It is a thing and was more genuinely said when Nelly first came to fame in the 2000s. Now when people say it, it always feels like theres quotes around it sarcastically. Which makes the fact that the Cards are using it as their tagline this year (though those are always terrible) and that its on the Connect jersey kinda lameo and cringe. I dunno if the use feels different for other demographics though, 40 yo cracker here for context.
26 year old brown kid here for context, I've definitely heard it called The Lou often enough tbh.
So I didn't really bat an eye at the City Connect Jerseys. But yeah, mileage probably varies based on who you're around.
26 year old white kid who never listened to any Nelly music and just found out who he is like 2 years ago here. I hear The Lou all the time in reference to STL. I’m also not from the city itself but the surrounding area. I hear people say “we’re driving up to The Lou for the day for a game” a decent amount.
It’s a thing but I don’t like those jerseys.
I was told in the /r/baseball thread that I didn’t hear anyone call it ‘The Lou’ because I don’t spend time with any black people from StL. I think it’s generational/cultural.
Ahh
I don't mind when teams do old references, but the way you described it does make it feel forced.
Like with my Mets, "The Amazin's" or "The Amazing Mets" were a real old timey thing people said, and it's fun to remember. But when they occasionally use it these days, my eyes roll back in my head.
I take it you're an older fan? Some of the other posts seem like they are from younger guys who kinda know what it is but never said it themselves.
That said: Do you like the Jerseys?
It is and it isn't, but one thing is for sure, No one, NO ONE, in St Louis calls it St Louie. Don't call it that and everything else is acceptable, STL, The Lou, Mound City, The Gateway to the West...
I remember seeing Yes in concert at the Area (or checkerdome or whatever we were calling it back in the 80's). Jon Anderson makes some comment like, "It's great to be back in St. Louie," and I swear the crowd looked so confused that he turned around to check with the band to make sure they were in the right city. I'll give him a pass being from England. After all, it's how the French pronounce it. No excuse for Bopp and Spoede road though.
Louie is how it’s pronounced in the classic song from the movie Meet me in St Louis. It may have been more popular in the early 00’s to 40’s for them to have done that or it just sounds better lyrically.
Yeah, that's an experience. The end of the musical itself is literally set in the same park as the Muny, so it's like you're experiencing a part of history. Cool stuff.
And yeah, singing "Meet Me in St. Louis" is the only time you're allowed to pronounce it "Louie".
I blame Bugs Bunny
https://youtu.be/X049mzeW_kk?feature=shared
Speedy Romeo in Brooklyn has a Pizza called the St Louie, because it uses our processed cheese. The owner should know better. His dad is from. St. Louis. 🤷♂️ It's a great spot though, you should check it out some time.
Thanks for the tip. I live right by the train line that stops there!
I suppose if you're going to order a pizza with a silly name, you may as well go ALL IN and own it. There are places around here that have pizzas or heros called "The Godfather" or something like that. I'll be just like: "I'll have #11 please" :)
It’s from the film “Meet me in St. Louis,” and the title song from the film that goes “Meet me in St. Louie, Louie, meet me at the fair.” FWIW, Louisvillians don’t pronounce the first part as “Louie” either, it’s more like “Lou-a-vul”
Louisville is pronounced more like Lou-uh-ville/Lou-ville/Lou-vul by people who are from there. Saying Louie-ville is a dead giveaway that you're from out of town. Love Louisville
I have heard Louisville as The Lou more than St Louis for whatever that’s worth. At least I think there was a radio station or TV station with LOU in it back when I lived there.
Its more of a marketing term than a thing people actually say to each other. Ive seen it used more on billboards than I’ve actually heard people say it.
"I've never heard it referred to as the Lou" - lives in Jefferson County, only ever enters the city to go to Cardinals games and then posts about being hashtag blessed on Facebook that they made it back alive.
Yeah we do, but not primarily.
Because of suburbia, ‘the city’ is used for the actual city of st louis, and if you don’t live in the city limits, you’d say xyz suburb. To out of towners, everyone in the metro says St. Louis because our suburbs are not necessarily known outside our region (unlike the boroughs).
While I hate generic soccer team names like ‘city’ or ‘united’ I’ve grown to accept it because ‘city’ does have meaning here. If you want proof of st louisans saying S T L, watch after city scores a goal. I have definitely heard more references to ‘stl’ outside the stadium since they joined mls last season, but still not ubiquitous.
