WeSea?

August 30, 2007 at 7:02 am | In West Seattle online | 35 Comments

Some folks grump at us from time to time for deciding to refer to the venerable California Avenue Southwest as “Cali.” Yes, we admit, we made it up, although there is at least one business that uses the shorthand (Cali Nails, south edge of The Junction). Other new abbreviations have started to appear in the past year or so, such as SOA. But now, here’s one we have never heard/seen before — interested if you have — a blogger who apparently moved to WS recently is calling it “WeSea.”

35 Comments

  1. Forget all wannabe New York-style neighborhood abbreviations.

    Acceptable:

    WSeattle
    WS
    The Westside
    Best Seattle

    Comment by Hainsworth — August 30, 07 7:31 am #

  2. WeSea? urgh. I call it The WS sometimes, but mainly in emails/IMs never conversationally.

    I quite like Best Seattle though. Its funny cos its true.

    Comment by evan — August 30, 07 7:47 am #

  3. It could be worse…

    East Bainbridge
    South Magnolia
    North Burien
    West SODO
    98116+98126+98106+98136

    Comment by RobertSeattle — August 30, 07 7:50 am #

  4. WeSea is lame. I always say West Seattle in conversations…use WS in IMs/Emails. As for bad abbreviations that could be worse…how about Weattle

    Comment by Lou — August 30, 07 8:00 am #

  5. My husband refers to the area where we live as Fauntlerwood, or Westleroy. But then he’s kidding. I assume.

    Comment by eilis flynn — August 30, 07 8:05 am #

  6. Back to the original thingy, “Cali” is pretty lame. I’m from the Bay Area, and rest assured no one said, “Cali” or “Frisco.” Sounds wannabesurfer to me.

    Comment by Delridge Dave — August 30, 07 8:06 am #

  7. Seconding lame. Go back to SoCal.

    Comment by steph — August 30, 07 8:09 am #

  8. I like to refer to North Admiral as NORAD.

    I’m going to third that WeSea is lame.

    The I’s have it.

    Comment by ESEW — August 30, 07 8:13 am #

  9. Are we who live south of Admiral SAD?

    Comment by RobertSeattle — August 30, 07 9:18 am #

  10. This is funny. I like NORAD although I am SAD by a few blocks.

    Please permit me to go off topic. I saw someone wearing a West Seattle cap at the Street Fair. It wasn’t being sold by any of the vendors. Anyone know where I can buy one?

    Comment by Admiral Janeway — August 30, 07 9:28 am #

  11. We are all NOBs…North of Burien…this could be fun.

    Comment by Lou — August 30, 07 9:44 am #

  12. I think what makes “WeSea” especially lame is that the abbreviation looks like it should be pronounced differently than the full phrase. The “We” part makes me want to say “we,” not “weh” as in “WEst.”

    “WeSea” spoken aloud sounds like “We see.”

    “NORAD” is clever and it sounds like a shortened version of “North Admiral.” Nice one.

    Comment by Hainsworth — August 30, 07 9:46 am #

  13. NORAD – North Admiral Aerospace Command?
    WeSea – weesy. Ugh.
    What’s wrong with the way everybody says it? Wesseattle.

    Comment by Katherine — August 30, 07 10:09 am #

  14. NORAD is the best ever. We-Sea is about as lame is it can ever get.
    I just let ‘em know IM on the Westside…they get it.
    In reality, Im just off Alki a few steps…what are we called I wonder..

    Comment by D.B. Panic! — August 30, 07 10:40 am #

  15. WeSea: lame, stupid, dumb, etc…
    I’m surprised you even gave it mention.

    Comment by flipjack — August 30, 07 10:40 am #

  16. Come on people wake up! There are only two Seattles:

    our area, which I call Seattle (since the Denny party kicked things off at Alki)

    The rest is just East Seattle.

    Comment by JumboJim — August 30, 07 10:47 am #

  17. A friend of mine (not a best-sider) coined this term about a year ago. Pronounced we-see. It was fun at first, but didn’t stick. Westside or Bestside seem to be the terms I hear used the most when referring to our neck of the woods.

    Cali is perfectly acceptable, and rad, quit being so uptight for chrissakes.

    Comment by Aaron — August 30, 07 12:50 pm #

  18. I like Bestside..:)

    Comment by Jan — August 30, 07 1:41 pm #

  19. I agree with the majority: WeSea is baaad. But I do enjoy calling myself a ‘Westie’. No dog jokes from the Peanut Gallery, please! :-)

    How about Cal Ave (like Mass Ave in Boston) as an alternative to ‘Cali’?

