# IN line or ON line, etc.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 23, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508 "2000-08-23T21:22:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2000, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/1 "2000-08-23T21:22:25Z")
Probably been done before, but there’re a lot of new Dopers, so I’m asking.
Personally, I wait IN line and I TAKE (not “have”) a shower.
How about you?
(Yeah, yeah, I can already hear all the posts about “Well personally, I take a bath. And I don’t have to wait in line to do it.” etc.)
Is this a geographically-based (american-only) language thing?
Any others?
---
### Author:  [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2000, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/2 "2000-08-23T22:13:58Z")
I wait **in** line and **take** a shower.
I was raised in the midwest.
It seems on line waiters are from the Northeast. I’m not sure about having vs. taking a shower.
---
### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/3 "2000-08-23T22:25:16Z")
Over in Great Britain, there **are** no “lines” for everybody to wait on **or** in.
(You wait in a “queue” over there.)
---
### Author:  [@wireless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wireless)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2000, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/4 "2000-08-23T23:08:16Z")
Yes, **tracer**.
And they also have “take _away_” (food) while we have “take _out_”.
**monster**
I think you’re right, but that, more specifically, “on line” is New York (as in New York City, 5 Boroughs), but I have nothing to back this up. Anyone?
I was born in (north) New Jersey and we’re all “in-liners”.
The one person I knew who said “have a shower” was from the Chicago area - Lake Forest, IIRC. Does that make it a mid-west thing?
(And incidentally, I would ask why I find this kind of thing interesting, but I think I’m afraid of the answer!)
---
### Author:  [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/5 "2000-08-24T06:52:38Z")
I’m from upstate NY (Glens Falls) and I wait in lines and take showers.
---
### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2000, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/6 "2000-08-24T08:52:27Z")
Is the word “hella” mainly a Northern California thing? I never heard the word until I moved to Northern California, and it seems like people use it for every other word.
---
### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2000, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/7 "2000-08-24T12:15:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by wireless \*
> \*\*I think you’re right, but that, more specifically, “on line” is New York (as in New York City, 5 Boroughs), but I have nothing to back this up. Anyone?
>
> I was born in (north) New Jersey and we’re all “in-liners”.
>
> \*\*
You may be right. I grew up in New Jersey, and grew old in New York (not that I’m that old but New York takes a lot out of you) and I say both. Depending. Depending on what I’m not sure.
But I’ve never had a shower. (no jokes)
---
### Author:  [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-line-or-on-line-etc/30508/8 "2000-08-24T16:10:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \*
> \*\*Is the word “hella” mainly a Northern California thing? I never heard the word until I moved to Northern California, and it seems like people use it for every other word. \*\*
It was Cartman’s favorite phrase on one episode of _South Park_, so therefore it **must** be popular in Colorado. 😉