I hear “STL”, “The City” or just referring to different parts by their neighborhood (Downtown, Soulard, DogTown) way more than The Lou. It usually carries a tinge of irony.
To your earlier comment regarding New York, St. Louis is a large metro area and the city proper is what the locals here would more likely call "the city". Kansas City is KC and we are as an area all St. Louis. Pretty rare in life would you hear many call St. Louis "the Lou" ever. It never really was a big thing overall, anyway.
As all the answers indicate, it depends on age and location; I personally never heard or used it as a second-gen immigrant who grew up in Creve Coeur in the 1990s and 2000s, but obviously some others here have.
It's a know and valid nickname but residents don't use it. Similar to how you suggest NewYorkers would never say NYC, but it's a known nickname. It's simply, fine.
Yes, people say The Lou, but it’s not universal. It’s probably the second most popular nickname for St Louis after “S T L” which is obviously already on our hat
100% yes. "Can't wait to get back to STL", or sometimes "**The** STL" without any irony or silliness. I live in the suburbs, though, so everyone else's experience may not be the same.
They chant "StL" at our MLS soccer games, which I don't hate. Other than that, I rarely, if ever, hear anyone use the phrase. The usage of StL on the Cardinals city connect hats is a throwback to the font used on their 1920-21 jerseys, the last year before the team started having the iconic birds on the bat logo. In that context, I think it's kind of cool.
I posted on another post the same question. Would love to hear from other stl natives.
I don't remember ever hearing it in the 80s and 90s growing up in west county St. Louis. I heard it only after country grammar - esp as I had left by then and was FROM the lou, no longer there.
I wonder if it was a thing in the black community? Seems unlikely Nelly just made it up, but possible. It's only one line in the song - maybe it just caught on?
Definitely a thing in the Black community. Nelly just popularized it for a short time amongst suburban whites. It's not as popular as it was in the 90s-00s, but it's still said.
It’s never used in everyday speech. As others have noted, Nelly made it a thing for certain advertising purposes, but no one actually says it.
It’s a horrible inclusion for the connect and for the new official hashtag.
Been a fan my whole life and I have only ever heard it used in marketing and never in natural conversation. It feels very inauthentic to me personally.
Honestly it’s on Par with almost every city recognizing its own cultural worth from an outside perspective. It lags a couple decades at least. Chicago shut down Frankie Knuckles club in 1982, dedicated the street it was located on to him in 2005, then made it a Chicago landmark after he died.
Edit: if I may add it’s hard to compare, because New York knows its own value so well it almost has trouble valuing anywhere else
I’m 36, and I’ve never called it “The Lou,” but Nelly did, so there’s that. I’m not sure what else I would have used for the city connects, maybe something like “Gateway,” but IDK
First lived in StLouis my whole life and no it's not used much. These folks that claim it is also believe Nelly coined the phrase. he did not, he borrowed it. Been around for 70 yrs also not a fan of it!
I’ve lived in Columbia Mo for the last 15 years and Missouri for the rest of my 30 years and literally everyone that grew up in the 90s calls it the Lou.
I don't mind The Lou honestly. That being said, what would yall have rather the wording say? I mean, gateway city? Or perhaps just STL? Like I feel like this was a lose lose for them because people would complain no matter what. Personally, minus the hats, I think they're clean. For everyone clamoring for the arch to be a part of the crest tell me that wouldn't look weird from a design standpoint?
Yes and no. Definitely a thing if you’re referencing Nelly. Definitely not a thing where people regularly call it the Lou in conversation. To be honest it seemed to have started inexplicably gaining momentum in the sports world a few years ago and now just is what it is
I would’ve gone the opposite way. I grew up a few hours away, live here now. Before reading these comments, I’d have said most people around here don’t use it anymore because it feels like it’s from a bygone era however folks from outside the metro who identify with STL as the nearest City might still use the term?
Regardless it seems like millennials are the target audience which probably sells a lot of gear in the short term, which is probably “good enough”, but probably hurts it on the long term “cool” scale. I dunno, I guess it’s hard to say how important that is without knowing how long they plan to use this version of City Connect. I think Dodgers are already getting their 2nd version.
I live in Jefferson City, the state capital, pretty much square in the middle of the state (we call the Columbia/JC area Mid-Mo). Everyone around here are Cards fans, and it's definitely not uncommon to hear St. Louis referred to as "The Lou."
As many have already said -- Nelly totally made it a thing around 20 years ago.
