The or no the?

I don't know about anyone else, but it bugs the carp out of me when people call rides the Millennium Force, the Raptor, the Mantis, etc. The 'thes' drive me nuts! Does anyone else feel this way? I mean, why not just say Millennium Force, Raptor, Mantis, etc.?

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http://sapman.homestead.com --- My stupid website

I don't like it too much, as they really should be Millennium Force, Raptor, Mantis w/o the "the". But that doesn't annoy me nearly as much as when I hear people call MF "the Millennium" (yes, I know we discussed this a while ago). I heard it at least 10 times on OD, and I was on the verge of hurting somebody!!! ;)

I think the real reason for "the" is that most of the GP just doesn't know the proper way to say it, and there isn't too much that can be done to fix it...

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Majin Heero and Alex Parks... the Steuks Alliance

i really don't think it matters about the "the's" myself, but about "the millennium" i have friends in school that call it that too, and it really annoys me too. but the fact that people use "the" for the rides, shouldn't be done, but it doesn't make a difference to me.

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MF2000 laps=6
MF2001 laps=0 :(

Coaster names are tricky. They are nouns, but are they personal or objective nouns?

If they are Personal, that means they are there to Identify themselves, like my name Joe. When girls look at me, they don't say "Look at the Joe, he's so cute", they just say "Look at Joe, he is cute." ( Poor example, girls never say that. I am so full of myself :)) So putting a coaster name, such as Magnum in place of my name, saying "look at Magnum, it is cute!" would be correct and saying "The Magnum is cute" would be incorrect

Coaster names could also be objective meaning they are something we can use like a car. We don't say "Lets go ride in Car," we say "Lets go ride in the car" so saying "Lets go ride The Raptor" would be correct, and "Lets go ride Raptor" would end up being incorrect.

Unless a coaster name can be classified as personal or objective nouns, either way would sound correct under any of these example's

By the way, are we talking about people saying this out loud or people here at CP Place?


Missed a tag :(



*** This post was edited by Joe E. on 5/14/2001. ***

I've had this same sort of debate with my fellow members of my school newspaper staff. Is the Elyria High School newspaper called the "Herald" or "The Herald?"

The "Raptor" of "The Raptor?" The "Mantis" or "The Mantis?"

Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? No.

Do I care? Sort of.

Are those of us on this board the only ones who would care? Yes.

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-The Pants Has Spoken
"Yellow line? What Yellow Line..."
The Gemini 100. I'm ready, are you?

Joe:

Let's go for a ride in the car. I'm driving Hoss to work today.

Let's go for a ride on the coaster. I want to ride Raptor.

Car isn't the name of the car but Raptor is the name of the coaster.
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There's a fungus among us

Which is exactly the debate! Is Raptor Just a name or an object? I don't really know.
Either way is correct in grammar.

I personaly believe that Coaster name's are just means of Identifying tone, so they are personal. So no "THE" is necessary. But I'm sure even I have used "the" sometimes.
*** This post was edited by Joe E. on 5/15/2001. ***

"Hey, did you talk to the Dan? He rode the Magnum 70 times in one day. The Dan must of gotten tired."

"Hey, did you talk to Dan? He rode Magnum 70 times in one day. Dan must of gotten tired."

Which sounds right to you? :)

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UCSigep
"Did you make a copy? Because if you made a copy, we could watch the copy."

MF 2K1: 2

ucsigep, Funguy, I'll second those responses. Personally, I feel that since they are the coasters' names, no article (the) is necessary. But people always talk differently no matter what the case is, so as long as we can figure out where we are and what we want to ride... Don't let it ruin your day! ;)

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PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/

The only place were "the" is completely necessary is when Identifying it as a coaster. Such as

"Lets go ride the Magnum Roller Coaster at Cedar Point"

Which cannot be?
"Lets go ride Magnum Roller Coaster at Cedar Point"
In shorthand here, I doubt nobody identifies Magnum everytime as a coaster.

It may not work though with multiple word coaster names.

"Lets go ride the Batman the Ride Roller Coaster at SFGAm"

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Hey, It Raining!!!!!

I really don't know, but many people just say what sounds right--or--what is the easiest to say. I really prefer to call it The Magnum, The Raptor, and The Mantis. I also call MF, "The Force" because it's shorter, and Magnum XL-200 The Magnum.

Actually, when I think about it, if the name has more than one word, it sounds dumb to use THE in front of it, but if it has just one word then putting the in front of it sounds better.

Let's go ride the Millennium Force--Let's go ride The Force

The following sound okay either way:

Let's go ride The Raptor - or just Raptor.
--------------The Mantis - or just Mantis.
--------------The Magnum - or just Magnum.

The following sound dumb using THE:

Let's go ride THE Disaster Transport - or just DT.

Let's go ride THE Mean Streak - or just MS.

All I keep thinking here is "Roller Coaster 1 is really good value."
"The"s irritate me too..but only when used as if it IS in the name (as if it were like THE Ohio State U...etc)Eh, it depends on the context I guess.
Now, if you really want to irritate me, put me around a bunch of GP'ers calling Force "The Millennium" and discussing how tall they think it is...

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*-CP Irvine-*
The Few, The Proud, The Po!nters
I know who's fault it is!

CP_Bound Proved my theory better. "The" does not work with 2 word coasters.
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Rain is Ending. Cedar Po!nt?

Actually I think using the article "the" before most coaster names is fine.

"I wanna ride the Gemini!"

"Does the Millennium Force go upside down?"

(1)"What are you doing?"
(2)"Just riding the Mean Streak, brusing a kidney."
(1)"True, true..."

I dont know, I've never payed it much attention, so I'm sure I've referred to caosters both ways. However, my favorite coaster is certainly worthy of a declaritve article. THE LEGEND!
lata,
jeremy
--dontlookback!

Yep, I think when you use "the" when you talk is fine, but some people just think the real name is "The Raptor" etc.

It bugs me. It's like when people say "The" Offspring. In my book they will always be just Offspring, no "the". Back on topic, I like them without the thes.

pointaholic, "The Offspring" is the actual group name. I have the album to prove it.

And yes, At least there is no question about The Legend or The Beast.

People are funny that way. While many people in Michigan (and Sandusky) shop at Meijer, many people make it possessive when they refer to it: Meijer's. People say what sounds right to them, grammar and registered trademarks be damned :-)

Son of the Beast gets me!
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Crady Crady!! CRADY CRADY!!

Ok this is sorta related to that, but at Disney World, they have a ride called "Rock'n'Rollercoaster" Now someone went to great lengths to come up with a clever name like that, and going off and saying "Rock'n'Roll Roller Coaster" is not only crazy but it makes me want to slap you. It is so simple! And another one "Pizzafari" means "Pizza Safari" but you don't say that. That same clever person thought of a way to combine two words into one, so don't go off making it two words. It really should not need to be explained.

Oh, and I think "The Force" works, becuase it is "THE Force" not some crazy "Lighning Force" at Bob's Fun Park in Hicksville. Just my opinion...

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Scotty