We aren’t ‘San Louie,’ but we aren’t ‘SLO,’ either

What to call our city? Thanks for the editorial reminder that we’re definitely not “Louie” (“Setting the record straight on SLO County,” June 3). But I haven’t heard that in years. You must know a lot of new folks. The last time I can remember hearing it was from a candidate for governor who came to town 40-some years ago to tell us how much he cared about us.

“Call it SLO,” your photo caption said. Ouch. Surely you meant to say it should be pronounced as single letters, right? As “S.L.O.,” not as a word. You folks on the editorial board must not have been here long enough to know that saying “SLO” as a word is, to a lot of us, just as grating as “Louie.” Lost cause, perhaps, but one must try. (“SLO Transit” as two words? Excusable, even loveable, for its mild humor and irony.)

Yes, we do need all three full words when we’re explaining ourselves to someone from another planet, such as Kansas or Palm Springs. But you never managed to mention what I and most of the people I know usually call us: “San Luis.” Even conductors on the Surfliner know what we mean. So how about it. Just “San Luis.” Anybody?

This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 8:39 PM with the headline "We aren’t ‘San Louie,’ but we aren’t ‘SLO,’ either."