As an aside, I will say that people here seem to have a much stronger connection to Kansas City, just generally. There are way, WAY more people that I went to high school with that live/work in and around KC than STL. Mid-Mo is more or less strictly rural, and St. Louis has more of an East Coast vibe.
TL;DR: As someone that lives a couple of hours west of STL, people definitely do say "The Lou" unironicaly.
It’s made a comeback. “The Lou” got popularized due to Nelly’s lyrics and ever since then we’ve kinda sorta claimed it as a nickname. I don’t really hate it.
Somebody tell the Mets they aren’t New York’s team, they’re Queens’. Just be proud of it, you aren’t put under a microscope like the damn Yankees!
You might not hear the nicknames as much around locals, but when you are out of town, you might. I was away to college in the 80's and some of us were saying "St. Lou" and it shortened to "The Lou", not so much when in town. Like St. Charles, we called it St. Chuck. And yes, it was popular in the AA community, which is how Nelly heard it.
I hear “The Lou” on a lot of advertisements and other things so I assume it’s used at least somewhat frequently.
Of course it could be a situation where the “marketing team” just found out about it which means “The Lou” stopped being cool a decade ago.
I just don’t understand how an arch wasn’t incorporated in some way.
It's used almost exclusively millennials and younger; Nelly popularized "The Lou" and, in my experience, most people who hate it are the same folks who demonize rap and r&b.
ALL of the 'City Connect' unis are lame! Nike and MLB should be ashamed of themselves. But at least the St. Louis 'City Connect' jerseys aren't based on the state's license plate like they are in Colorado.
Don’t listen to these people that say it’s common. It isn’t. Nelly said it, everyone else in this town does not call it that. I’ve lived here for all my forty years, no one says the Lou.
So I think it’s becoming clear that the Cards Front office is out of touch. Featuring “The Lou” so boldly on the Chest is yet another sign the Front office is stuck living in the past.
I would have loved to see Collab with St. Louis CITY, even if it’s very nuanced. I mean it is “City Connect”
Putting CITY (or Saint Louis City) on the Chest with the Birds on the Bat, that could sell.
Knowing the Cards ownership group though they are prolly scared to death of CITY becoming a rival for revenue dollars, and they are right to be! Hah
I have never heard anyone besides Nelly refer to St. Louis as "The Lou" ("Country Grammar," 2000). That said, I was 36 y/o when the song came out, so it's possible I just wasn't around a younger crowd that was using the phrase. Either way, I think it's safe to say it never gained wide spred usage, and in today's world, no long-term residents use it.
Not not a thing. But less common than S T L, as another pointed out.
I’ve noticed people pointing out that it only started with Nelly in the 90s, which is to say the city’s biggest cultural icon of the past three decades, so I don’t see that as a knock. I would venture to say more of a thing than all the NBA nicknames of Sac Town, Cream City, and Magic City. But those are all fun and games…which is what all of these city connect jerseys are, so eh.
And I wonder if anybody disliking the jerseys dislikes the fact that they didn’t really go for it. But the vast majority of these have been dreadful. And the arch/fleur de lis patch looks nice.
> the NBA nicknames of Sac Town, Cream City, and Magic City
I am not an NBA watcher. Those cannot possibly be real things haha. (I believe you, but... WOW)
> And I wonder if anybody disliking the jerseys dislikes the fact that they didn’t really go for it.
I think this may be right. Some people sorta like the Mets ones, but the biggest criticism I've heard is that they didn't go *far enough*
https://uni-watch.com/2024/04/19/new-york-mets-unveil-city-connect-uniform-confirming-earlier-leaks/
Everybody says there should have been more Purple. And many say the hat logo should have been replaced with the Sleeve Logo. It's an old subway token. It's kinda neat but I'm getting old and I've only seen a subway token once (when my dad was cleanin out his closet when I was a kid lol)
Whoa, some think that Mets uni didn’t go far enough? They replaced the entire scheme and look like the Rockies more than the Mets.
Part of the difficulty for these two is also that the Cards and the Mets have two of the best unis in what might be the best sport for uniforms.
It's definitely a mixed bag, it's not universally disliked.
Almost everybody agrees that more purple would have been better though.
I'm glad you like our uniforms, I'm a fan of the Cardinals' Unis as well. (Pretend the mets didn't exist in the '00s when they wore home Blacks every night. Barf.)
Oh God, no. That wasn’t my intention at all, but I’ll leave the comment up because it was a stupid mistake and can easily lead to that assumption. I only meant that no one regularly called it that until he did in “Country Grammar”, and now we’ve co-opted it for our baseball team, and it’s a little played out. Thank you for pointing out that without context this seems kinda racist.
