Talk:West Coast

RFD discussion: September 2020–January 2021

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West Coast

"The western seaboard of the United States." SOP, west + coast.__Gamren (talk) 13:36, 22 September 2020 (UTC)

Um, and why would it be SOP if relating to the United States but not when to British Columbia? Also, the fact that it refers to a region in the United States specifically, without Baja California and British Columbia, makes it idiomatic, especially if you consider that this meaning is present even on the British Isles or elsewhere where one speaks English. Because it is a cultural region, a fact which is not reflected in the definition. While in general it is not easily imagined that this is used so in the UK without much US context, in Hip Hop contexts it clearly is a term. Keep, maybe redefine. Fay Freak (talk) 04:06, 23 September 2020 (UTC)

This reminds me of the debate over civil war. In the US, West Coast refers to the US west coast, because we're in the US. In the UK, it would presumably refer to the British west coast, and in Canada, to the Canadian west coast. If I'm reading a book about Australia, and it mentions the West Coast, I have no difficulty in assuming that they're referring to the Australian west coast. Chuck Entz (talk) 19:04, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

In any case, Delete all adjective senses as this is not an adjective but a noun used attributively or for its associations. Possibly/probably Add a noun sense along the lines of "(attributive) Denoting a style/type of [...] originating from or associated with the west coast of the United States", on the basis that international readers may be expected to understand that e.g. "laid back West Coast feel" refers to the west coast of the US. Abstain on the purely geographic noun definitions, as I do not have a clear position about how we should treat these, but I question why we should have definitions relating to the US and New Zealand, and not to the dozens of other geographical areas that can be termed "West Coast". Mihia (talk) 13:48, 23 September 2020 (UTC)

Yes, delete the adjective senses. SemperBlotto (talk) 06:36, 24 September 2020 (UTC)

Delete the adjective completely, and expand the proper noun to include BC, if that's correct. I can vouch for NZ's West Coast, having been there. DonnanZ (talk) 08:43, 24 September 2020 (UTC)

Delete the adjective for the reasons expressed above. I’m not sure about the noun though; if retained it’s potentially going to contain a very long list of geographical locations. There’s both an East Coast and a West Coast even in Singapore. — SGconlaw (talk) 18:36, 26 September 2020 (UTC)

We could give an inclusive definition like "A proper name given to regions along the west coast of various land masses, especially the continental United States." Vox Sciurorum (talk) 19:11, 26 September 2020 (UTC)

That seems a good idea. — SGconlaw (talk) 00:54, 27 September 2020 (UTC)

• Keep, keep, keep. I give my blessing to East Coast as well. - Dentonius (my politics | talk) 18:24, 4 October 2020 (UTC)

Delete the adjective section, keep the two noun senses (or maybe replace them with Vox Sciurorum's tentative definition). PUC – 14:08, 29 November 2020 (UTC) 

In the US, "West Coast" has definite implications, as indicated by the synonym left coast. However, any region anywhere in the world has an added layer of meaning to place names. In LA, we have Orange County, Watts, South Central, the Valley, and others as areas symbolic of various socioeconomic strata. In New York, each of the bureaus as well as Lawn Guyland, the Hamptons, etc. have similar symbolic overlay. So do areas of London and various regions in England, and various parts of Australia. This is of great interest, but I'm not sure we can do it justice in a dictionary. I mean, you can take almost any nation of more than a certain size and mention the capital city (or a specific part, such as Westminster in the UK), and people in that country will understand that you're talking about bureaucracy. It's a matter of metonymy. Chuck Entz (talk) 19:03, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

I don't regard it as a "named region" with capital letters as far as the UK goes. It would just be the west coast, not the West Coast. Equinox ◑ 19:08, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

• Adjective senses RFD-deleted; proper noun senses RFD-kept. —Μετάknowledge^{discuss/deeds} 23:06, 1 January 2021 (UTC)

Canada

10 cents'll get you a Loonie that even in Canada "West Coast" is more generally talking about Cali with or without Oregon and Washington. In any case, no one is using it as inclusive of the contiguous US, BC, and Alaska as any kind of unit.  — LlywelynII 03:42, 31 December 2021 (UTC)