Around here, the traffic folks are always talking about "the Plain (or Plane?) Field curve when reporting on the expressways. I lived here for 20 years before finding out where it was. My two candidates were both wrong. It was only after reading a newspaper column from a local historian recently that I was enlightened.
Turns out that there was a delay in building the expressway to the south of downtown because of property that could not be aquired. So, it was decided to take a sharp turn to the right, in the southbound direction, as it was being constructed. They took another sharp turn to the left when they got to a corridor that allowed them to continue south. The street that was vacated for several blocks in the east-west direction was Plainfield Street.
Having lived on the north side all these years, I never had reason to exit the expressway in that part of town, and had never heard of Plainfield Street. But for 20 years, I listened in vain to traffic reporters for someone to give the slightest clue where this curve (turns out, curves) might be. They never have.
You're also just supposed to know that Teutonia Street is pronounced "Ty-tone-ya". Go figure.
As far as using the"tranimals" for directions, it sure would take a mega brochure to print them all for quick reference!
