# What's more popular American usage: 'prom' or 'the prom'?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 12, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875 "2009-04-12T19:42:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/1 "2009-04-12T19:42:28Z")
I’m editing something and need to know what’s more generally popular in the U.S. for modern teenaged kids: “I’m going to **the prom** ” or “I’m going to **prom**.”
For my generation (graduated in the '80s), in New York, it was definitely **the prom**. In the story I’m editing, which takes place Anywhere USA and is intended to be universal, the kids keep saying “going to prom.” It drives me nuts, but I understand things may have changed in twentymumble years. And yet on a recent episode of _The Office_, Michael Scott said “to prom” himself, and he’s a few years older than I am.
So I’m wondering if you guys can help me decide this pressing question:
- What sounds correct to you? “the prom” or “prom”?
- How old are you?
- Where are you?
The closer you are to your teenage years, the better. But we oldies can take part, too. 🙂 Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/2 "2009-04-12T19:57:33Z")
Graduated in 1999 from a high school in upstate New York.
“Prom” and “The Prom” were pretty interchangeable, with “The Prom” holding a slight edge. Although, teenage girls, who talked about it more to begin with and seemed more likely to say “Prom”.
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### Author:  [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/3 "2009-04-12T20:01:28Z")
I’d probably say “the prom” but both of them sound normal to me. I went to a school in Western NY and graduated in 2000.
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### Author:  [@happiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happiness)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/4 "2009-04-12T20:04:25Z")
Both terms are definitely used, but I think we just said “prom” most of the time.
Went to school near Atlanta and graduated in 2002.
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### Author:  [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/5 "2009-04-12T20:14:44Z")
I will graduate from high school this June. First I will go **to prom**.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/6 "2009-04-12T20:54:10Z")
I graduated from high school two years ago in Northern Virginia, but I did not go to prom. I stayed home and took care of my dad instead.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/7 "2009-04-12T20:55:09Z")
Both sound normal to me, but I think without the “the” was more commonly used. Let’s see: “I didn’t go to prom” v. “I didn’t go to the prom.” Yeah, #1 sounds more fluid to me.
I graduated from high school in Northern California in 1996.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/8 "2009-04-12T20:55:17Z")
The prom. Born in 1961. Before this thread, I would have thought prom would have been more of a Britishism. From my British friends I hear “going to uni”, “going to hospital”, etc, where I would say going to \*the \*hospital.
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### Author:  [@judikium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/judikium)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/9 "2009-04-13T01:38:02Z")
I am going to prom in two weeks. I have no idea what I will wear yet. Minnesota.
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### Author:  [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/10 "2009-04-13T01:47:09Z")
“Prom” here, though I’ve heard “the prom” a fair amount here.
Graduated high school five years ago.
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### Author:  [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/11 "2009-04-13T02:03:57Z")
I’d say “The Prom,” (not “the prom” but “The Prom”) if I was going to my school’s prom and “a prom” if it was someone elses prom that I was attending.
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### Author:  [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/12 "2009-04-13T02:47:05Z")
The prom. No question.
I agree with **Khadaji** , going to prom is like going to hospital, a Canadianism or Britishism.
Midwest, graduated in 1977.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/13 "2009-04-13T02:57:58Z")
Just “prom”. Florida, class of '99.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/14 "2009-04-13T08:27:54Z")
The prom. NE Ohio, class of '63.
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### Author:  [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/15 "2009-04-13T12:37:17Z")
Graduated HS in mid '80’s, eastern Pennsylvania and it was the prom. Only recently have I been hearing the term “going to prom” and I tend to doubletake with 😕.
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/16 "2009-04-13T13:34:19Z")
Here in southwest Oklahoma, it’s still “the prom”. “Going to prom” sounds like the infinitive form of something to my ears.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/17 "2009-04-13T14:31:20Z")
Just for reference, that bellweather of teen culture, **Twilight** by Stephenie Meyer, uses “the prom”.
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### Author:  [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/18 "2009-04-13T14:39:53Z")
Western NYer here, graduated HS in 1985- “The Prom”, fer sure.
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### Author:  [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/19 "2009-04-13T15:13:43Z")
NYC- when I graduated in 1981, we said “the prom” . My kids, who graduated in 2007 and 2008 said “prom”
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### Author:  [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-more-popular-american-usage-prom-or-the-prom/492875/20 "2009-04-13T15:17:44Z")
> [@Ruby](#):
>
> The prom. No question.
>
> I agree with **Khadaji** , going to prom is like going to hospital, a Canadianism or Britishism.
>
> Midwest, graduated in 1977.
Ditto.
If I was going to prom, then I would be promming.
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