right straight?
Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2006 11:34 pm
So I went to the cherry blossom festival in DC the other day, and we stopped to ask some locals for directions..
me, "can you point me towards union station?"
local, "you go straight left down the road there and then make a right."
everyone else in the car got confused, but i knew we were supposed to make an immediate left, followed later by a right. These "locals" were obviously from Virginia, where we use the word "straight" often as in dication of correctness, particularly while giving directions. if the local had wanted me to go straight without making turns, he would have said, "go right down the road there." or "go right straight down the road there". It's considered improper to say, "go right" and mean take a right turn.. for that action you'd say, "take a right", or "turn right"
lesson of the story. be wary when you ask directions from a virginian.
me, "can you point me towards union station?"
local, "you go straight left down the road there and then make a right."
everyone else in the car got confused, but i knew we were supposed to make an immediate left, followed later by a right. These "locals" were obviously from Virginia, where we use the word "straight" often as in dication of correctness, particularly while giving directions. if the local had wanted me to go straight without making turns, he would have said, "go right down the road there." or "go right straight down the road there". It's considered improper to say, "go right" and mean take a right turn.. for that action you'd say, "take a right", or "turn right"
lesson of the story. be wary when you ask directions from a virginian.