NEWSFLASH: Brooklyn and Queens are PART OF LONG ISLAND!

[Pequaman]

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

I say on and will always say on -- regardless of how wrong or right it is! I also do recognize that Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island, although I can't think of any situation that's come up in casual conversation where I've had to refer to them that way

However, I think if you say "Long Island" but only mean Nassau & Suffolk, then technically the proper terminology might be in... since that would fit the first definition you gave more closely.

I'm not really sure about that, though. Maybe one of the English teachers on here can help me out?

What people will actually say/think is a whole other matter entirely, LOL... I know the debate will never end, I'm just trying to add more fuel to the fire!

I think "on" is correct, only because the colloquial region of Nassau/Suffolk known as "Long Island" share the same name as, and make up the majority of geographical Long Island. Otherwise we would be saying: I live in Long Island, on Long Island.
Now if Nassau/Suffolk were called "NUFFOLK" or something like that, then it would make more sense to say: I live "in" Nuffolk, on Long Island. 7Catmom had a good explanation too, but I don't think there's a hard and fast rule on this.

The status quo and perception becomes reality. Either way you can never be wrong saying in or on Long Island .
That's my 2 cents.

ps- anyone know what people in Rhode Island say?? (I'm guessing "In")

Originally Posted by sean sean sean sean

There goes another potential complexity...

Are Long Island's barrier islands also on Long Island, or are they in Long Island? Or are they just in Nassau/Suffolk counties but not on/in Long Island at all?!

With this one:

I think either "on" or "part of" would make the most sense.

I live on Jones Island, which is part of Long Island, NY.

Originally Posted by 7CatMom

How about this for the difference?

We live on an island, thus we live on Long Island.
We live on the continent of North America.
We live on the planet Earth.


They are all geographical entities, separate from other geographical entities.

We live in New York. I live in Huntington. I live in Suffolk County. We live in the United States of America.

Those are "political" names of places, not actual geographically distinct areas.

I think that's your answer.

7CatMom, what about these examples here:
I live on a farm, on Long Island.
I live in a house, on Long Island.

"on a farm" is widely used & accepted. A farm is not really a geographical entity, or is it?

[LegalDiva]

Originally Posted by LongIslandPerson

Geographically it is. Brooklyn and Queens is technically on the same landmass as Suffolk and Nassau.

Socially and Culturally it is not. When the vast majority of people refer to Long Island, they are referring to Nassau and Suffolk only. Also, Nassau and Suffolk has a completely different lifestyle and quality of life than Queens/Brooklyn for the most part.

Amen to this. Why is this concept so difficult for people to grasp??

[Mistymountainhop]

I'm from whitestone originally and moved to and continued to be raised in west suffolk county when I was a kid- and I occasionally get frustrated when people look at it as so black and white as "Queens is NOT Long Island!". For example one of my friends from school upstate, who is originally from Douglaston, always makes fun of Long Islanders because of the j a p stereotype and when I've referenced areas in nassau county before he's confusedly said "I don't know much about Long Island roads man". Like cmon man! You live like 2 minutes away from the nassau border, in one of the most suburban parts of queens, on geographical long Island- it's not a freaking different country.

I also met a girl yesterday at the air show in jones beach who said she was from Bayside and that she used to live "out here on the island". When I asked her where, she said "New Hyde Park". Which is accurate. But NYP and Bayside are like less than 10 minutes of a drive apart, yet apparently it's so dramatic of a difference it's "out here on the island"- when NYP and Jones Beach are actually further apart than Bayside and NYP!

I mean I'm not trying to sound naive or condescending I understand queens is part of NYC and most people who live there identify with that and wouldn't say "I'm from Long Island", but at the same time I don't really feel like I've necessarily "left" Long Island when I'm in eastern queens or that I'm in some foreign territory. I just think the answer is more of a "Yes and No" to whether BK and queens is long island rather than a black-and-white "No!"