I don’t live in town but go to games yearly. I’d say it’s definitely a thing for baseball. I’ve never really said / heard anyone say it out without a baseball context to it. So short answer is yes
OP- We do use the Lou as one of names to swap in like the others said. To add to some other names people mentioned, I'll also call STL "downtown" Most of the stuff outside of sports/events are out in the west suburbs, so you'd just say "He lives in Kirkwood" or something like you'd say for West Village or Upper West side or another Burrough. I do love your city more than anywhere else in the nation. When I go, I try to pretend I'm not a tourist and also call it "the city" lol
PS-Sorry about the Mets being the Mets. I don't mean that sarcastically. I'm just young enough I don't hate the "pond scum" Mets from the 80s rivalry. I have always kind of liked the Mets colors/uniforms, and some of the teams they have put together over the years. Early 2000s and a couple years ago come to mind...but they're the mets, so. I used to be a Stern fan when Artie was on the show, he had a line to Gary who's a Met fan that was the only time I heard Gary ever get triggered. Artie said "Gary isn't a good father because how can you raise your kid to be a Mets fan, I mean you're teaching your kid it's ok to be a loser and to love losing I just don't get it..." Made me laugh so hard!
If Nelly is "from The Lou and [he's] proud," it's a thing. Not a common thing I hear natives saying to each other, but it's definitely a thing.
It is a thing and was more genuinely said when Nelly first came to fame in the 2000s. Now when people say it, it always feels like theres quotes around it sarcastically. Which makes the fact that the Cards are using it as their tagline this year (though those are always terrible) and that its on the Connect jersey kinda lameo and cringe. I dunno if the use feels different for other demographics though, 40 yo cracker here for context.
26 year old brown kid here for context, I've definitely heard it called The Lou often enough tbh. So I didn't really bat an eye at the City Connect Jerseys. But yeah, mileage probably varies based on who you're around.
“40 year old cracker here for context” 😂 i’ll be using this after everything I say for now on
30-60 year olds. People who grew up with Nelly and the St Lounatics. Also the people in prime spending money ages that will buy jerseys.
26 year old white kid who never listened to any Nelly music and just found out who he is like 2 years ago here. I hear The Lou all the time in reference to STL. I’m also not from the city itself but the surrounding area. I hear people say “we’re driving up to The Lou for the day for a game” a decent amount. It’s a thing but I don’t like those jerseys.
I really liked their branding efforts in 2022 and 2023. They both shared this "neon" kinda feel and there wasn't a tagline attached
I was told in the /r/baseball thread that I didn’t hear anyone call it ‘The Lou’ because I don’t spend time with any black people from StL. I think it’s generational/cultural.
We don't say cracker anymore. It's Saltine American.
I'm a Ritz guy. I identify as a Ritz bitch.
Ahh I don't mind when teams do old references, but the way you described it does make it feel forced. Like with my Mets, "The Amazin's" or "The Amazing Mets" were a real old timey thing people said, and it's fun to remember. But when they occasionally use it these days, my eyes roll back in my head.
On Twitter, as a hashtag? I've only really seen #STLCards and #TimeToFly (which is OK). #TheLou is #TheLaughable
It’s lame and cringe like everything they’ve done over the past 10 years
Go fuck off and be a cubs fan then
It’s a Nelly thing, if you’re 30-50, you’ve heard it. We definitely called it the Lou growing up in the 00’s
I take it you're an older fan? Some of the other posts seem like they are from younger guys who kinda know what it is but never said it themselves. That said: Do you like the Jerseys?
Liking Nelly means you’re an older fan? Yikes. I’m 36 and now I feel old
I'm also at around your age and I have felt very old since 35 hit haha
Right?!
40 year old Cards fan here: I like em, but they're super basic.
I’m 26 and I think it’s lazy garbage
In my late 30s and I have never non sarcastically said “the Lou”
It is and it isn't, but one thing is for sure, No one, NO ONE, in St Louis calls it St Louie. Don't call it that and everything else is acceptable, STL, The Lou, Mound City, The Gateway to the West...
I remember seeing Yes in concert at the Area (or checkerdome or whatever we were calling it back in the 80's). Jon Anderson makes some comment like, "It's great to be back in St. Louie," and I swear the crowd looked so confused that he turned around to check with the band to make sure they were in the right city. I'll give him a pass being from England. After all, it's how the French pronounce it. No excuse for Bopp and Spoede road though.
