# East or West? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2011, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550 "2011-06-15T12:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/41 "2011-06-16T09:06:24Z")
I despise both, and never leave the Greenwich Meridian. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/42 "2011-06-16T09:53:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > West = Númenoreans. > > Go West! The Númenoreans got us into this whole mess! If I go any Farther East, I’ll be going west. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/43 "2011-06-20T18:06:56Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > East. The drives are shorter. But the putz are smellier. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/44 "2011-06-20T18:15:08Z")
[This should clear things up.](http://xkcd.com/503/) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/45 "2011-06-20T18:28:33Z")
'Til I’m laid to rest Always be depressed There’s no life in the West I know the East is the best All the propaganda they spread Tongues will have to confess CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/46 "2011-06-20T18:34:38Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > This is a plus in my book. Years ago I was planning on moving to Hawaii. I was telling a postal worker about it, and he said “I’d hate it there! You can’t drive for more than twenty minutes without running into an ocean!” Your point being? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/47 "2011-06-20T18:45:42Z")
I’m in the eastern part of the western part of the northern part of the world. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/48 "2011-06-20T19:19:58Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > I’m in the eastern part of the western part of the northern part of the world. Like a property description, it helps if you read that backwards. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/49 "2011-06-20T19:31:53Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > I thought East was East and West was West? “…and the wrong 'un I have chose…” ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/50 "2011-06-20T20:52:51Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Like a property description, it helps if you read that backwards. “world the of part northern the of part western the of part eastern the in I’m” :dubious: Hmmm… I’m just NOT, “getting it”. 😛 Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/51 "2011-06-20T21:18:34Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > “world the of part northern the of part western the of part eastern the in I’m” :dubious: > > Hmmm… I’m just NOT, “getting it”. 😛 > > Sorry, I just couldn’t resist!😃 Keep studying. There is an exam Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/52 "2011-06-20T21:43:19Z")
The people who we bought our house from were named East. Our name is West. So the answer is “Both.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/53 "2011-06-20T22:29:38Z")
West of west is my goal. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/54 "2011-06-20T22:48:36Z")
I’ve been to the East I’ve been to the West Now I’m stuck in the middle with you And I’m wondering what it is I should do ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/55 "2011-06-20T23:28:05Z")
Honey West of course. ---
**Author:** ![ThelastGentlemanOnEarth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@ThelastGentlemanOnEarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelastGentlemanOnEarth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/56 "2011-06-20T23:45:49Z")
> [@indian](#): > > I am curious. Considering you’re trying to compare Oriental/Indian and Western cultures per Rudyard Kipling’s poem, both have their own merits: East, to find perfect love. West, to find perfect happiness. East, to find perfect health. West, to find perfect energy. East, to find perfect loyalty and kinship. West, to find perfect honour. East, to find perfect food. West, to find perfect nutrition. East, to find perfect natural beauty. West, to find perfect aesthetics, architecture and man-made creations. East, to find perfect spirituality. West, to find perfect real world knowledge. I could go on and on…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/57 "2011-06-20T23:53:12Z")
I’m going with the blessed olive tree that is neither of the east nor the west. I like olives. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/58 "2011-06-20T23:59:53Z")
[**When East meets West (by sea)**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=465597) > [@Lumpy](#): > > When going by sea from Europe, you would obviously go east to go to Africa, the Middle East, India, Indonesia and probably Australia and China. If you were going to the Americas and possibly as far west as Hawaii, you would go west. If you wanted to go to Fiji- ??? Pure geography might not be the criterion because of things like favorable winds and currents, available ports, stops for other purposes along the way, maybe the time of year, etc. And obviously the introduction of steam and the opening of the Suez and Panama canals might have made the difference for some Pacific destinations. So about where in the Pacific was the effective dividing line? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/59 "2011-06-21T00:20:27Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The east will rise again. The yeast will rise, but only once. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550/60 "2011-06-21T00:35:17Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > The yeast will rise, but only once. I can’t let this go by without a punchline you’ve all heard a dozen times: “Yeast is yeast and jest is jest, but never the Main shall tweet.” Carry on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/east-or-west/585550.md?page=4)