Not quite; I've heard "lower 48" but never "the 48." There are some vague descriptors of various parts of the country and arguments about which states belong to which; Oklahoma, for instance, is sometimes South and sometimes not; sometimes Southwest and sometimes Midwest; the only thing that anyone can really agree on is that it's the heart of the north-south strip of states called Tornado Alley.
"The continental United States" is a common phrase, or "CONUS" (the military smooshed-together word). However, there are 49 states on the North American continent.
Alaskans consider it kind of rude to say "the continental US" and not mean Alaska, so they say "the lower 48" (not really "the 48"-- "lower" is in there). Alaskans are just different, though. (My partner and his daughter are Alaskan.)
Hawaiians, on the other hand, use "the mainland" for the other 49.
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Date: 2008-02-07 11:16 am (UTC)"The continental United States" is a common phrase, or "CONUS" (the military smooshed-together word). However, there are 49 states on the North American continent.
Alaskans consider it kind of rude to say "the continental US" and not mean Alaska, so they say "the lower 48" (not really "the 48"-- "lower" is in there). Alaskans are just different, though. (My partner and his daughter are Alaskan.)
Hawaiians, on the other hand, use "the mainland" for the other 49.