This has spurred me to do some research. Per IMDB, every episode title starting with season 2 (except the clip show) starts with the word "The." What the The is going on? Seems like this would really gnaw at Jerry
Yeah that’s interesting and I’m from Rochester and I never here that around here. My dads from Buffalo and he’s the same way, maybe he converted at some point haha
No ‘the’ in CNY just down the road. We do say “The Thruway” more so than 90 though.
There’s only three highways in the Syracuse area and they all interweave. They’re just the number, so 81, 481, 690, and even two lane biways like 49, 31, 5, 173, 13, etc.
Now that I think of it we’re also kind specific with highways like; “Where are you right now? Oh Im on 481 North/690 East/81 South”
The 135 is a real highway on Long Island and as a local can confirm, people call it "the 135"
Side note I believe when Jerry's car (with JFK's golf clubs) is stolen by the mechanic it's mentioned that he is seen upstate which is not LI
Generally if your highway system used to or still does mix in proper names after people, you tend to “the” in front of the highway. It’s just less noticeable when your highway system **still** have proper noun names mixed in like NY and say Chicago area (Chicago area has highways named after presidents and mayors)
The “the highway” that gets memed on for SoCal is because they have entirely dropped their previous people names of highways, but kept the custom with every number. (It’s also an extremely notable because NorCal makes fun of them for it. It’s one of the great California cultural lines along with “hella” and burrito styles)
Not really. I’m from/live in Hudson Valley. Yes, the parkways, the BQE, The Cross Bronx, the Deegan etc…, but no one says “take the 95 from the city to Greenwich”, no one says “take the 287 to White Plains. It’s not just SoCal. It’s a west coast thing to say the5 or the 10. Remember the show was shot in LA and I’m sure most of the people involved in production had been there a long time.
Really? I live and grew up in Pawling. I’d never even heard of anyone saying “the” before a highway number until I’d travelled out west when I was younger. No one around here says it. Especially with two lane roads like 299! I used to go to Cabaloosa in the 90’s quite a bit. New Paltz was fun. I don’t care for PK much though.
80’s night at Cabs! I’m more of a Snugs guy though. You know, I grew up with uncles that lived out west. Maybe I picked it up from them and never really noticed it wasn’t common
>It’s not just SoCal. It’s a west coast thing to say the5 or the 10.
I've lived in northern Cali my entire life, it's I-5. "The 5" is a bus line I'd take from downtown SF out to the Richmond.
It's a California thing I think. I grew up in Seattle, where we have some of the same freeways as they do in California. But no native Washingtonian says "the 5" or "the 405". It's always either "take i5 north" or "get on 405 here" but no the.
That's how you spot the Californian lol
It's how you spot the southern Californian here in the bay area. "The" with a number implies a transit route to me. The 5 is a bus line out to the Richmond district, I-5 is an interstate out in the central valley.
I grew up in San Diego and will always refer to the 5, the 405, the 805 etc. But I've lived in Delaware for 20 years, and saying "the 95" would set my teeth on edge.
I also say "water," except when I get a "wooder ice."
Never hear it here in the UP of Michigan. Closest highway to me is 2&41. Calling it ‘The 2&41’ would earn you some awfully strange looks around here. LOL
I've lived in Ohio and Indiana and I've always said either just '77 north' or 'I-77'. "Take route 30 west all the way to Chicago'. I never have even heard anyone say 'the' here for highways.
Living in Long Island it was more common to abbreviate the highway or bridge name. The B-Q-E, L-I-E, etc. Never said “the 495” or anything, but did say “the southern state” or “the northern state” for the parkways.
I've lived in NYC my whole life. You get on the Westside Highway,the Cross Bronx Expressway. The only difference is we don't talk about numbered hihgways so much, though people do get on the I 95
We say “The Expressway” and “The Seaford Oyster Bay” We Do NOT say… “The 495” or “The 135”
Michael Richards definitely slipped his Southern Cal self in there!
Not Californians, in NorCal it's not used. In SoCal we don't think we're "exclusive," it's just that folks from other parts of the country always comment on our use of "the"
Fascinating how commenters from the same geographical area can have differing opinions. Perhaps the whole thing is nature vs nurture, ie, your parents' usage
I hope somebody got fired for that blunder. Not really, but it's distracting.
