The New Intimacy

What do you call a road you can drive faster than 55 mph on?

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Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
It's a pet peeve of mine when people use highway and freeway interchangeably. I'm pretty sure I'm one of only a few people this bothers.

What do you call a road that has a speed limit of over 55 mph, multi-lanes (2 or more) with on ramps and off ramps?
Answers (public voting - your screen name will appear in the results):
Highway
Waterfall , Victoria , *HisMrs* , ToyTimeTim , Rockin' , LicentiouslyYours , cobiffle , Jobthingy , Kitt Katt , Misfit Momma , KaraSutra , Redboxbaby , moonch1ld , removedacnt , Lily Night , qspark , RonLee , Sammi , lezergirl , ColorSplash , idunshire , Dusk , MMMARY , Libra , namelesschaos , Joie de Cherresse , PiratePrincess , BadassFatass , Tori Rebel , Miss T , P'Gell , liilii080 , *Huxley* , DJBounder , Rayne Millaray , lovebugg , Kindred , Bunnycups , Midway through , toxie m , Lady Venus , DeliciousSurprise , ZenaidaMacroura , oopsy , Taylor Von , Solar Ray , slynch , ellejay , Taylor , ily , Kim! , GeekWife , MissNellie , mizzmilla , bayosgirl , v23 , Diabolical Kitty , Crystal1 , -BillD , Nissa Nissa , JRabbits
61  (75%)
Freeway
El-Jaro , seaofneptune , Nuckingfuts , mllebeauty , Fluke , Andromeda , GroovyBanana , darthkitt3n , potstickers , RosesThorns , girl next door , married with children , Rainbow Boy , onehotmomma , Elias McLovin , dv8 , Rossie
17  (21%)
Escalator
Kayla , tigerkate , kutekatie
3  (4%)
Total votes: 81
Poll is closed
03/17/2011
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Contributor: Victoria Victoria
No one in Philly says "freeway"...no one.

Mostly people here call roads by their route name: "676, 95, Rt 1" or its abbreviated name in these cases: "the turnpike", "the parkway", "the expressway"
03/17/2011
Contributor: Rockin' Rockin'
I voted for "Highway" but I think I say "Interstate" at least as frequently as "Highway" if not more frequently, that is, if I'm talking about interstate highways. The routes or whatever that have the same general structure...eh...I'll usually refer to them by number or call them "Highways," too.
03/17/2011
Contributor: ToyTimeTim ToyTimeTim
Highway. But I think the proper term is freeway.
03/17/2011
Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
I think of a highway as being a rural thing, outside of the metro areas and a freeway as being a highway inside cities... but I just made this up in my head, it has no basis in fact.
03/17/2011
Contributor: cobiffle cobiffle
a back country round where I am from
03/17/2011
Contributor: Jobthingy Jobthingy
It is Highway up here in the great white north
03/17/2011
Contributor: Kitt Katt Kitt Katt
Quote:
Originally posted by Rockin'
I voted for "Highway" but I think I say "Interstate" at least as frequently as "Highway" if not more frequently, that is, if I'm talking about interstate highways. The routes or whatever that have the same general ... more
Same here.
03/17/2011
Contributor: KaraSutra KaraSutra
I don't even know if we have 'freeways' in Canada.
03/17/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
I think I use highway more, and I use that word for anything that involves an on/off ramp. I don't use freeway very often, but I think when I do it's referencing a large wide open highway. I use it so infrequently that I honestly can't remember the last time I used it, lol.
03/17/2011
Contributor: seaofneptune seaofneptune
We call it a freeway around here
03/17/2011
Contributor: moonch1ld moonch1ld
I use both but, but here in Seattle the freeway means I-5 whereas a highway is I-5 or any of the other big roads.
03/17/2011
Contributor: Redboxbaby Redboxbaby
We only have two here and we call them The Parks or The Glenn. They listed on the signs as highways. I never heard anyone really use the word freeway. I have lived on the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the mid-west as well as Alaska, and most of the time they were listed as Hwy or Interstate on the signs.
03/17/2011
Contributor: removedacnt removedacnt
I drive in Illinois a lot! And believe me the "highways" are not FREE! LOL! Never heard the term escalator for that.
03/17/2011
Contributor: RonLee RonLee
A highway is a public road, especially a major road connecting two or more destinations. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a "highway transportation system". Each country has its own national highway system.
03/17/2011
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
WIth actual on and off ramps, I'd call it an Interstate, but if it just has 2 or more lanes (1 or more going each way), then a highway.
03/17/2011
Contributor: Annemarie Annemarie
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
It's a pet peeve of mine when people use highway and freeway interchangeably. I'm pretty sure I'm one of only a few people this bothers.

What do you call a road that has a speed limit of over 55 mph, multi-lanes (2 or more) with ... more
It depends. I consider "freeways" to be more than two lanes each way, and limited access (i.e. there's not streets directly off the road, but exits every half mile or so). A "highway" is two lanes or less, with streets coming off the road.
03/17/2011
Contributor: lezergirl lezergirl
highway or freeway.
03/17/2011
Contributor: ColorSplash ColorSplash
highway for me
03/17/2011
Contributor: idunshire idunshire
I don't think I've ever used the term "interstate" before, tbh. Everything is a "highway" or just a "road" to me.
03/17/2011
Contributor: Dusk Dusk
Highway. We have a bunch of toll roads around us too, so using 'freeway' wouldn't be very inclusive XD
03/17/2011
Contributor: MMMARY MMMARY
In NY the state is 55 so we have nothing OVER 55. LOL Sigh, I miss the 75 mph speed limit wyoming lol
03/17/2011
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
I call them highways.
03/18/2011
Contributor: Joie de Cherresse Joie de Cherresse
Here in Louisiana, they all called roads, lol.
03/18/2011
Contributor: darthkitt3n darthkitt3n
I call it either the freeway or interstate.
03/18/2011
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
This has been really cool! I think it's a regional thing, looking this over.

My take:

Highways are long roads that have a capped speed of 55 or less, intersections/lights, and turn into large streets in cities.

Freeways have restricted access, higher than normal speed limits, and serve as the fastest easiest ways out of a metro area.

If they charge you, it's a turnpike or tollway.
03/18/2011
Contributor: PiratePrincess PiratePrincess
I always say highway or interstate. Usually highway, even if the intended road may not be a highway.
03/18/2011
Contributor: BadassFatass BadassFatass
It's a highway in my world...although at the on ramp near my house they did just put up a sign that says "freeway entrance". No one around here calls it a freeway so I think it's a little silly.
03/18/2011
Contributor: tigerkate tigerkate
I voted Escalator!

If it has a toll booth, like some roads in California, then I call it a highway.

But for the most part, I call them freeways or just by the # it is referred to...
03/18/2011
Contributor: Tori Rebel Tori Rebel
Quote:
Originally posted by Victoria
No one in Philly says "freeway"...no one.

Mostly people here call roads by their route name: "676, 95, Rt 1" or its abbreviated name in these cases: "the turnpike", "the parkway", "the expressway"
Same here, which makes sense because we're only a couple hours apart. But more than anything we just say '80' or '287' - just go by the numbers, not the titles.
03/18/2011