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WHA’CHA CALL IT?

GROWING UP in Cleveland, Ohio, I knew that strip between the sidewalk and the street as the “tree lawn.” Eventually, I came to learn it had different names in different regions. These include the boulevard, the parking—and, particularly when it’s paved and sans trees, the devil’s strip.

A classic, and particularly well groomed, tree lawn in Oak Park, Ill. Image by Stephen Barnecut.

Wikipedia lists a bunch of names, with some indication of regional or dialectical specifics.

Will you add to this lexicon? What’s it called in your neck of the woods? And, in replying, please mention which woods. ds

5 comments on “WHA’CHA CALL IT?

  1. Tom Tyson
    August 29, 2012
    Tom Tyson's avatar

    Growing up in urban North Carolina, we always called it a boulevard, though I’ve also heard it called an easement and a right-of-way in other parts of the country.

  2. Gary Carlson
    August 29, 2012
    Gary Carlson's avatar

    In Southern Vermont the only time we spoke of when was when it needed mowing, and I’m afraid those names can’t be published in a gentleman’s journal.

  3. sabresoftware
    March 30, 2013
    sabresoftware's avatar

    A boulevard in Alberta. The middle strip between on a divided street is called the median, but in a pure malapropism is referred to by quite a few people as a meridian.

  4. sabresoftware
    March 30, 2013
    sabresoftware's avatar

    A boulevard in Alberta. The middle strip on a divided street is called the median, but in a pure malapropism is referred to by quite a few people as a meridian.

  5. DAVE
    April 19, 2015
    DAVE's avatar

    In the UK it’s known as ripe for devopment !

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This entry was posted on August 29, 2012 by in And Furthermore... and tagged , .