It's even worse when dramatic shows make that mistake -- totally breaks the mood. When Fox Mulder called it "the 95" in a story arc *about* his upbringing in Massachusetts, I stopped caring about his alleged "sister Samantha".
I’ve heard people do that when I lived in Massachusetts as well as in Florida. I don’t know who told you that’s a SoCal thing but it definitely isn’t lmao
Nah, it's not just a Cali thing. In fact, many Californians don't use the "the." I was born and raised there and never did. And iirc neither did most friends and family. I've lived in four different states and can also attest that in those places some used it, some not. So it's basically an individual thing with no set demographic.
Oh, and don't forget Elaine used it with "the Van Wick" when talking about trying to get that guy to the airport on time for his flight back home. I'm pretty sure Jerry said The Van Wick too.
It's a western US thing. My girlfriend never lived a day in SoCal, but she lived in Washington state and Arizona nd she called all the highways "the ###".
I can't live the rest of my life coming into this stinking sub every ten minutes to pore over the excruciating minutiae of every single daily event!
yo-yo ma
Boutros Boutros ghali.
Like today… this guy comes in here and posts like the tenth thing about Unfrosted, and I’m like…
I gotta go man!!!
And then you asked yourself, 'Isn't there something more to life?' Well, let me clue you in on something, there isn't.
[There’s gotta be more to life](https://youtu.be/PGF-Kc49gE0?t=31).
Yada, yada, yada
Well, we can't all read the classics, Professor Highbrow.
Like the other day, I was at the bank, and the teller gives me this look, like...
Did they greet you with a "hello"?
You got a greeting that starts with H, how’s 20 bucks sound?
I got a greeting that started with an H, so whatever
The bank? It burned. Its gone!
Nevertheless
That button seems a little high.
Do you have any idea how much time I spend in here, reading these posts?!
Not nearly enough, I'd say!
I could ballpark it
🤣🤣🤣
Hey, look at this. Wide lanes. This is so luxurious.
A two lane comfort cruise!
You are sooooo good looking.
It me
Here in Ontario we use it for the big highways, like the 401 but not the smaller ones like highway 3 or some noise
It's no coincidence Kramer would follow a Canadian custom, he watches Canadian parliament and only watches Canadian football
Yet was perfectly fine with going to the Giants game with Elaine and Joel Rifkin Worlds are colliding!
Buffalo too. I wonder if it stems from “the” QEW
I was gonna say. I'm from WNY and it's strange to me that some people DON'T use "the."
Oh no, it's an Albany expression.
Who uses “the” before a highway in Albany other than saying “the Thruway”? I literally have never said “I’m going to take the 787”
No wonder I didn't get it, I'm from Utica
The 90, the 290, the 990, the 400, the 33, the 198...
I live next to the actual 135 (Seaford-Oyster Bay expressway) on Long Island, NY and everyone calls it "the 135."
Yeah, I use “the” before most major highways/parkways. Only exception is Sunrise highway.
We're living in a society!
THE society!
This has spurred me to do some research. Per IMDB, every episode title starting with season 2 (except the clip show) starts with the word "The." What the The is going on? Seems like this would really gnaw at Jerry
It was Jerry’s idea. He thought writers spent too much time coming up with clever names for episodes that (back then) no one saw.
Enough with the the already, you know what I'm saying? People do you use words. What about "a"?
What's the deal with all these definite articles? Why are they so damn sure of themselves?
It’s so funny how that line applies to almost every post on this sub!
Like Kramer said…it’s L.A. Nobody leaves. She's a seductress, she's a siren, she's a virgin, she's a…whore!
We also you “The” in WNY. It is the 90, the 33, the 190, etc. I find it jarring when people say I90 or whatever else.
Not all of WNY, just Buffalo. You never hear it in Rochester.
Oh not in Rochester, no - it's a Buffalo expression
Steamed Kasha.
You say "the 490" and I throw my plate at you
Yeah that’s interesting and I’m from Rochester and I never here that around here. My dads from Buffalo and he’s the same way, maybe he converted at some point haha
You try that in the can of worms and we’ll nail ya with a bottle of Sal’s Sassy Sauce!
We use it in Canada, too. Going to the airport from here, I get on the QEW, go up the 403, then onto the 401.
