[TheRightGuy]

I listen to the local evening talking heads here in SoCal. Sheesh.

Okay, so here is a semi-grammatical-only-slightly-off-topic question for southern California experts on the "thuh" and/or "thee" word.

Here in the midwest we refer to Interstate Hwy. 57 as "I-57", Interstate Hwy. 80 as "I-80", etc. When I lived in SoCal, I noticed insertion of "the" as in "the I-5", "the I-15", "the I-8", etc. What gives with that?

[Yaelle]

Here in the midwest we refer to Interstate Hwy. 57 as "I-57", Interstate Hwy. 80 as "I-80", etc. When I lived in SoCal, I noticed insertion of "the" as in "the I-5", "the I-15", "the I-8", etc. What gives with that?

I don't know. We always say "THE 110" or "THE 405." I don't know why. Interesting. We don't say the "I" part either. We are the only state where the highways are called "freeways," too, aren't we?

[Conservative4Ever]

Hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it...but..this is just a guess...maybe we hold our Interstates in greater esteem. I that statement grammatically correct? :)

[HIDEK6]

When I lived in SoCal, I noticed insertion of "the" as in "the I-5", "the I-15", "the I-8", etc. What gives with that?

The first time I heard that was in Flint, Michigan, c. 1978. I asked for directions and an old black guy told me, "..go past the Buick.."

He was referring to the Buick plant there.

[Mr.Unique]

Years aog, no one used the I numbers...is was the San Diego Freeway, the Harbor Freeway, the Pasadena Freeway...so, you replace the name with the number...the I-5.