking about an identity as a student or "to church" to denote religious affiliation, but "to the school" or "to the church" if I were talking about needing to go to the building for some reason or using it as a physical point of reference ("it's down by the school" or "I have to stop by the church"). I'm equally likely to say I'm going "to Target" or "the Target," I think.

 

I drive on 85 or 485 and avoid 77---no "the" and no "I-" involved.

[HS Mom in NC]

Here we go to Target if we're not specifying one over another.  Since we have several in our city it can be necessary to say things like, "I got the last Minecraft shirt they had at the Target next to Tae Kwon Do because they were out of them at the Target next to the movie theater and the Target across from the mall."

 

We say, "You take the 202 to the 101." But nothing is off the table for interstates.  Some people call it the 10, 10 or I-10 and the 40, 40 or I-40.  Weird.

[Laura Corin]

I guess it's the same kind of variation as saying I am "going to hospital" in Britain but "going to the hospital" in the US.

 

'The hospital' always implies for me that there is only one, or that we have just been talking about a particular one.

[plansrme]

Hickville, USA......

Someone kick your puppy this morning?

 

I love regional variations in speech, though there is a particular variation of southern accent of which I am no fan. It is hard to describe in writing, but it is the flat northern Alabama version. Still, it will be a sad thing when regional speech patterns completely disappear, and we all sound alike.

[MyThreeSons]

But I bet you use it for freeways!~ 

 

I still use "the" in front of the numbers for the freeways here.  I just can't help it, I lived in CA too long!

 

It isn't I-5, it is "the" 5.  It isn't I-405, it is "the" 405.

 

Actually, I believe that's a Southern California thing. In Northern California, we would say "Take 17 over the mountain" or "Take 280 to ..." etc.

 

ETA: I hadn't read far enough to see this had already been discussed.

 

[MyThreeSons]

I've never heard that. I don't think I've seen it *here*, either.

 

My grandparents were from the Outer Banks of NC, and they migrated all the way up to Portsmouth, Virginia; they would say K-Marts instead of K-Mart, Penneys instead of J.C. Penney, and so on. I think they said Giants instead of Giant (a grocery store chain).

 

For a few years, J.C. Penney was officially called "Penneys" -- I remember the logo at the top of this page:

 

http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/JCPenney

[MEmama]

Precisely this. In NorCal, saying "the 101" garners smirks from the natives (guilty).

 

.

Eh? I'm a Northern California native and it was ALWAYS "the 1" and so on. Always. I still say it even though I left more than half my lifetime ago.

[Cottonwood]

Born and raised in the deep South and have never heard this. Must be in pockets of areas if its a Southern thing.

[purpleowl]

Georgia/north Florida here: I've never heard anyone say "going to the Target," unless it was something like "going to the Target on Road A" to distinguish from the one on Road B.

 

I think there are some places where I'll put a definite article there, but not many.  Sometimes I'll say "I'm going to the Circle K," but I think I'm just as likely to say "I'm going to Circle K."  

 

But we drive on I-10, or sometimes on 10.  Never the 10.

[gardenmom5]

But I bet you use it for freeways!~ 

 

I still use "the" in front of the numbers for the freeways here.  I just can't help it, I lived in CA too long!

 

It isn't I-5, it is "the" 5.  It isn't I-405, it is "the" 405.

 

washington also has a I-405.  it's usually just "405".  no 'the'.  (other freeways are also numbers  - 520, 167, 522, 90, etc.)  I-5 is "I-5".

 

I get funny looks when I talk about taking "the BART" rather than just "BART". It's my East Coast roots showing (the T in Boston, the MTA in NYC, the Metro in DC,  etc.)

 in seattle it's "the SLUT".  (south lake union trolley - they were NOT paying attention when they named it!)  oh - the "ride the SLUT" t-shirts some entrepenuer made up are now selling online in addition to local tourist shops.)

 

 

 

 

My husband's family is contrary with regard to possessives, so they go to "Trader Joe" instead of "Trader Joe's", but they also go to "Nordstrom's" instead of "Ndordstrom".

Nordstrom started here and native locals will frequently say "nordstrom's".  (they started as a shoe store, and bought a local clothing store called "best".  my grandmother could use her best card at nordstrom.)

 

We go to Nordies.   ;)

 

do you remember those stuffed "nordy" things from the 70's?  I'm sorry I didn't save mine . . . . . they even had nordy shaped balloons  . . .

[go_go_gadget]

Eh? I'm a Northern California native and it was ALWAYS "the 1" and so on. Always. I still say it even though I left more than half my lifetime ago.

 

Hmm. I'm in the Bay Area--where were you?

[go_go_gadget]

in seattle it's "the SLUT".  (south lake union trolley - they were NOT paying attention when they named it!)  oh - the "ride the SLUT" t-shirts some entrepenuer made up are now selling online in addition to local tourist shops.)

 

Local legend has it that when BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) was being designed, it was going to be ''Fremont Area Rapid Transit,'' but someone did catch it.

[MyThreeSons]

Eh? I'm a Northern California native and it was ALWAYS "the 1" and so on. Always. I still say it even though I left more than half my lifetime ago.

 

How far North were you? I spent almost 40 years in the SF Bay Area, and the only time I remember someone from the area saying it, was an older friend of my folks who used to say that we would take "the one hundred and one" up to Candlestick Park for our Giants games outings. 

[kewb]

I have never heard that in regards to a specific store.  People say "I am going to the store" or they would say "I am going to Target".

Maybe it has to do with prevalence of stores.  For example, there are multiple targets in my area.  It would be strange to say I am going to the target.

[MEmama]

Hmm. I'm in the Bay Area--where were you?

North Bay/ wine country. Went to school in SF.

 

This conversation makes me realize I must give away my roots where I live now. I still say the 95, or take the 495 around Boston or whatever. I'll have to listen closer to see if that's not common here (I'm guessing not). I worked hard on getting rid of my California accent when I left and it was relentlessly commented on, but I guess there are some things that are ingrained.

 

I recently took one of those online linguistics quizzes that's supposed to pinpoint your hometown. Even though I've lived in 6 states and one Canadian province, it nailed mine exactly. :)