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ADOT reminds Thanksgiving travelers to drive sober with 'Dilly! Dilly!' freeway sign

Stephanie Morse
Arizona Republic
The Arizona Department of Transportation reminded Thanksgiving travelers to drive sober with a "Dilly! Dilly!" freeway message, shown on Nov. 22, 2017.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is reminding holiday travelers to drive sober this Thanksgiving with another pop culture-inspired freeway sign. 

This time the department referenced the popular phrase from Bud Light's recent commercials with the saying, "Sober Driver? Dilly! Dilly!" 

The phrase "Dilly! Dilly!" became a popular saying after a recent commercial from Bud Light where the phrase is used as a medieval-style "Cheers!"

In the commercial, dinner guests are considered "true friends of the crown" and are greeted with an enthusiastic "Dilly! Dilly!" when they bring Bud Light as an offering to the king at the banquet. When a person brings craft beer, the guests do not respond with "Dilly! Dilly!" and, instead, the king sends him to the "pit of misery."

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The commercial started airing in August as the most recent season of HBO's "Game of Thrones" was ending, causing some to believe the medieval-style setting of the commercial was inspired by the show. The saying gained widespread popularity in October when the commercial aired during the MLB playoffs.

ADOT's freeway message received mixed response from drivers on social media. Several people praised the sign and its creativity. 

Some drivers didn't get it.

A Reddit user created a subreddit on the Phoenix Reddit asking for help figuring out the sign's meaning. Other users also responded with confusion about the phrase. 

"Dilly" is a word meaning "an excellent example of a particular type of person or thing," according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The phrase is also considered a shortening of the words "delightful" and "delicious."

This is not the first time ADOT has invoked pop culture or social media memes in their freeway signs.

Just last month, when the Arizona Diamondbacks played the Colorado Rockies in the National League wildcard game, the freeway sign read, "Don't be a wild card. Drive like a champ."

"We frequently reference pop culture, local events and holidays in our safety messages because those things are front-of-mind for many people," said Doug Pacey, ADOT spokesman. "We want to make a connection between their interest, whether it’s a U2 concert or Thanksgiving or a meme, and safe driving."

The department has also referenced a Star Wars movie, Adele, Pokemon Go and more, to try to engage drivers with traffic-safety messages. 

"The quirky safety messages have definitely resonated with the public and the reaction we’ve received, seen online and in social media has been overwhelmingly positive," Pacey said. "We’re glad to see these conversations happening." 

The "Dilly! Dilly!" freeway message will be displayed until Thursday morning. Pacey said the department has three other Thanksgiving themed signs for the weekend. 

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