Peeve One. Does anybody know what “Twin Cities” means? You won’t learn from listening to any radio station, watching any television service, or reading any major area newspaper.
Let’s look at the words a bit.
“Twin” means two. It can mean the other one of two, but every definition you look up stems from the number two.
Suburbs and cities are different things, even though Minnesota law was changed three decades ago to allow suburbs to dishonestly call themselves “cities.”
Minneapolis is a city. Saint Paul is a city. Falcon Heights is not a city; it is a suburb. Likewise North Oaks, Bloomington, Maplewood, New Hope, and a few hundred others. Even if they were cities, they are not two in number.
Historically the Twin Cities have been Saint Paul and Minneapolis. To add any of the two hundred or so other jurisdictions located within a local phone call’s distance is doubly incorrect, since it adds something that is not a city and changes the sum from two to another number.
I am getting very tired of media labeling somebody from St. Louis Park or Mendota Heights as being a Twin Cities driver or banker or janitor or whatever. It is wrong and it is misleading and it makes one wonder how accurate much the other stuff that source is reporting is.
Similarly, referring to Roseville, Falcon Height, Maplewood, Vadnais Heights, or other such place as a “Saint Paul suburb” demeans our city and defeats the purpose of the parasites who live there. They live there because they don’t want to be part of us. Of course they don’t mind sticking their noses into our business, but that is what parasites do. The tapeworm never intends to become a steer. It just wants to use the steer for its own subsistence.
Peeve Two. The second peeve is the recurring “x-hundred block” of whatever street for addresses in our city. Many cities are set up with numbering for which that phrase would be appropriate. Ours is not.
Where is the 1100 block of Payne Avenue? 1100 is a church between Magnolia and Jessamine. 1199 is a saloon at Payne. Jessamine, Geranium, and Rose all come in between. The 300 block of North Snelling? There is a whole freeway in the middle.
Let’s find better ways of getting the message out. If we need to say Payne between Rose and Maryland, let’s say so. If we need to write that something happened at 16xx Highland Parkway, let’s write it that way.
However, if you tell me the 600 block of Fountain Place, I’ll understand.
Peeve Three. The third peeve is referring to Minneapolis as being “across the river. [or to us as being “across the river” from them]. “Upstream” and “downstream” would be more accurate terms. By looking at the fire hydrants in front of KSTP one can easily tell that there are two cities next to each other and there surely is no river there.
Peeve Three. The third peeve is referring to 
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2 comments:
I’ve seen you use that fire hydrant point before and have used it a few times myself. You are right. The two hydrants are indeed different. Good point.
Hello,
The folks who use the 'Twin Cities' phrase and then speak about metro communities other than Minneapolis/Saint Paul obviously should say, 'Twin Cities Metropolitan Area' when their subsequent statement refers to the greater metro area. I'll give you that one.
I knew twins in school. The were identical twins. Surely Minneapolis and Saint Paul are fraternal twins. There are similarities. Perhaps, though, these two cities are really not much of twins anymore. Instead of calling them the Twin Cities
Perhaps we should create a more accurate name for our cities such as:
'Two Cities that Used to Show a Much Stronger Resemblance and Now are Quite Different and who are Largely, but not Totally Across the River From Each Other.'
We could create an abbreviation because of the long name: TCUSMSRNQDLTARFEO
Whadda ya think?
Many Americans I encounter are very imprecise in their choice of words.
I agree, there is imprecision in using the phrase, 'The 1000 block.' In Saint Paul we should, in most cases say 'a 1000 block." I have incorporated this into my daily work. Thank You.
As usual you are absolutely correct. However, I must say that a vast majority of Minneapolis IS 'across the river.' To use this phrase in casual conversation to me is totally permissible. I would say that news sources and other professional should use much more precise language than this.
My question to you is: Are you really peeved about these things? Do you mean peeved or do you mean annoyed?
Cheers,
d.n. berg
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