This is not about AOL

October 24, 2006 11:44 PM

What place/city/town/region is referred to as "The OL"?
posted by lpctstr; to grab bag (11 comments total)

Why, ye Ole Lancastershire; nay Richard II, art thou a landowner, AND king?
posted by four panels at 12:01 AM on October 25, 2006

The online? Outland? The old lady?
posted by pracowity at 2:03 AM on October 25, 2006

Among other things: it refers to the "Outer Loop", i.e. the Beltway, around DC.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:12 AM on October 25, 2006

Any more context? Where did you hear/read it?

The first things I thought of were Olympique Lyonnais FC, and the Bank of England (The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, though I don't believe I've ever heard it called just 'the OL').
posted by corvine at 5:39 AM on October 25, 2006

SCDB: Beltway 8 around Houston is called the "Outer Loop", by comparison with Loop 610, the "Inner Loop". Since DC has only one loop last time I checked, the Capital Beltway would not be the "OL". Having said that, I never hear our "Outer Loop" called the "OL".
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:35 AM on October 25, 2006

The "Outer Loop" of the DC beltway are the lanes that go counter-clockwise. The "Inner Loop" are the clockwise ones. But I've never heard "the OL".
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 6:46 AM on October 25, 2006

OK, thanks -- now I understand about DC.
posted by Robert Angelo at 6:53 AM on October 25, 2006

Please provide some context; otherwise you're just getting people to waste their time. It could mean a zillion things. Where did you come across it?
posted by languagehat at 6:54 AM on October 25, 2006

Clearly it's Orange Lounty.
posted by I Am Not a Lobster at 8:07 AM on October 25, 2006 [1 favorite has favorites]

Outer Liechtenstein.
posted by wsg at 10:06 AM on October 25, 2006

This may be the midwestern in me, but I have heard it in reference to Overland, Kansas.
posted by Not in my backyard at 2:55 PM on October 25, 2006