Why do you drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?

Answer 1

Why you Drive on a ParkwayThis idea dates back before the time of the interstate system to the time of the great depression. In 1931, there was a WPA (Works Project Administration) project called Skyline Drive in the National Park Service's Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. This was a 105 mile road through the national park which provided a panoramic view of the park. Completed in 1939, it was thought that all long stretches of roads would run though parks to the point where long roads were deemed "parkways". Driveway and ParkwayFrom what I understand, 'way' means 'road'. So a driveway is a road that you drive on, typically either to the street or your garage. A parkway is a road through or to a park. Usually parkways are landscaped, or beautified, with medians or trees along the edges.

Park comes from an old word (parc I think) meaning something enclosed. Generally fancy landscaped areas in the old days were enclosed to keep the riff-raff out, and started being called parks....the name stuck. The military enclosed the places they stored their vehicles (wagons and such, up to modern stuff) and called them 'parks' as well. They began referring to storing their vehicles as 'parking' them. The term started applying to any vehicle sometime around just after the war of 1812 and gained popularity into WW2, and stuck. It just lost the meaning of 'enclosed'. When so many military veterans continued using the phrase when they became civilians, it became standard.

Driveways and ParkwaysThis question is not as random as you think. Driveways were initially much longer, leading from the road back to the main house on the property. So initially people really did drive on them. The word parkway was used to describe a well developed thoroughfare, complete with trees, grassy divided medians and other landscaping, thus the "park" in the name.

Here are more opinions and answers from other WikiAnswers Contributors:

• I think this is a linguistic quirk incorporated into contemporary English as a direct result of an old GeorgeCarlin skit. But, I could be wrong.

• Partly because English is one of the most free-for-all languages in the world, with fewer rules and more borrowed words than just about any other tongue. Besides the driveway conundrum: 1) The plural of foot is feet, but the plural of boot is boots (beet??), 2) A vegetable farmer is a person whose job is to produce produce, 3) Your nose can run and your feet can smell, 4) "In action" and "inaction" are opposites, 5) You can be overwhelmed, but not whelmed, 6) "Plague" has one syllable but "ague" has two, 7) "ghoti" can be pronounced "fish" (see George Bernard Shaw), 8) "ough" has at least five different pronunciations, 9) its, hers, yours, ours, whose, and theirs are the only possessives that do NOT take apostrophes and on and on and on.

Answer 2

A "driveway" is primarily the path from the road or street to an individual home. In some cases it can be a long private access drive, and in others it leads to an enclosed garage (so you can drive on it as well as park on it).

Conversely, the term "parkway" is a road, not a place to park, because it is based on the meaning of "park" to indicate trees and other greenery (found along or between the sides of the road).

Answer 3

I believe it was comedian Steven Wright...he always made strange, but common sensical statements like that, like "I spilled spot remover on my dog, now he's gone."

**It was actually George Carlin.

Actually, You're both wrong although I apologize for not having proof.

It was an older black comedian and he was a big guy. He had quite a few of these same jokes/questions and I used to have his stand up on VHS. Must have been filmed around the mid 90's and I can still see the cover but I can't remember his name. I am actually thinking that his 1st name WAS George but obviously not Carlin. He also popped once or twice in a couple movies back then but never became a huge star.

Another one from him was, Why do we pay a toll on the freeway?

Anyway, very funny guy and while searching for his name online, I ran across your thread.

When I find him, I'll re-post.

I FINALLY FOUND HIM...... HIS NAME GEORGE WALLACE!

That's the comedian who is credited with these everyday observations.

Here's a link: http://www.thehistorymakers.com/programs/dvl/files/Wallace_Georgef.html

George Carlin DID indeed say this. It's in his book Brain Droppings.

Answer 4

Parkways earned their name because they traditionally have greenery similar to that of a park. You do drive on driveways on the way to your house (especially if you have a long driveway).

Answer 5

Its kind of stupid isn't it, I bet some idiot came up with the name and that's why.

Answer 6

I know the answer but I won't spoil your fun. Since it's one of those mean little tricks we play on people trying to learn the English language, I wouldn't want to make it easy for them.

Answer 7

because that's how it is

Answer 8

Its overrated to do it the right way :p

Answer 9

I