Central CA people: do you say "the XXX [freeway]" or just "XXX"? (San Diego: live, radio)

[HereThereEveryware]

Usually the way I hear it around here is:

I5
99
The 205
580
I15
41
168
180
405
101 (sometimes "the 101")
1

[1200RT]

I kind of remember a recent lengthy thread about this subject...

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by 1200RT

I kind of remember a recent lengthy thread about this subject...

You sure that wasnt a Cali thread?

[DMenscha]

Well I like to drive on THE main street and then turn on THE Broadway and go down a bit until I get to THE Maple street where I turn onto THE California street.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by Bulldogdad

You sure that wasnt a Cali thread?

It was in a subforum ..... 13 pages.

Why do people say "the" 405?

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I say "the" 101 or what have you, It is as it should be, LOL

[Dean Trails]

Ahh,,,,
And why is Tuna,,,referred to as Tuna fish?

We don't call meat,,beef cows or chicken poultry.

Is the some tuna that is not a fish?

Sorry to verr off your silly thread!

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Well it is hard to tuna fish, but you can come over and help me tune my Pianno.

I can't find anyone around here that can say 101 without first saying the word "the". For some reason it is not natural. I say 101 because that is the freeway that I am on mostly. We also have the 126, the 33, and 35 to 40 minutes away is the 405 and the 5.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Wondering: we call it Tuna Fish but don't say Salmon Fish, or Bass Fish. Do you think that those other fish feel left out?

[KC6ZLV]

The use of "the" as a definitive article came from the regional dialect of the LA Metro area. You will hear it in different parts of the state due to people moving around.

My experience has been that people who use it are from that general area, and many of them are very adamant about the use of it, sometimes to the point of asking others why they say "US-50" instead of "the 50." Kind of like the way some people get all bent if you pronounce the h in herb.

In Central and Northern California, the locals usually refer to state highways by number only (41, 99, etc), or by calling them Highway 99, Highway 41, etc. It isn't unusual to hear "Freeway 99" in the San Joaquin Valley, which comes from the distinction between the old route of US-99, which is often called Golden State Blvd in many towns and cities, and the newer freeway that replaced and bypassed portions of the original US-99.

In Sacramento it is Hwy-50 or US-50, mostly. 99 or Hwy-99 less often. I-80 or 80, Hwy-49, 160, and 65. The Bay area uses almost the same naming formats for the freeways there.

And then, you can always listen to traffic reports from radio stations. They usually use what most people use in an area.