# What are your traveling preposition? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2022, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605 "2022-03-07T10:41:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/1 "2022-03-07T10:41:03Z")
I have to go to Leonardtown this morning to have blood drawn. So I’ll say “I have to go _down_ there in an hour.” If I need to go to Waldorf for something, it would be “I’m going _up_ there this afternoon.” You might have already guessed that the first is south of my and the second is north. That’s how my mind works. Similarly, I’d go _over_ to a neighbor’s house, since they’re close enough that cardinal directions don’t matter. Anyone else base prepositions on the map? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/2 "2022-03-07T10:47:54Z")
Well, I do go up north and down south, but I also go out east and out west. Just as often, though, I’d rather stay right here. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/3 "2022-03-07T10:49:04Z")
I use those terms but i rarely use them correctly. So if I’m heading up north to visit my mother i might tell her: “yeah I’ll be down there this weekend”. It’s all very arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/4 "2022-03-07T11:40:14Z")
I use up, down or over but rarely north/south/east/west unless it’s up north or down south. My partner uses “up/down the road” quite a lot, often when referring to visiting his family, which is indeed up the road, but about 300 miles up the road! ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/5 "2022-03-07T14:01:47Z")
were north of LA and orange county so its "were going down below " ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/6 "2022-03-07T14:11:00Z")
I use altitude, which seems to be common amongst my acquaintances. Cape Town is up from Johannesburg, Durban is down from Johannesburg. Harare is up from Johannesburg (albeit not by a lot) If the altitude is similar, then “up” and “down” correspond with north/south, eg, I go up to Namibia, from Cape Town. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/7 "2022-03-07T15:00:04Z")
Here in southern Maryland, there’s not a lot of altitude difference - from sea level to a few hundred feed above. But the Appalachian mountains are in the western end of the state, so I’d likely say I was going up to Cumberland… except it’s also north of me, so that’s a nebulous “up.” And of course, originally being from Baltimore, we would always go “down the ocean” or “downy ayshin” if you want to talk Bawlmerese. 😉 ---
**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:** [March 7, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/8 "2022-03-07T15:04:24Z")
What are your writing verb? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/9 "2022-03-07T15:06:17Z")
The typos always come back to bite one, do they not? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/10 "2022-03-07T16:06:55Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > You might have already guessed that the first is south of my and the second is north. That’s how my mind works. Similarly, I’d go _over_ to a neighbor’s house, since they’re close enough that cardinal directions don’t matter. > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Well, I do go up north and down south, but I also go out east and out west. Yep, ‘up’ is north and ‘down’ is south. For east and west, ‘over’ is good for close travel (‘over’ probably works for close in any direction too, as FCM says). ‘Out’ is for long distance travel east or west. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/11 "2022-03-07T16:52:24Z")
When people die, they go west. Confusingly, it is also possible for things to go south. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/12 "2022-03-07T17:09:36Z")
Up to Dublin, down to a smaller town or rural area. Up to Oxford or Cambridge, up to university. Down the country. Down home. Up (in Dublin) for the match. Points south, west or north-west of Dublin are down (bigger-to-smaller rule): down to Mayo. Points north are up (north is up rule): Up the north, up to Belfast. Within Dublin, direction towards the sea or river is down; away is up. Walking up Dawson Street (means walking south). Top of O’Connell Street (means north end of the street). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/13 "2022-03-07T17:12:00Z")
I feel like I only ever say Up or Down for Cleveland or Akron or Columbus (north and south). If I’m going east or west, it’s “out”. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/14 "2022-03-07T17:15:00Z")
I just tell people I am going here and there and going to do this or that whenever I get to it. Keep them guessing I say. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/15 "2022-03-07T17:28:32Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > Up to Dublin, down to a smaller town or rural area. Up to Oxford or Cambridge, up to university. Down the country. Down home. Up (in Dublin) for the match. In a similar vein, I go Down South and Up (Oop) North, but I always go Up to London, no matter my starting point, as The Capital is always Up. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/16 "2022-03-07T17:33:00Z")
I go up to places north of me, down to places south of me, and over to places west or east. Since we live on an oblate spheroid, around to anywhere is always technically correct. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/17 "2022-03-07T17:42:53Z")
To. I travel _to_. But if I was you, I wouldn’t start from here. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/18 "2022-03-07T17:51:38Z")
I don’t equate “up” with “north” and “down” with “south” except in set phrases like “up north” and “down south.” I use the terms somewhat arbitrarily. I think I have a slight preference of “up” for south, as I live on the south side of town and the numbers go up as you head south, so I might say something like “take the bus up to 63rd street” (from 47th) and that will be heading south, but I am not unlikely to say “take the bus down to 63rd street”, either. Neither sounds wrong to me. My wife, who spent a few years in New York City, has more fixed ideas of what “up” and “down” mean, as Manhattan is laid out such that north(ish) is “uptown” and “south(ish)” is downtown, and has pointed out to me that I sometimes use “up” when traveling south. But for me the terms aren’t strongly directional. I’ll use either for destinations east or west. I can’t find a rhyme or reason why I use one or another, and I’m sure I interchange them. “Over” is similarly arbitrary, but usually refers to nearby destinations, but not always. Like I could say “I’m going over to the school to pick up the kids” or “I’m going down to the school to pick up the kids” (the school is northeast of me. I’m probably least likely to say “I’m going up to the school to pick up the kids.” Not sure why. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/19 "2022-03-07T18:32:11Z")
I “go by” places. As in “Let’s go by da pig and pick up some brats, en so?” “Ope, I forgot to go by da Kwik Trip for donuts to bring to work today”. “Didja go by da new stop 'n go light yet?” ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605/20 "2022-03-07T18:35:00Z")
Since I live in the city center, I almost always say I’m going “out” to someplace when I’m in the car. Usually “out to the suburbs to see family”. Up and Down will often make an appearance depending on direction but Out is the clear winner since it’s the catch all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-traveling-preposition/960605.md?page=2)