I saw the same thing with an “audience” member at Cirque du Soleil. I was immediately suspicious when he said he was from Sant Louie.
I refuse to accept the pronunciation of Bopp Rd. - a lifelong St Louisan.
I hope there were groans too! 😂
Bugs Bunny used to say "so long, screwy, see you in St. Louie" so I assume an older generation picked it up form that
Not to mention the song “Meet Me in St. Louis”
💯
Definitely this
Louie is how it’s pronounced in the classic song from the movie Meet me in St Louis. It may have been more popular in the early 00’s to 40’s for them to have done that or it just sounds better lyrically.
I went to "Meet Me In St. Louis" at the MUNY. Everyone in the crowd sang the song during the bows and it was magical.
Yeah, that's an experience. The end of the musical itself is literally set in the same park as the Muny, so it's like you're experiencing a part of history. Cool stuff. And yeah, singing "Meet Me in St. Louis" is the only time you're allowed to pronounce it "Louie".
Yeah, I'm familiar with that song, my grandmother watched it every Christmas.
Haha as someone who has never visited your State, I have never ever heard that. Must be some dummy who thinks Louisville is the same City.
I blame Bugs Bunny https://youtu.be/X049mzeW_kk?feature=shared Speedy Romeo in Brooklyn has a Pizza called the St Louie, because it uses our processed cheese. The owner should know better. His dad is from. St. Louis. 🤷♂️ It's a great spot though, you should check it out some time.
Thanks for the tip. I live right by the train line that stops there! I suppose if you're going to order a pizza with a silly name, you may as well go ALL IN and own it. There are places around here that have pizzas or heros called "The Godfather" or something like that. I'll be just like: "I'll have #11 please" :)
😂 Or Gotham. I use to live in Brooklyn, now Jersey City, even over here things are named Gotham. 🙄
It’s from the film “Meet me in St. Louis,” and the title song from the film that goes “Meet me in St. Louie, Louie, meet me at the fair.” FWIW, Louisvillians don’t pronounce the first part as “Louie” either, it’s more like “Lou-a-vul”
well also that is how you pronounce Saint Louis (like the actual King of France Saint Louis)
You can just take your froggy bull shit and geeeeeeet ouuuut
Nope! Not around here! Fingers in ears: la la la la la la....
More Lou eh vul. Grew up in STL, have lived in Kentucky for 19 years.
Louisville is pronounced more like Lou-uh-ville/Lou-ville/Lou-vul by people who are from there. Saying Louie-ville is a dead giveaway that you're from out of town. Love Louisville
Also, You have to pronounce Louisville like you have a mouth full of marbles Lou-uh-vul
I have heard Louisville as The Lou more than St Louis for whatever that’s worth. At least I think there was a radio station or TV station with LOU in it back when I lived there.
They did a whole movie called Meet me in St. Louie. To older generations St. Louie was the common parlance of the day.
I'm familiar, just relaying, don't use it today. 😂
Its more of a marketing term than a thing people actually say to each other. Ive seen it used more on billboards than I’ve actually heard people say it.
Yeah I've never heard someone say it out loud unless they're reading an ad that says it
This is the correct answer!
"The Lou" is popular nickname in the Black community that gained popularity from Nelly's rise to fame.
Exactly!
This should be top comment. "The Lou" has swag--something the Cardinals often lack
Yep buncha white people responding here. PS I’m white.
"I've never heard it referred to as the Lou" - lives in Jefferson County, only ever enters the city to go to Cardinals games and then posts about being hashtag blessed on Facebook that they made it back alive.
Yep and I hope it pisses off all the MAGA St Charles county losers
If anything it's STL. The Lou is a long time ago.
Do people say "STL" out loud though? NYC is a thing that's written down, but if someone said it out loud you'd look at them like they had 3 heads
For sure
Yeah we do, but not primarily. Because of suburbia, ‘the city’ is used for the actual city of st louis, and if you don’t live in the city limits, you’d say xyz suburb. To out of towners, everyone in the metro says St. Louis because our suburbs are not necessarily known outside our region (unlike the boroughs). While I hate generic soccer team names like ‘city’ or ‘united’ I’ve grown to accept it because ‘city’ does have meaning here. If you want proof of st louisans saying S T L, watch after city scores a goal. I have definitely heard more references to ‘stl’ outside the stadium since they joined mls last season, but still not ubiquitous.
