So pretty much everyone I know who lives here in the great state of PA will refer to it as its abbreviation when mentioning it in conversation. Does anyone else do that when talking about their home state, apart from DMs or email? Tysm ilysm ❤️❤️❤️
So pretty much everyone I know who lives here in the great state of PA will refer to it as its abbreviation when mentioning it in conversation. Does anyone else do that when talking about their home state, apart from DMs or email? Tysm ilysm ❤️❤️❤️
Comments
You mean like I’m from MA and your from PA?
Pretty sure it’s just us.
It’s unique to where you are. Nobody says “O-R” for Oregon, for example, but they do refer to Portland as “PDX” (after the airport code).
I went to college in PA and yep, pretty sure it’s a PA thing
AZ for Arizona sometimes
Nope. Not where I’m from (california/washington state)
It’s not a thing in IL.
They hate the city, vote against it but claim to be “from Chicago”.
It’s not a thing in IL.
They hate the city, vote against it but claim to be “from Chicago”.
Arizona is usually just Arizona (or the Valley when talking about the Pheonix Metro)
Neither Vermont nor New Hampshire do this
It bleeds into MD some. A relative moved there from 6k miles away and says “P-A” now. I was like, “what? Did you just say P A for Pennsylvania? And he’s like “yeah”. He military – not sure if that matters.
NC? Meh, maybe. Norf Cack(alacky)? Definitely.
In Virginia we usually say the full name. But there is a city here, Virginia Beach, where some locals will shorten it to VA Beach. Not just written out, they’ll literally say “vah beach.” It annoys the rest of us.
Not all the time but not incredibly rare either. I’m from California and am now in Minnesota and I’ve heard both referred to as either “CA” or “MN” in conversation.
From PA and travel extensively for work. Yes, it’s a uniquely PA thing. When I say that I’m from KoP PA, it’s totally normal for this area but everyone else looks at me like I’m mad
From Jersey, we def say PA and call NYC “the city”.
I’ve heard NC for North Carolina on occasion, tho way less common than PA. Here in Colorado I’ve only ever heard one person refer to the state as “CO” and he’s a transplant from Pennsylvania.
As a fellow resident, I’ve heard we are pretty unique among US states that way.
It’s a PA thing – and I know enough people from there that I hear it often.
For my state: saying UT really isn’t much different than just saying Utah.
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PA does it the most but its worn off on much of the northeast, especially its neighbors
Definitely not. L.A. is really the only thing California that’s referred to by abbreviation/initials. Like you don’t say “I’m going to S.D. or S.F”. And definitely not CA.
PA is pretty unique in this regard but WV folks definitely say WV a bunch. Not as much as PA, but more than other states I’ve been to.
Pennsylvania is a long word and abbreviating it to PA enables the speaker to maintain the pace and flow of the conversation.
Also, PA rolls off the tongue and sounds natural to the American ear as part of a conversation in a way that other abbreviations like WY, MO, MN, CO, & OR just don’t.
Nobody says ‘nice to meet you, I’m from WY’, it just sounds weird.
YMMV
Cali, NorCal, and SoCal are all common ways to refer to where you live in California.
NOVA for northern Virginia more often but we definitely say V-A too. Or did.
Yes PA is often referred to by its initials, separately. Like Philadelphia, Pee A
AZ is the only other one that I can think of but it’s not super common.
I am in PA and I involuntarily shriek from pain when anyone says, PAian, even in writing. Especially in writing. I do think this is common in most states, if not the postal code some other abbreviations. Also, every time Siri, which I have set to an Irish Man voice, says, “Take Pa209” and pronounces PA like the dad in Little House, I giggle, which is normal. (Also I am in NEPA, which is pronounced “nee-pah”)
I mean I’m from the DMV
I’ve never said NY, always New York. I usually say PA instead of Pennsylvania, but I say the other states. (Not that I talk about other states often, I don’t travel)
Saying the state abbreviation like “PA” is unique to Pennsylvania as far as I know.
But other states have their own informal names
I think because you have 4 syllables whereas for example GA has 2. So you could say PA rather than PA in full. It’s just quicker.
Rather in GA it’s the same saying GA or Georgia.
As a Pennsylvanian, I also say PA, but mostly because “Pennsylvania” is kind of an annoying word. I’m curious if this trend is more closely related to states with difficult names or states around PA.
It’s like you’re trying to speak to me, I just know it!
I was born and raised in L.A. and the only people I knew who called California “Cali” were not born there.
Being from LA, it is common to answer with the city rather than the state if people ask where you were from. I always refer to the state as California.
I think it’s mostly a PA thing. I’ve heard someone from there say it but I guess there’s help from it being such a long name
Our nation’s capital is just “DC” or “the District.”
I never heard it until my coworker from Pennsylvania starting talking about PA. I never heard anyone from other states say that but to be fair some states roll off the tongue better than Pennsylvania sounding like a budget destination just an hour north of Dracula’s castle.
Not OK
…you see our problem
…not bad, not great, just
I was somewhere in the south, (made a trip from Charlotte through several states and eventually to New Orleans) and one time someone asked where I’m from. I said LA (as in Los Angeles) but somehow even with my accent, she asked where in Louisiana I’m from… I started telling people I was from California.
Turns out if you say you’re from Los Angeles, or Hollywood (easier for some international trips) people start asking you which celebrities you know…
Fellow Northeasterner and it is mostly a PA thing. Problem don’t say ‘NH, NY, Or, MA’ Out loud by reading each letter. People say ‘Mass’ but I’ve not heard someone say M A.
I feel like I’ve heard people say FLA for Florida, but I don’t know if it’s common.
It’s a PA thing!
Nobody says VT. It’s always just Vermont or if you’re trying to be fancy, the Green Mountain State.
I don’t think it’s too unusual to refer to Ohio as just “O-H”. Obviously the Ohio State fans will wanna follow up with “I-O”. But at least in my friend group, we often skip that bit. Usually done to be a little silly, but I don’t think anyone would find it terribly weird.