The 9 Best Regional Terms for the Strip Between the Road and Sidewalk, Ranked

What do you call a Dr. Pepper? Do you call it soda, pop, or Coke, no matter what kind of soda it is? Do you call a yard sale a jumble sale? Then you might speak a super-regional dialect — be it Midwestern, Northeastern, or Southern. You might be asking, “Sarah, what set you off on this examination of regional colloquialisms?” Thanks for asking, readers! There are some things that I simply don’t know the word for, and in a deep dive into colloquialisms, I discovered that there are tons of different words for the same thing. One “thing” specifically that’s currently vexing me? That space between the street and the sidewalk, otherwise known as a “road verge.”

At least, that’s what it’s known as technically. Apparently, there’s a whole laundry list of unexpected terms for the “road verge.” Y’all, this term isn’t going to work for me, given the delicious and often ridiculous alternatives that exist! Below, I’ve ranked my nine favorite road verge terms across the web. See if you spot any terms you use, or a new one to add to your lexicon.

Apparently, some civil engineers refer to the road verge as a “furniture zone” because it’s the location where different components of utilities are installed (think of street furniture like street lamps and electric boxes). For me, this sounds more like a discount furniture store where for $400 you can snag a brand-new loveseat that someone just didn’t want with their set.

I love this one because the term “parkway” is just as often used as a type of road — like avenue, boulevard, etc. (Eastern Parkway, anyone?). In this way, the “Parkway” that’s a road verge is like a parkway for ants. I love it. I love it! Do you think they all do business on it? Or have their own lanes of traffic? What is this, a parkway for ants?

What if your trees had a lawn of their own? With the term “tree lawn,” which Reddit says is apparently only used in Cleveland, trees are their own landowners. We love an ultra-ultra-regional term. It’s not even solely Midwestern — it’s just Cleveland! 

This seems made-up, point blank. Can you picture the nation’s first urban planners sitting around an ornate office, probably with cigars aflame, saying, “Hey, what if we popped a little space between the street and sidewalk, like a little, ya know, buffer? Can’t have m’lady’s skirt getting splashed by a horse!”

It’s no secret that I love New Orleans, and the story behind its Neutral Ground street medians is a rich piece of American history. I imagine that folks within the region just started applying that phrase to other stretches of public space that resembled these specific medians. Hey, when I’m in NOLA, I’ll do as the New Orleanians do!

I’ve never heard the word “swale” before in my life, but apparently it’s a very specific term because “swales,” which are usually placed in the road verge, are used to gather stormwater in big rains.

This one comes straight from the land down under, and it sounds like the name of the next big waxing craze for your downtown. My imagination is running wild. Next!

Hilarious, perfect, stunning, iconic. I live and die for the portmanteau. This is exactly what the area beside the sidewalk is: the besidewalk. And if it weren’t for my number-one term, this would be the name I adopt for my use of road verge. But alas, I bring you to the number-one best term …

This term echoes back to Government Grass, but is far more sinister, spooky, and satisfying, and apparently an Akron, Ohio, regionalism. I can’t wait to be a terrifying old lady yelling at kids to stay off my lawn, but adding, “AND the devil strip!” This will secure my position as the most frightening neighbor in my community, which is all I want in this world.

It depends on your city’s bylaws. In most cities or counties across the U.S., your road verge (or government grass, or nature strip, or what have you) is probably technically not your property. But sometimes it is your property, and even if it’s not, your city may have different expectations on whether or not you are required to maintain it, so before you decide to permanently remove mowing your yard sample from your chores list, check in with your local authorities.