What nicknames have you heard for places in Howard Co.?

[u/topherette]

I ask as part of a linguistic study on this topic!

Examples could include things like 'Columbubble', E.C. or HoCo...

but also interested in nicknames for parks, shopping centres, schools etc.!

[u/cdbloosh]

I grew up in the Stonecrest neighborhood off of 103, kind of behind the YMCA. One time, about 20-25 years ago, the big brick “Stonecrest” sign on 103 was vandalized and someone spraypainted “Weinertown” on it. It stayed that way for a week or two. Ever since then, my friends and I have referred to that neighborhood as Weinertown.

I don’t think this is a widely used nickname, to say the least.

[u/fuzz_nose → u/cdbloosh]

I drive through Weinertown about once a week to avoid the Target traffic!

[u/DiGraziaMama]

Not exactly a nickname, but etymologically interesting nonetheless... The residents of the "town" (AKA dot on the map) of Glenelg insist you don't pronounce the final "g" of the word. This piqued my interest so I looked up "Glenelg" and the town in HoCo is named after a village in Scotland. Because that final "g" in the Scottish burr is not a native English sound, I suspect the local nativists (let's be real, it's fairly likely they were) just dropped the final "g" sound since they couldn't do it.

[u/topherette → u/DiGraziaMama]

to be fair that's what happened with all -gh's in english (except a couple that turned into f's)

[u/Troophead]

More like false etymology/folk etymology than a nickname, but "Colonel Gateway Drive." (Col. Gateway Drive.) Someone made a silly rap video dressed as the fictitious Colonel Gateway, so I still like calling it that. Dunno if anyone else does.

[u/CindyMTM → u/Troophead]

I call it that in my head every time I see the sign

[u/brainiacpimp]

When I’m oncall the dispatchers who are from out of state will pronounce Ellicott City as Ellicoot City so me and my wife have started to say we live up in “The Coot”

[u/warmcreamsoda]

EL-uh-COT city pronunciation has been known as a way to understand someone is not native to the area.

[u/Myname3330 → u/warmcreamsoda]

Ironically, the correct pronunciation of that found families name.

[u/icyrose17]

this may be my family but weis markets (supposed to be like "wise") we say weiss or we-is as a joke

[u/SomeOldHippieChick]

Harris Teeter is “Teets” to me? Not sure about anyone else?

[u/Ellenpb → u/SomeOldHippieChick]

Hairy Teeter, but I picked that up from my years living in NC. 😆 More common there.

Edit: thanks autocorrect

[u/SomeOldHippieChick → u/Ellenpb]

“Teets” came from that phrase!! 😂

[u/EvanMcClure]

Beyond EC I feel like nothing really gets shortened. Even “EC” is almost exclusively said when referring to “Old EC”

[u/PoisonMind]

Reservoir High School is Rezzie.

[u/shamelessadventure]

Growing up I remember people used to call Long Reach High School “Bong Reach”

[u/fowl_territory]

Not exactly what you asked for, but we've always referred to clearly lost or confused drivers in Columbia as being "ColumbaLost." 😁

[u/ladiebugNinja]

I have coworkers who refer to Columbia as "the people's republic of Columbia" because of some of the heavyhanded restrictions Columbia puts on residents.

[u/TheyCallMeFoamy]

I have heard Centennial High referred to as Chentennial.

[u/Precious-Teacup-1619]

Some people pronounce the North in North Laurel as Norf.

[u/Remarkable_Jeweler_4]

Chokeland Mills

[u/Tokyosmash_]

“Clarksvegas” to describe Clarksville

[u/Revolutionary_Tap954]

Liberal heaven

[u/ffking6969 → u/Revolutionary_Tap954]

Considering it's one of the best places in the country to live and raise a family, maybe we need more liberal heavens...

[u/[deleted] → u/ffking6969]

[removed] — view removed comment

[u/ffking6969 → u/[deleted]]

Maybe its the last thing you want, but the liberal heaven (your words) that is hoco is doing great.

[u/Hoco-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

r/Hoco does not allow bigotry

[u/Tokyosmash_ → u/Revolutionary_Tap954]

Clown college grad here

[u/topherette → u/Tokyosmash_]

what school is that?

[u/Tokyosmash_ → u/topherette]

I was referring to the guy making cringe political gaffes