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> anyone who lives in Washington, DC won't say they are "from Washington."

not true. source: I live there

You say you "live in Washington" without DC suffixed? If so, this is a new trend from transplants - lived there for 20 years and pretty much never heard that from anyone local.

And such a usage contributes to the confusion, in my opinion.

Your experience matches mine, people who live in or near DC say "DC". Sometimes "Washington, DC." Politicians and media say simply "Washington" because it sounds more formal or powerful.

It's kind of like how everybody in Pennsylvania says "PA" in casual conversation. It just rolls off the tongue easier.

I grew up there and live there currently. Everyone I know either says "DC", "the district" or "the city" depending on the context. Never heard anyone say "from Washington" who didn't mean the state.

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