All my life I have occasionally heard people refer to Lake Erie as “the lakes”. I hear it rarely, but consistently. Example: “We’re headed up to the lakes to fish this weekend. Probably Sandusky.”

Why?  Are they talking about the Great Lakes in general?  That makes no sense though. That would be like taking a trip from Ohio to Indiana and saying you were headed to “the states”.  

Any ideas?

Sounds trendy, like "going to the Hamptons".

I've never heard anyone say that in my life, despite living in northern Ohio and spending a lot of time on Lake Erie.

posted by Fab4Runner

I've never heard anyone say that in my life, despite living in northern Ohio and spending a lot of time on Lake Erie.

ditto

It's not something I've heard commonly, but occasionally.  Specifically in Delaware and Mansfield.  Maybe it's a north central Ohio thing.  I've only heard it from people who are now 60+ years old.  

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

All my life I have occasionally heard people refer to Lake Erie as “the lakes”. I hear it rarely, but consistently. Example: “We’re headed up to the lakes to fish this weekend. Probably Sandusky.”

 

Why?  Are they talking about the Great Lakes in general?  That makes no sense though. That would be like taking a trip from Ohio to Indiana and saying you were headed to “the states”.  

 

Any ideas?

Honestly never heard it as "lakes", only "lake". Maybe down here in Akron people just understand grammar?

posted by vball10set

ditto

ditto

posted by jmog

Honestly never heard it as "lakes", only "lake". Maybe down here in Akron people just understand grammar?

Akron is considered to be the best grammar and enunciation in the United States

Except somehow they created the grass between the sidewalk and street to be deemed "devil's strip"

Never heard that in my life.

Sounds like the classic Midwest move to add an "s" to everything.  Krogers, Meijers, states (when referring to the state tournament), etc...

I have never heard it either. 

I think like_that is on to something with his explanation of it. 

BTW, Akron area mothers in the 1920’s told their kids that that strip of grass was where the devil lived to keep them away from the street. 

posted by like_that

Sounds like the classic Midwest move to add an "s" to everything.  Krogers, Meijers, states (when referring to the state tournament), etc...

The Kroger one drives me crazy 

I live "on" Lake Erie and have never heard it referred to that way. I agree with like_that in that it's probably just one more thing that folks are deciding to tag an S on to.  ...living "on" the lake of course being a shortened form of saying living on the lake shore.

Anyway(s)....

I've never heard that.  Of course I never heard of Krogers or Meijers before moving to Cincinnati.