Just the other day SFist was noting some flyers posted around the Mission with the words "Call It Frisco" and the date January 29. Well, today we get a bit more explanation, and we know who's behind it, and it's not some provocateurs like Gay Shame or anything like that. It's BuzzFeed SF, and it's has to do with an event they're throwing.

Today they tweeted out the URL http://callitfris.co/ with the call to action "let's do this," and the Twitterati were immediately on top of the fact that BuzzFeed itself owns that domain.

SFist reached out to BuzzFeed SF editor Jessica Misener who says, "Yes, we are behind it." She explains further, "Some people in this city get really uptight about the name 'Frisco,' but it actually has a rich history rooted in many Bay Area communities. We want to reclaim it, even if just for a day. It's OK to call it Frisco!"

I'm still pretty sure it's most old people and ardent Herb Caen fans who get weird about calling the city "Frisco" — being a fan of Kerouac, I've never personally cared and it just makes me think of the 50's, and him.

Also, as Caleb pointed out the other day, Caen himself, the man who published a book under the title Don't Call It Frisco, once wrote, "The toughest guys on the old S.F. waterfront, neither rubes nor tourists, called it Frisco, and no effete journalist would have tried to correct them."

Anyway, Caen is long dead, and mostly only longtime residents and natives even know who he was, and this debate is probably tired. And, as Misener clarifies, "We're not asking people start calling it Frisco permanently, just that it be allowed on this one day."

As for what this party/event is going to be next week, that remains TBA.

Update: Misener clarifies further that this isn't a campaign to promote an event, per se. "Call It Frisco Day is the event itself, and the event [we throw] will just be a small celebration in name of that."

For those too lazy to click, here's the full text of the new site:

For too long, the Bay Area has been torn apart by one very important question: How should you abbreviate San Francisco?

"San Fran" is much too nasal. "SF"? It's the opposite of mellifluous. "Paris of the West"? I mean... okay. It's all been so confusing. Until now.

Let's just call it Frisco.

Frisco's roots — in Gold Rush California — are as deep and nuanced as the city itself. It's the chosen nickname of Jack London and Otis Redding; Irving Berlin and '90s Bay Area rappers; sailors and the Hells Angels; the vital blue collar core of our city. It's fast. It flows off the tongue. It pisses off tech bros. It is, in fact, totally fucking awesome. That's right, San Francisco, hold onto your hoodies: It's time we reclaim "Frisco."

And, yes, look, we know what Herb Caen said. And we're aware of Emperor Norton's fines. But conformity is lame. And honestly, the opposite of the spirit that built this great city.

So, look, for this one day, January 29, you have a pass. You can call it Frisco. Go ahead! It's fine! Sing John Kanaka, and contemplate the Hell's Angels. Call it Frisco, and sit by the Bay. Don't worry, you won't be alone. We'll do it too.

Join us January 29th for a special Call It Frisco Day celebration — details to follow.

Previously: Provocateurs Post 'Call It Frisco' Fliers In Mission