Essential English phrases

I-285, the ring road. 'Inside the Perimeter' (ITP) and 'outside the Perimeter' (OTP) are the fundamental social and geographic division of Atlanta.

A former rail loop being converted into 22 miles of trail and transit around the core. It has reshaped the city and its property prices more than anything else this century.

Late March to April, when the city and everything in it turns yellow. Atlanta's pollen counts are among the highest in the United States and it affects people who have never had allergies.

Inside or outside I-285. People genuinely refuse to date, work or socialise across the line, and say so out loud.

Depending entirely on tone: genuine sympathy, or a devastating insult delivered with a smile. Learn to read it before you use it.

Where I-75 and I-85 merge through downtown — up to fifteen lanes wide and the source of the region's worst traffic.

The rail and bus system. Two rail lines crossing at Five Points, useful along those axes and useless elsewhere — which is most of Atlanta.

Georgia's film and television industry, built on aggressive tax credits. Atlanta rivals Los Angeles in production volume by some measures.

Atlanta. Also 'the ATL'. Used with real affection and civic pride, especially in the music that made both terms global.

Wings with lemon pepper seasoning tossed in sauce. An Atlanta institution, immortalised by Donald Glover, and ordered exactly that way.

The 24-hour diner chain founded here in 1955. FEMA informally tracks storm severity by whether local branches close — the 'Waffle House Index' is a genuine thing.

911 for emergencies; 311 for City of Atlanta services. Note the metro spans many separate cities and counties, each with its own line.