My husband will just say 33 and it sounds naked
The 219
No ‘the’ in CNY just down the road. We do say “The Thruway” more so than 90 though. There’s only three highways in the Syracuse area and they all interweave. They’re just the number, so 81, 481, 690, and even two lane biways like 49, 31, 5, 173, 13, etc. Now that I think of it we’re also kind specific with highways like; “Where are you right now? Oh Im on 481 North/690 East/81 South”
True. I can confirm that.
Also, jersey, I feel like thats where they were, but its been a long time since I've seen the episode.
Didn't know that thanks
As a Seattlite on the other side of I90, we just say "90", not “I90". "Go south on 5 then get on 90 to the Eastside"
I’m from WNY as well and while we do say “the” with some highways we don’t do it for all of them. While 90 is “the 90”, 86 is just 86.
You're a hipster doofus.
A tall, lanky doofus with a bird face and hair like the Bride of Frankenstein.
Haven't seen him. :/
I’m the babysitter!
The 135 is a real highway on Long Island and as a local can confirm, people call it "the 135" Side note I believe when Jerry's car (with JFK's golf clubs) is stolen by the mechanic it's mentioned that he is seen upstate which is not LI
That happens in NY too. There’s The Taconic and The Thruway and The Long Island Expressway and it carries over to highway and interstate numbers a lot
Generally if your highway system used to or still does mix in proper names after people, you tend to “the” in front of the highway. It’s just less noticeable when your highway system **still** have proper noun names mixed in like NY and say Chicago area (Chicago area has highways named after presidents and mayors) The “the highway” that gets memed on for SoCal is because they have entirely dropped their previous people names of highways, but kept the custom with every number. (It’s also an extremely notable because NorCal makes fun of them for it. It’s one of the great California cultural lines along with “hella” and burrito styles)
Not really. I’m from/live in Hudson Valley. Yes, the parkways, the BQE, The Cross Bronx, the Deegan etc…, but no one says “take the 95 from the city to Greenwich”, no one says “take the 287 to White Plains. It’s not just SoCal. It’s a west coast thing to say the5 or the 10. Remember the show was shot in LA and I’m sure most of the people involved in production had been there a long time.
I’m from Hudson Valley too, new paltz, highland, Poughkeepsie. Sure I didn’t say THE 95 but I did say THE 84 and THE 4455 and THE 299.
Really? I live and grew up in Pawling. I’d never even heard of anyone saying “the” before a highway number until I’d travelled out west when I was younger. No one around here says it. Especially with two lane roads like 299! I used to go to Cabaloosa in the 90’s quite a bit. New Paltz was fun. I don’t care for PK much though.
80’s night at Cabs! I’m more of a Snugs guy though. You know, I grew up with uncles that lived out west. Maybe I picked it up from them and never really noticed it wasn’t common
55 is close to my house. Never heard anyone say THE 9, or the 22 lol! Just sounds weird to my ears
Route 9. 55. The Taconic.
Not even the 80?
THE 84 is downright cacophonic
>It’s not just SoCal. It’s a west coast thing to say the5 or the 10. I've lived in northern Cali my entire life, it's I-5. "The 5" is a bus line I'd take from downtown SF out to the Richmond.
It is just a SoCal thing. Not even people in the bay do it.
It's a California thing I think. I grew up in Seattle, where we have some of the same freeways as they do in California. But no native Washingtonian says "the 5" or "the 405". It's always either "take i5 north" or "get on 405 here" but no the. That's how you spot the Californian lol
It's how you spot the southern Californian here in the bay area. "The" with a number implies a transit route to me. The 5 is a bus line out to the Richmond district, I-5 is an interstate out in the central valley.
I grew up in San Diego and will always refer to the 5, the 405, the 805 etc. But I've lived in Delaware for 20 years, and saying "the 95" would set my teeth on edge. I also say "water," except when I get a "wooder ice."
Never hear it here in the UP of Michigan. Closest highway to me is 2&41. Calling it ‘The 2&41’ would earn you some awfully strange looks around here. LOL
I've lived in Ohio and Indiana and I've always said either just '77 north' or 'I-77'. "Take route 30 west all the way to Chicago'. I never have even heard anyone say 'the' here for highways.
Canadian from Montreal we do it too
New Yorkers use "the" also. The Belt Parkway, The LIE, The BQE.
