Photo by Michael Eisenhut

The D.C. area is full of a lot of interesting placenames: Gaithersburg, Quince Orchard Road, Wolf Trap, Quackenbos Street NW, Annandale, and Friendly, Md. However, the names take on different meanings once you know what’s there.

Overheard of the Week

Orange line to Vienna, Monday evening rush hour:

Train operator announces the next stop is Foggy Bottom.
Male tourist: “Did he say Foggy Bottom?”
Female tourist: “It’s like a place out of a fairy tale! [pauses] Let’s step out and look around.”
Male tourist: “Honey, no, we gotta get off at Rosslyn.”
Female tourist: “Aw, that sounds nice, too!”

After the jump, it seems like the warm weather is bringing romance to our city. And idiots.

Overheard in D.C. depends on you to hear the good stuff and send it in to our special Overheard email address. Make sure to tell us who, where and in what context.

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Bus drivers: pretty cool sometimes

On an express bus to Virginia during the evening rush hour:

The bus driver is having a heated conversation about his bike seat with a bike messenger who’s on the bus.

A regular rider enters the bus and swipes his SmarTrip card only to realize he doesn’t have enough money.

Driver: “The ride is $3.80.”
Rider: “Shoot, I don’t have enough cash, can I do credit?”
Driver: (begins to pull the bus away from the stop) “Nope, no credit.”
Rider: “OK, I gotta get off then.”
Driver: “Why do you gotta get off.”
Rider: “Because I have no cash.”
Driver: “The only way I will let you off this bus is if you say I’m kidnapping you.”
Rider: “OK…?”
Driver: “Well? Am I kidnapping you?”
Rider: “No…?”
Driver: “Then sit your ass down and take a free ride. I’ve got to carry on my conversation with this bike messenger here that is making the whole bus smell like shit. OK?”
Rider: “OK…Thank You?”

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Let’s hope this is a person they’re talking about

In an office building on K Street:

Two 20-something women are walking down the stairs.

Woman 1: “Where’s Israel?”
Woman 2: “I have no idea, that’s a good question!”
Woman 1: “Right?!”

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Summer lovin

In Saxby’s in Georgetown:

Two young men are looking at their smartphones.

Guy 1: “Ah summer, when the days are hot and the Georgetown gays come out of the Grindr woodwork.”
Guy 2: “It’s nice to finally see all of these 20-year-old torsos get faces.”

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Zing

At a Hyattsville gas station:

A man buying two condoms asks his girlfriend, “Should I buy three?”

Girlfriend: “I don’t know what you do in your spare time.”

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More geography

On H Street NE on Saturday morning:

A couple in their 20s is talking. The guy says, “Here’s the deal with H Street. It’s like Portlandia or The Wire depending on what corner you’re standing on.”

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Advice from tweens

On the street in Georgetown:

One skimpily dressed tween girl in a backless top to another in short shorts (displaying at least a third of her butt cheeks): “Do you like the smell of Abercrombie or Hollister better?”

The other: “Hollister, because you can smell it from further away.”

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The Fun Police are on patrol

On the street in Columbia Heights:

A girl was walking with her boyfriend as the sounds of the downtown fireworks pealed across town. She looks at her boyfriend with an upturned nose.

Girl: “Do fireworks mean anything to you? Because they mean SHIT to me.”

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Hmm

In the checkout line on July 4th at the Rite Aid at 13th and U:

Older African American man, late 50s: “This ain’t no chocolate city no more. It’s gay city. The gays have taken over.”

Much older African American woman, early 80s: “Now don’t be mad. You had your chance and look how it played out.”

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But if you were nice…

On the red line to Glenmont:

A woman talking loudly on her phone: “I wouldn’t say that to her. People like that don’t understand the subjunctive.”