"PG"

[Anonymous]

I've read that some Prince George's County politicians and others take great umbrage when the county is referred to in shorthand as "PG." There was reportedly one Maryland state legislator who always threw fits when other representatives said "PG," and there was that whole "Gorgeous Prince George's" branding thing under Jack Johnson. Yet no one seems to care if Montgomery is called "Moco" and "DC" is still, well, DC (although some locals like to say "Washington" over "DC"). What's the deal with PG? -- it's short, snappy and rhymes.

[Anonymous]

No idea why but you are right. I worked down there (General Assembly) for about 10 years and heard that often. I've heard they consider it racist, but I heard that from a non-PG County white guy.

My family's been living in Laurel since the early 1900s and have always said PG. my parents moved us to Howard and we always called it HoCo. I don't see the big deal.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in PG County Laurel for 20 years. From what I heard, back in the 60's-80's, especially in Annapolis, some of the more racist delegates from the conservative counties used to use Pee Gee as almost a racial epithet. Prince George's was used when it was spoken of respectfully. by the 90's this was less of a problem, but many long-time delegates still remember when there was a very segregationist view from many Maryland delegates and that was a part of the old mindset. By the time I moved to PG in 1992, this was less of an issue. But some older residents still hate hearing PG.

[Anonymous]

12:23 again. That would not surprise me at all. Some of those guys were real $&@!. Most of the younger racist legislators have directed their venom at Latinos, Muslims, and "undocumented workers".

[Anonymous]

I lived in PG for several years back in the late sixties and early seventies and now live in DC withing walking distance of PG, and it's always been PG to me. Maybe I'm just dense, but I never caught any racial overtones.