I think there is a difference between what locals may use to refer to a city and what the rest of us, particularly from somewhere abroad, may use. I hear quite a few non Americans refer to "Frisco". What I rarely hear here in the UK is "The Bay Area".

Here, in the UK, the nearest town is Yeovil. It's not the most awe inspiring place but referring to it as "Yeovile" (as a neighbour does) is a little unfair.

One of the things I find most irritating is when people shorten something and lose the meaning or context. I hear people saying they are going to "Disney" when they mean "Disneyworld" (Florida) or "Disneyland Paris". Another thing that grates with me is the way in which Americans seem to have forgotten the words "airline" and "airways" and simply substitute "air". It's not "British Air" it's "British Airways". Also when they talk about London and ask how to get to Oxford. Do they mean Oxford Street or Oxford Circus (in London) or the city of Oxford (about 40 miles away)? Unlike in the US we don't drop the "road" or "street" so it's "Regent Street" not "Regent".

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