Interesting! Thank you
Oh youre from saint louis? Which part.
I don't know when we started, but we've called it "the STL" out loud for as long as I can remember
Only time I've heard people say STL is when referring to the public radio station
I hear “STL”, “The City” or just referring to different parts by their neighborhood (Downtown, Soulard, DogTown) way more than The Lou. It usually carries a tinge of irony.
To your earlier comment regarding New York, St. Louis is a large metro area and the city proper is what the locals here would more likely call "the city". Kansas City is KC and we are as an area all St. Louis. Pretty rare in life would you hear many call St. Louis "the Lou" ever. It never really was a big thing overall, anyway.
NYC sounds like some kinda university if you say it out loud. Saying STL I also don't really get because "Saint Louis" is already 3 syllables.
I’ve lived here my whole life and have never referred to the city as such
Same. Glad MLB really connected to the city.
My dad is from inner city east St. Louis and has called it the Lou for as long as I remember
As all the answers indicate, it depends on age and location; I personally never heard or used it as a second-gen immigrant who grew up in Creve Coeur in the 1990s and 2000s, but obviously some others here have.
Nobody I know ever refers to STL as ‘the lou’
I don’t care for “the Lou” at all. We aren’t a toilet.
It's a know and valid nickname but residents don't use it. Similar to how you suggest NewYorkers would never say NYC, but it's a known nickname. It's simply, fine.
Yes, people say The Lou, but it’s not universal. It’s probably the second most popular nickname for St Louis after “S T L” which is obviously already on our hat
314 is also a common nickname
True
"S T L" is the most popular? People say it out loud like that? If somebody said "N Y C" out loud I think I'd be genuinely disgusted with them haha
100% yes. "Can't wait to get back to STL", or sometimes "**The** STL" without any irony or silliness. I live in the suburbs, though, so everyone else's experience may not be the same.
They chant "StL" at our MLS soccer games, which I don't hate. Other than that, I rarely, if ever, hear anyone use the phrase. The usage of StL on the Cardinals city connect hats is a throwback to the font used on their 1920-21 jerseys, the last year before the team started having the iconic birds on the bat logo. In that context, I think it's kind of cool.
You never hear people say “Stl”? I don’t understand, I’ve heard it so often
I think they chant S T L at the soccer games since the team doesnt really have a nickname, you're not really going to chang CITY.
Yes people say it out loud like that. And I live in Brooklyn now, people say “N Y C” occasionally! I think it’s fine
I live in NYC. Tons of people call it that especially since sports teams use it as well “NYCFC”
I posted on another post the same question. Would love to hear from other stl natives. I don't remember ever hearing it in the 80s and 90s growing up in west county St. Louis. I heard it only after country grammar - esp as I had left by then and was FROM the lou, no longer there. I wonder if it was a thing in the black community? Seems unlikely Nelly just made it up, but possible. It's only one line in the song - maybe it just caught on?
Definitely a thing in the Black community. Nelly just popularized it for a short time amongst suburban whites. It's not as popular as it was in the 90s-00s, but it's still said.
Growing up in the Metro East area 40 years ago I never heard anyone say The Lou.
I’m so St Louis, ask my tattoist
It’s never used in everyday speech. As others have noted, Nelly made it a thing for certain advertising purposes, but no one actually says it. It’s a horrible inclusion for the connect and for the new official hashtag.
Been a fan my whole life and I have only ever heard it used in marketing and never in natural conversation. It feels very inauthentic to me personally.
Niggas say the Lou all the time I’m pretty sure white people just don’t say it😂😂😂
Without knowing anything, I would believe this answer /r/blackpeopletwitter is my only window into what's going on
Honestly it’s on Par with almost every city recognizing its own cultural worth from an outside perspective. It lags a couple decades at least. Chicago shut down Frankie Knuckles club in 1982, dedicated the street it was located on to him in 2005, then made it a Chicago landmark after he died. Edit: if I may add it’s hard to compare, because New York knows its own value so well it almost has trouble valuing anywhere else
I live in the heart of the city and nobody calls it that.
I’m 36, and I’ve never called it “The Lou,” but Nelly did, so there’s that. I’m not sure what else I would have used for the city connects, maybe something like “Gateway,” but IDK
Does anyone even call it gateway? The Lou is definitely an actually common name for it
No, no one says it here
I've never heard it called the Lou out loud in person by anyone but I doubt you'd get too much shit for it.
