# THE (?) Ohio State University **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405 "2004-10-09T22:05:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/1 "2004-10-09T22:05:11Z")
So I’m currently enjoying watching my Badgers set up the Buckeyes for crushing defeat and remembered a question I’ve had for a while now. During NFL games where players announce their name and school, OSU plays always emphasize “the”, as in Joe Dokes, THE Ohio State Uni. Now the ABC announcers are saying it as well but it’s been around for years. Not a new way of saying it. So whom started this, what is it supposed to mean, and how many other Ohio State Universities are there that makes them need to specify which one? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/2 "2004-10-09T22:07:28Z")
It’s an attempt not to be confused with Ohio University. And there have been other threads about this. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/3 "2004-10-09T22:08:31Z")
I think it’s because most Ohio states graduates are just really proud of the word ‘the’ ,it being the only word they can spell. 🙂 [sub]go blue[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/4 "2004-10-09T22:15:21Z")
See also [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=275486&highlight=ohio+state+university) from last month **“THE” Ohio State University**. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/5 "2004-10-09T22:33:20Z")
My fault for not searching the answer. I should have known it would have been addressed already. Thanks for the links. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/6 "2004-10-10T00:19:00Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I think it’s because most Ohio states graduates are just really proud of the word ‘the’ ,it being the only word they can spell. 🙂 > > [sub]go blue[/sub] They can spell ‘Ohio’, too. They do O-H-I-O during Hang on, Sloopy. Why they do this, I have no furshliggining idea. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/7 "2004-10-10T00:20:13Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > They can spell ‘Ohio’, too. They do O-H-I-O during Hang on, Sloopy. Why they do this, I have no furshliggining idea. No links necessary, folks. I don’t really care why. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/8 "2004-10-10T00:32:28Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > They can spell ‘Ohio’, too. They do O-H-I-O during Hang on, Sloopy. Why they do this, I have no furshliggining idea. Indiana people do this too. I learned this a while ago at Howl at the Moon - sing along piano bar - and an obnoxious group of Lincoln Park Trixies from Indiana did this during that song. With great willpower, I refrained from telling them all to shut the fuck up. So now I wonder, do the Ohio people spell it a lot slower, or do they do it twice or what? Because Indiana has a lot more letters than Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/9 "2004-10-10T01:26:00Z")
Cool…I never get to shift a thread from Cafe Society to General Questions! Thank you, **dufferino**! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/10 "2004-10-10T01:38:43Z")
If I start a thread asking “Why is **Ukele Ike** so easily amused?” am I gonna get warned again? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ohio-state-university/268405/11 "2004-10-10T03:14:29Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > If I start a thread asking “Why is **Ukele Ike** so easily amused?” am I gonna get warned again? Nope, I’ll close this one before that happens. Since the answer to THE question is contained in the link to a previous thread, we’ll just say goodnight, Gracie. **samclem** GQ moderator