I live in PA

[Thadeus]

Does anyone else live in a two-letter state?

I know every state has a two-letter abreviation, but I have never heard a person say that they live in CT or FL. Pennsylvanians seem to use PA completely interchangable with Pennsylvania.

Is this unique?

~Thadeus in Southeast, PA

 

[LFI]

I've heard people from New York City refer to it as NYC, but that's a city and three letters. Of course LA (Los Angeles, not Louisiana) and DC are only two letters, but still cities.

I wonder about Kentuckians: KY. Or do Missourians call their state "Moe" for MO? I lived in Virginia for a while. We might have said VA once or twice.

Hmmm...

--Dave

 

[SantaMufasa]

Dave (LookingFor Info)...I believe if anyone said, "I'm enjoying 'K-Y'," that it means something totally different from 'Kentucky'.

Mufasa
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[LFI]

Yes, well, there's THAT! I'm laughing now!

 

[KenCunningham]

Me too. Isn't GA one of the two letter states also?

 

[CajunCenturion]

I hope no one from Missouri -- the 'Show-Me' state -- has any ideas.

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[SF0751]

Have you ever listened to Car Talk on Public Radio? When giving their address, they will give the city and state as "Cambridge (Our Fair City), MA", pronouncing MA not as Massachusetts but as MAH.

Susan
"'I wish life was not so short,' he thought. 'Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.'"
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[tsdragon]

I do believe that people from Missouri say "moe" sometimes. I have heard "Kansas City, Moe" once or twice.

People from Virginia don't say "Vee Ay" or "Va", they say "Vahginyah".

I grew up in California and never heard is called "Cee Ay" or "Kah" (and if you say it "Kah" twice, it isn't very nice).


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[Paul4Meep]

I'm from PA too. I know just what you mean. I hear people call it PA (as in Pee Ay) a lot. Never really heard many people pronounce it Pah, though. That seems just weird.

(and if you say it "Kah" twice, it isn't very nice).

Why not? Sounds like a crow. "CAW! CAW! CAW!" ;-)

 

[Paul4Meep]

Woops. That was three times, not two. Well, you get the point anyway. "CAW! CAW!

 

[tsdragon]

There is a big difference between "CAW! CAW!" and "Caca".


Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[AnotherHiggins]

People around here sometimes say they are from "Raleigh NC" pronounced 'en see'. But it's not used to the extent that PA is.

[tt]_____
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[/tt][red]Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur[/red]

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[Thadeus]

I wonder why this is. It's not as though Pennsylvania is any more difficult to say than Mississippi, Connecticut, or California. The letters aren't a common abbreviation that people are used to such as VA (Veteran's Admin) or even OK, so it isn't a case where the letter combo is already in mainstream speech.

Interestingly, even the state uses the letters as in

http://www.VisitPA.com.

And when you hear the site mentioned in any advertising, it is of course said Visit-P-A-dot-com.

As I was thinking this comment out, I used the OK above and began to wonder if Oklahoma doesn't use their OK quite often as well... One wouldn't say, "I live in OK", but I see a website named NewsOK.com and TravelOK.com.

So I live in "Philly, PA"... or more commonly from a true resident, "Phila, PA" Are we just lazy?

~Thadeus

 

[CajunCenturion]

I'm somewhat surprised because I think PA is a commonly used abbreviation.

Within the medical community, PA is a Physician's Assistant.
Many public facilities have a PA (Public Address) system.

Could the song "Dancing In The Street" (The Mamas and Papas?) have played a part?

I think we should start referring to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as the "parent" states since they're ma and pa.


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[KenCunningham]

Maybe. Wasn't it by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas though? 'Don't forget the Motor City....' etc

 

[LFI]

On movie sets, PA is also "Production Assistant". A good PA is worth his or her weight in gold! ...and you can quote me on that, since it is not my job to pay PA's!

-Dave

 

[CajunCenturion]

I'm not sure who wrote it, nor who first performed it. Lots of groups have recorded "Dancin' in the Street".

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[Paul4Meep]

There is a big difference between "CAW! CAW!" and "Caca".

He he! I know, I just had to tease.

I wonder why this is. It's not as though Pennsylvania is any more difficult to say than Mississippi,

I don't know, that one is kinda hard to say (compared to Pennsylvania, anyway), especially for people with a lisp. So many S's!

So I live in "Philly, PA"... or more commonly from a true resident, "Phila, PA" Are we just lazy?

Don't forget the mangled, accelerated way many Phildelphians tell you were they live. It comes out sounding like "I live in Fluffyia." LOL!

Within the medical community, PA is a Physician's Assistant.
Many public facilities have a PA (Public Address) system.

On movie sets, PA is also "Production Assistant". A good PA is worth his or her weight in gold!

Don't forget Prior Authorization in drug benefits. I guess you could also say Public Accountant, though that is usually CPA (Certified Public Accountant) instead. LookingForInfo, is that just another example, or do you work in movies?

 

[KenCunningham]

Interesting, I wasn't aware that The Mamas and the Papas had recorded it. Nor Van Halen apparently!!

 

[tgreer]

I think it's because "Pennsylvania" is just so long. 5 syllables! So is "California", and that's often abbreviated to "Cali".

Thomas D. Greer

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