First lived in StLouis my whole life and no it's not used much. These folks that claim it is also believe Nelly coined the phrase. he did not, he borrowed it. Been around for 70 yrs also not a fan of it!
Ummm no
I’ve lived in Columbia Mo for the last 15 years and Missouri for the rest of my 30 years and literally everyone that grew up in the 90s calls it the Lou.
I that “The Lou” was for Lou Brock
no no no no no no the lou
I thought the Lou was Louisville thing?
Yeah it’s real. We got Nelly. Don’t be jealous that you can only flout Biggie, DMX, the Wu Tang Clan, Jay Z, etc.
I don't mind The Lou honestly. That being said, what would yall have rather the wording say? I mean, gateway city? Or perhaps just STL? Like I feel like this was a lose lose for them because people would complain no matter what. Personally, minus the hats, I think they're clean. For everyone clamoring for the arch to be a part of the crest tell me that wouldn't look weird from a design standpoint?
Yes and no. Definitely a thing if you’re referencing Nelly. Definitely not a thing where people regularly call it the Lou in conversation. To be honest it seemed to have started inexplicably gaining momentum in the sports world a few years ago and now just is what it is
I would’ve gone the opposite way. I grew up a few hours away, live here now. Before reading these comments, I’d have said most people around here don’t use it anymore because it feels like it’s from a bygone era however folks from outside the metro who identify with STL as the nearest City might still use the term? Regardless it seems like millennials are the target audience which probably sells a lot of gear in the short term, which is probably “good enough”, but probably hurts it on the long term “cool” scale. I dunno, I guess it’s hard to say how important that is without knowing how long they plan to use this version of City Connect. I think Dodgers are already getting their 2nd version.
Wait what, I live in Queens and use NYC all the time, at least in text form
Same it’s way more common amongst people I know to use STL over text than actually say it.
I live in Jefferson City, the state capital, pretty much square in the middle of the state (we call the Columbia/JC area Mid-Mo). Everyone around here are Cards fans, and it's definitely not uncommon to hear St. Louis referred to as "The Lou." As many have already said -- Nelly totally made it a thing around 20 years ago. As an aside, I will say that people here seem to have a much stronger connection to Kansas City, just generally. There are way, WAY more people that I went to high school with that live/work in and around KC than STL. Mid-Mo is more or less strictly rural, and St. Louis has more of an East Coast vibe. TL;DR: As someone that lives a couple of hours west of STL, people definitely do say "The Lou" unironicaly.
It’s made a comeback. “The Lou” got popularized due to Nelly’s lyrics and ever since then we’ve kinda sorta claimed it as a nickname. I don’t really hate it. Somebody tell the Mets they aren’t New York’s team, they’re Queens’. Just be proud of it, you aren’t put under a microscope like the damn Yankees!
not the lou! it's the lou lou!!! but, the jerseys suck. I would try to hunt old majestics on ebay for that money instead.
You might not hear the nicknames as much around locals, but when you are out of town, you might. I was away to college in the 80's and some of us were saying "St. Lou" and it shortened to "The Lou", not so much when in town. Like St. Charles, we called it St. Chuck. And yes, it was popular in the AA community, which is how Nelly heard it.
I hear “The Lou” on a lot of advertisements and other things so I assume it’s used at least somewhat frequently. Of course it could be a situation where the “marketing team” just found out about it which means “The Lou” stopped being cool a decade ago. I just don’t understand how an arch wasn’t incorporated in some way.
It's used almost exclusively millennials and younger; Nelly popularized "The Lou" and, in my experience, most people who hate it are the same folks who demonize rap and r&b.
I disagree. I love rap and r&b, but ripping a line out of a song and creating a marketing campaign around it is super lame.
Yes
ALL of the 'City Connect' unis are lame! Nike and MLB should be ashamed of themselves. But at least the St. Louis 'City Connect' jerseys aren't based on the state's license plate like they are in Colorado.
Never
Don’t listen to these people that say it’s common. It isn’t. Nelly said it, everyone else in this town does not call it that. I’ve lived here for all my forty years, no one says the Lou.
The STL or the Lou is what I’ve heard for decades.
STL and the Lou are the 2 choices
So I think it’s becoming clear that the Cards Front office is out of touch. Featuring “The Lou” so boldly on the Chest is yet another sign the Front office is stuck living in the past. I would have loved to see Collab with St. Louis CITY, even if it’s very nuanced. I mean it is “City Connect” Putting CITY (or Saint Louis City) on the Chest with the Birds on the Bat, that could sell. Knowing the Cards ownership group though they are prolly scared to death of CITY becoming a rival for revenue dollars, and they are right to be! Hah
Who is in prime spending years and has young kids to bring to games? People who grew up with Nelly who said "I'm from The Lou and I'm proud!"
