Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Burning question of the day - the way back

You know how, when we were kids, families drove around in station wagons instead of minivans? And how those station wagons had a third row seat that faced backwards, out the back window? What did you call that third row seat? (I guess it even applies to the minivans of today, now that I think about it. Though our third row seat is usually folded down or removed entirely, so as to better utilize the space to cram things like sleds or wagons or bags of mulch into our Sienna.)

In my family (and I think in my neck of the woods in general), we called that last row seat the way back (as in: I want to sit in the middle because I will get really car sick if I have to sit in the way back for the ride to Grandma's), but Hubby insists the proper term is the back back, and the debate has raged on for over 15 years now in our house. I wonder if this is a regional thing, like soda vs pop. (Side note: I refuse to refer to soda as "pop" even though I'm presently living in a part of the country that is weirdly, firmly entrenched in the pop camp. Drive about an hour east of here and it is 100% soda territory.) I wonder if there are other, completely different terms folks use out there in the great, big world. So, I'm putting it out to you, dear readers: What do you call the third row of seats? Way back, back back, or something completely different?

7 comments:

Alex said...

Hmmm. We called it the "far back". Just to throw a wrench into the debate. But I grew up out West, where everything is weird. :)

Anonymous said...

It is definitely soda, not pop!

DP keeps trying to teach the kids to say pop and I keep correcting her!

As far as the seat goes, I'm going to agree with hubby and call it the back seat.

Heather said...

No no, Hubby doesn't call it the "back seat" but rather the "back back seat" - is that what you call it? Or do you just say "get in the back seat. No, the BACK seat." ?? See, hence the confusion! I kinda dig Alex's "far back" though - that one's new to me! :)

Anonymous said...

No it is the back seat.

In a 3 row vehicle, such as a van. There is the front row (where the driver is), the middle row, and the back seat.

The back back seat is redundant.

wendryn said...

The way back. And it's soda, not pop. I grew up in CA, though, so I'm a little odd to start with. :)

livelyjulie said...

Hi to all from over the pond in little old England.

We are far too small a country to cope with vehicles with more than 2 rows of seats....lol!

As to the soda/pop debate, only Brits on their dotage call it 'pop', the rest of think that very twee.
So, does 'soda' win the day?...
ah, well definately not.
Soda here is carbonated water we mix with spirits (liquor to you)

Coke, Dr Peper, Fanta etc are called by their own brand name or are simple known as 'fizzy drinks'.

Comme ci comme ca!

Anonymous said...

Everyone knows the last row is way back. Your hubby is just plain wrong. ;)

Also, I grew up with "pop", but I moved to the land of "soda" at 19, and it's been with me for most of my life now. So anytime someone says "pop", I want to sing "goes the weasel!" now. Ha.