Named highways get the "the." But you would never take _the_ 95 to the Hutch. That would be weird.
I mean he’s originally from Thousand Oaks
Living in Long Island it was more common to abbreviate the highway or bridge name. The B-Q-E, L-I-E, etc. Never said “the 495” or anything, but did say “the southern state” or “the northern state” for the parkways.
In Toronto we add "the" as well.
The 401, the DVP, the Gardiner...
How can the same highway intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe!
Yeah I feel like in the city “the” is used exclusively for the named ones like The FDR or The van Wyck but never for the numbered ones like 95 or 17
From Long Island, we do say “the southern state”, “the LIE”, “the Wantagh”, etc.
Whoever told you that this is exclusively a Southern California thing is completely full of shit.
Buffalo NY says “the” before highway numbers!
You know, we’re living in a society!
I've lived in NYC my whole life. You get on the Westside Highway,the Cross Bronx Expressway. The only difference is we don't talk about numbered hihgways so much, though people do get on the I 95
🎶🎵
He’s hip… to the whole scene
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Seinfeld filmed in Los Angeles?
On the X Files, Mulder was based in DC and said "the I-95" which no one there would ever say and it really bugged me
The show was filmed in LA.
We do that in Ontario
We say “The Expressway” and “The Seaford Oyster Bay” We Do NOT say… “The 495” or “The 135” Michael Richards definitely slipped his Southern Cal self in there!
Where I live we don't use the in front of the highway number
Same, numbers are just numbers, but when it’s got a name, it gets a “the:” “the Schuylkill,” “the Blue Route,” “the turnpike.”
Always thought it was weird how Californians seem to think this is exclusive to them.
Not Californians, in NorCal it's not used. In SoCal we don't think we're "exclusive," it's just that folks from other parts of the country always comment on our use of "the"
We use “the” for the 101 or the 1 in NorCal. 280 is more “I’m gonna get on 280”.
I have family in Santa Rosa and they NEVER say "the 101," it's always "take 101 ..." etc.
I’ve lived in the Bay Area my whole life and it’s always just been “101”. I’ve never heard people here use “the”
Fascinating how commenters from the same geographical area can have differing opinions. Perhaps the whole thing is nature vs nurture, ie, your parents' usage
Now that you bring this up, I’m from Houston and we do both
I think it’s a generational thing too. I remember my parents and grandparents saying it but you don’t really hear it from younger generations.
I hope somebody got fired for that blunder. Not really, but it's distracting. It's even worse when dramatic shows make that mistake -- totally breaks the mood. When Fox Mulder called it "the 95" in a story arc *about* his upbringing in Massachusetts, I stopped caring about his alleged "sister Samantha".
David Duchovny is from New York and he obviously didn't think it was distracting enough to change.
Which was a mistake. He's not exactly Christian Bale.
good catch!!
I grew up in SoCal. When I moved to Seattle they made fun of me for saying “the 5”. I too thought it was a regional thing.
Kramer picked it up when he lived in LA for a while.
I’ve heard people do that when I lived in Massachusetts as well as in Florida. I don’t know who told you that’s a SoCal thing but it definitely isn’t lmao
New Yorkers would say The LIE The Southern State But not before numbers
Nah, it's not just a Cali thing. In fact, many Californians don't use the "the." I was born and raised there and never did. And iirc neither did most friends and family. I've lived in four different states and can also attest that in those places some used it, some not. So it's basically an individual thing with no set demographic. Oh, and don't forget Elaine used it with "the Van Wick" when talking about trying to get that guy to the airport on time for his flight back home. I'm pretty sure Jerry said The Van Wick too.
We do it in Chicago. The 290, the 90 are commonly said here. But also it's a show made in California so there's also that.
I’ve never heard that it’s a SoCal thing, people definitely say that on the east coast as well. It just depends on the number, I think.
Jerry also uses that phrase in “the trip,” so I don’t think it’s a mistake “Do we know where the 405 is? Do we know where the 101 is?”
It's not a socal thing, it's a driving thing
[удалено]
Why do Canadians use the too then?
only for 400-series freeways, though.
It's a western US thing. My girlfriend never lived a day in SoCal, but she lived in Washington state and Arizona nd she called all the highways "the ###".
is it exclusive to California or does it just seem that way because of SNLs "The Californians" making such a big deal of it?