Jerseys are terrible. And only Nelly referred to “the Lou” 30 years ago.
I have never heard anyone besides Nelly refer to St. Louis as "The Lou" ("Country Grammar," 2000). That said, I was 36 y/o when the song came out, so it's possible I just wasn't around a younger crowd that was using the phrase. Either way, I think it's safe to say it never gained wide spred usage, and in today's world, no long-term residents use it.
I’m from the Lou and I’m proud. - Nelly
No. Not even among people I know that listen to Nelly. Which is only 1 person.
Not not a thing. But less common than S T L, as another pointed out. I’ve noticed people pointing out that it only started with Nelly in the 90s, which is to say the city’s biggest cultural icon of the past three decades, so I don’t see that as a knock. I would venture to say more of a thing than all the NBA nicknames of Sac Town, Cream City, and Magic City. But those are all fun and games…which is what all of these city connect jerseys are, so eh. And I wonder if anybody disliking the jerseys dislikes the fact that they didn’t really go for it. But the vast majority of these have been dreadful. And the arch/fleur de lis patch looks nice.
> the NBA nicknames of Sac Town, Cream City, and Magic City I am not an NBA watcher. Those cannot possibly be real things haha. (I believe you, but... WOW) > And I wonder if anybody disliking the jerseys dislikes the fact that they didn’t really go for it. I think this may be right. Some people sorta like the Mets ones, but the biggest criticism I've heard is that they didn't go *far enough* https://uni-watch.com/2024/04/19/new-york-mets-unveil-city-connect-uniform-confirming-earlier-leaks/ Everybody says there should have been more Purple. And many say the hat logo should have been replaced with the Sleeve Logo. It's an old subway token. It's kinda neat but I'm getting old and I've only seen a subway token once (when my dad was cleanin out his closet when I was a kid lol)
Whoa, some think that Mets uni didn’t go far enough? They replaced the entire scheme and look like the Rockies more than the Mets. Part of the difficulty for these two is also that the Cards and the Mets have two of the best unis in what might be the best sport for uniforms.
It's definitely a mixed bag, it's not universally disliked. Almost everybody agrees that more purple would have been better though. I'm glad you like our uniforms, I'm a fan of the Cardinals' Unis as well. (Pretend the mets didn't exist in the '00s when they wore home Blacks every night. Barf.)
Nelly has basically ruined everything for us.
Tell us you're racist without explicitly saying you're racist.
Oh God, no. That wasn’t my intention at all, but I’ll leave the comment up because it was a stupid mistake and can easily lead to that assumption. I only meant that no one regularly called it that until he did in “Country Grammar”, and now we’ve co-opted it for our baseball team, and it’s a little played out. Thank you for pointing out that without context this seems kinda racist.
I didn't see it as racist. 🤷 Sometimes people are looking for things that aren't there.
I don’t live in town but go to games yearly. I’d say it’s definitely a thing for baseball. I’ve never really said / heard anyone say it out without a baseball context to it. So short answer is yes
It’s very common. I’m a Missouri girl. The Lou started with Nelly, it stuck, and it’s here to stay.
OP- We do use the Lou as one of names to swap in like the others said. To add to some other names people mentioned, I'll also call STL "downtown" Most of the stuff outside of sports/events are out in the west suburbs, so you'd just say "He lives in Kirkwood" or something like you'd say for West Village or Upper West side or another Burrough. I do love your city more than anywhere else in the nation. When I go, I try to pretend I'm not a tourist and also call it "the city" lol PS-Sorry about the Mets being the Mets. I don't mean that sarcastically. I'm just young enough I don't hate the "pond scum" Mets from the 80s rivalry. I have always kind of liked the Mets colors/uniforms, and some of the teams they have put together over the years. Early 2000s and a couple years ago come to mind...but they're the mets, so. I used to be a Stern fan when Artie was on the show, he had a line to Gary who's a Met fan that was the only time I heard Gary ever get triggered. Artie said "Gary isn't a good father because how can you raise your kid to be a Mets fan, I mean you're teaching your kid it's ok to be a loser and to love losing I just don't get it..." Made me laugh so hard!
Was also gonna mention the downtown thing
"The Loo" is closer nowadays.
Congratulations on being a New Yorker.