I've given up fighting the term "Cali" (Los Angeles: college, live in)

[savoytruffle]

Yeah, it's kind of useless to fight it when you try to correct out-of-staters only to have Californians on this forum chastise you for it and say it's not a big deal. Well of course it isn't a big deal compared to actual serious things, but all places have preferences. Like Nevadans hating that the state is pronounced "Nevahda" by others, and the Ore-gone pronunciation, etc.

People will always say Cali so...eh.

[LordHomunculus]

Well, I'm not from California, so I guess that's why I'm oblivious to the severity of the term "Cali". As an outsider, I was just wondering why the nickname was so bothersome to Californians. I just see it as a simple nickname. But like I said, I'm not a native and it might just be a Cali thing.




























youseewhatididthere?

[CarawayDJ]

Forgive me for posting this over and over and..... I just can't think of a better way to put this into perspective.

[911 Operator] Hello, what is the nature of your emergency.
[Caller] I just want to report someone saying Cali.
[911 Operator] Uh, is that a problem? Isn't Cali a logical shortening of California?
[Caller] Duh... Of course it's a problem. That's the name of a city in Columbia!
[911 Operator] Santa Rosa is the name of a city in Argentina. So is San Rafael. There is a city in Chile named Los Angeles. El Cerrito is also a city in Columbia. Same for Fresno.
[Caller] It's not a problem when you use the whole name. It's only a problem if the short name is identical to a city somewhere else.
[911 Operator] Then there shouldn't be a problem because Cali is actually just the short name for Santiago de Cali. So the short name for California is the same as the short name for Santiago de Cali.
[Caller] No! You just aren't getting it. It's OK for cities to use the same proper or short names as cities in other countries, but you can't have a short name for a state be the same as the short name for a city in Columbia. That's so wrong.
[911 Operator] Sir, should I tell the residents of New England that they can no longer refer to Massachusetts as just Mass? Should we stop people from saying Penn State?
[Caller] No, it's quite OK when the state name has a lot of syllables like Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
[911 Operator] Sir, psychiatric personnel are enroute to your location.

[ferretkona]

The only people I ever hear say it are usually getting off a very short bus. It might only be a county thing.
Your results may differ.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest outside of Portland, you could tell the non-locals by the way they pronounced Willamette...as in Willamette Valley, Willamette River, etc. Nothing screamed non-local like saying it with the french pronunciation Will-uh-MET. The locals say Will-AHHH-met.

Wherever anyone is from, who are reading this forum, there is some local pronunciation where you are from, that non-locals get wrong. And they stand out like the outsiders they are, and look like dorks to the locals.

That's what Cali is to those of us who were born and raised here. The transplants may eventually take over, and the rest of us die out. But, in the meantime, even if you say, Hey, I'm a Californian and I say Cali.... Those of us from here know you were NOT born and raised here. You're just determined to get us natives adapted to your cute little nickname.

It would be like someone calling Minnesota "Minny" or New York "Newy."

But, OP, I think you're right. Let them think they're cool. We can silently grin.

That real estate sign just screams out-of-state developer, though, doesn't it?

[BeauCharles]

I blame Rap.

[lily4]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest outside of Portland, you could tell the non-locals by the way they pronounced Willamette...as in Willamette Valley, Willamette River, etc. Nothing screamed non-local like saying it with the french pronunciation Will-uh-MET. The locals say Will-AHHH-met.

Wherever anyone is from, who are reading this forum, there is some local pronunciation where you are from, that non-locals get wrong. And they stand out like the outsiders they are, and look like dorks to the locals.

That's what Cali is to those of us who were born and raised here. The transplants may eventually take over, and the rest of us die out. But, in the meantime, even if you say, Hey, I'm a Californian and I say Cali.... Those of us from here know you were NOT born and raised here. You're just determined to get us natives adapted to your cute little nickname.

It would be like someone calling Minnesota "Minny" or New York "Newy."

But, OP, I think you're right. Let them think they're cool. We can silently grin.

That real estate sign just screams out-of-state developer, though, doesn't it?

I hate to hear "Cali" and agree that it started with people from out of state using it. To me, it sounds like something they say because they think it sounds cool. Most born and raised Californians say California and when they hear someone say "Cali" it tells them he or she is not a local and it sounds very wannabe dork. Frisco is the same kind of thing. I don't know anyone from San Francisco who calls it "Frisco". Most people from the Bay area will call it San Francisco or simply "the city".

[CarawayDJ]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

The only people I ever hear say it are usually getting off a very short bus. It might only be a county thing.
Your results may differ.

I can't speak to how it was 30 years ago, but when you hear Cali today the person saying it as as likely to be a native as a non native. That's what makes this topic hilarious every time it comes up. I can probably walk into any gift shop and find a pin, cup, or t-shirt with "Cali" on it.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

I can't speak to how it was 30 years ago, but when you hear Cali today the person saying it as as likely to be a native as a non native. That's what makes this topic hilarious every time it comes up. I can probably walk into any gift shop and find a pin, cup, or t-shirt with "Cali" on it.

Many of the state's biggest cities have very few California natives left in them.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

This company out of Modesto is building a business plaza near where I work. The name...

Oh, ick. It means they have no imagination. Seriously, "Cali Plaza" is the best they could do?!

Losers.