At the lake

A few columns ago I wrote about a regional saying “to boot”. Well, I’ve another to discuss. 

I recently had a conversation with a nephew, who in our texting back and forth to schedule our conversation, repeatedly used the expression “at the lake” or “leaving the lake” in his messages. It continued into our conversation as he described the weekend with his wife and his brother’s family (who has a cabin across the street from him) at “the lake”. 

Now I realize I writing to South Dakotans who don’t have the “Land of 10,000 lakes” in their state description – so possibly this observation will not strike you as particularly interesting.   

I have heard the phrase “the lake” my whole life. Starting with a brother-in-law that put up with me snagging lines and unable to bait my own hook and took me fishing with him to “the lake”. He later took me along to “the lake” (a different one) to spend time with he, my sister, and their kids on a vacation “at the lake”.

Over the years I have actually figured out which “lake” I was at. The phrase “up north” enters into this lake location business, but that is for another day. 

Last summer I had the occasion to “go up north” and fish in the Lake of the Woods (never referred to as just “the lake”) – as it’s as far north as you can go in Minnesota, and then on to visit another lake cabin (still ‘up north,’ I believe). But when I communicated this second leg of the trip. the nephew asked, w”Which lake?” I didn’t know which lake – it was just “the lake” like all the others. 

(I keep trying to work in the old-time phrase “go jump in a lake” over frustration in a conversation with these guys, but it just doesn’t fit, so I will leave this paragraph in just for the context.) 

I have no idea the name – can’t I just say “the lake” as all others refer to their chosen destination? Has my Minnesotan language heritage been canceled because of leaving 50 years ago?   

I was at the lake.