    Comment by Anton — August 30, 07 3:06 pm #

  20. A good “WS” trivia question would be name all the streets in West Seattle named after other States. :-)

    Comment by RobertSeattle — August 30, 07 3:45 pm #

  21. I prefer to refer to it as Westsiiiiiiiiiiiiide. :)

    “WeSea” sounds too much like “greasy”

    RobertSeattle: California, Alaska….does Dakota count? Oregon

    Comment by Jen V. — August 30, 07 5:43 pm #

  22. Hi Sis (Jen V)
    I guess we live in NorRox, which sounds live a medicine.
    Maybe SoBar, for South of Barton.
    But I live saying we live in East Westwood. :)

    Anyone know where I can get the bumper stickers that say “White Center, not so white, not so centered”??

    Comment by Todd in Westwood — August 30, 07 7:22 pm #

  23. There’s also Massachusetts in the Admiral District…and I think that there’s a Florida St. somewhere. There are also city names..Seattle, Juneau…hmmm…now my memory is fading – lol…

    Comment by Jan — August 30, 07 8:39 pm #

  24. As much as I love WSB, and our wonderful webmeisters, “Cali” does make me kinda cringe.

    As far as our entire community, I frequently use “WS” in internet postings, but otherwise it’s “Wesseattle” (well, when spoken, anyway).

    Mike

    Comment by miws — August 30, 07 8:55 pm #

  25. what up Bro? I like NoRox. Please see your doctor to see if NoRox is right for you.

    so what is my neighborhood called, anyway? Block Off the Bridge? The Junction where Starbux meets Tervo’s? I want a snappy neighborhood nickname too!

    Comment by Jen V. — August 30, 07 9:21 pm #

  26. I call it the “Terriaki Triangle”!

    Comment by Todd in Westwood — August 30, 07 9:29 pm #

  27. WS streets named after cities are easier. Spokane (of course), Monroe, Trenton, Hanford, Andover, Concord, Othello, Austin,and Cambridge. As for states, don’t forget Oregon. I’m sure there’s more, but I would have to cheat and look at a map.

    Comment by Admiral Janeway — August 30, 07 11:10 pm #

  28. Jen V….how about Terbux? :)

    Comment by Jan — August 30, 07 11:14 pm #

  29. Reading the land-use bulletins all the time, we have seen most of the street names go by, so we can add that wrt states, there’s a SW Nevada; wrt cities, there’s SW Portland. And Henderson (growing city next to Las Vegas), Snoqualmie …

    Comment by WSB — August 30, 07 11:30 pm #

  30. Anton – You mean’t to say like Ass M’ave in Boston? :) That’s what we called it when I lived there.
    Todd – that is a great bumper sticker. Let us know where we can get one if you find out. Also, let me know if you see any Mass Hole t shirts.
    Just adding my opinion that these abbreviations and conjunctions are annoying and so un Seattle. Seattle has been changing, for better or worse, over the past 10 years. These cute little names are just one annoying example. The latest example is people starting to refer to interstates as “The 5″ or “the 405″ .. it’s a free country but these cutsie/I wanna be cool sayings, like Cali, should stay in California. It may be the 5 in LA but it’s I – 5 here in Seattle as in eye 5.

    Comment by Chet — August 31, 07 8:25 am #

  31. Chet…I couldn’t agree more. I really have no problem with Cali for Calif. Ave., altho I’ll always use the latter, but..we have too many transplants who are trying to make us into the place that they escaped from. We are still Seattle, the small town in the big city clothes…how hard is it to say I-5..geez…

    Comment by Jan — August 31, 07 10:44 am #

  32. Amen Jan.
    Hope you are doing well. You should create a little website for your business then link it to your comment name on this board. You could increase your business if you would like. Lots of stressed out people in West Seattle myself included! :)

    Comment by Chet — August 31, 07 11:06 am #

  33. ummm..ummm…well…I have a website that’s always a work in progress…so…there you go. There’s always room for new clients…we all need massage on a regular basis..the world would be a much happier place :)

    Comment by Jan — August 31, 07 4:25 pm #

  34. THANK YOU JAN! Terbux it is! :D:D

    Comment by Jen V. — August 31, 07 5:36 pm #

  35. thanks for the site Jan

    Comment by Chet — September 4, 07 8:22 am #

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