BS: Pronounciation

Subject: BS: Pronounciation
From: Ethereal Purple
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 01:41 AM

How do you pronounce names like Sinead O'Connor... Shinade? Oh.. and Cher... how d'you pronounce Cher?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 01:50 AM

shair-cher

shinaid-sinead

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Mr Happy
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:11 AM

sinny add chur=?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:15 AM

How do you spell words like "pronunciation" ?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Ethereal Purple
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:48 AM

Oops... I didn't realise *blushes*. Thanks, guest.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 05:38 AM

"Cher", name of the scantily-clad skinny female singer and former distaff half of Sonny & Cher, is short for "Cheryl" -- if that helps! And in some places "Sinead" (I forget where the fada goes) is pronounced "skinhead".

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 06:21 AM

Chair? isn't that her that has had more surgery than any 400 other people.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 09:41 AM

If you want to upset a Sinead, pronounce it Janet

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Ethereal Purple
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 09:47 AM

How about Tabor... as in, June Tabor...? I'm awful at pronouncing these names!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 10:07 AM

Tay (A as in cake)

Bur (not quite a neutral "schwa" vowel sound; more like the "or/our" in color/colour"

Accent is on the first syllable.

And I just want you to know that I'm deriving endless amusement from picturing Cher, Sinead O'Connor and June Tabor in the same room. Do you suppose they have any songs in common?

Claire

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Ethereal Purple
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 10:12 AM

Thanks, Claire.

LOL... I did pick 'em well, didn't I? There are probably LOTS of other names that I mispronounce... figured this is the best place to ask :-).

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Kim C
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 10:43 AM

Shinola?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 11:41 AM

Those in the UK and BBC Canada/BBC America watchers may be familiar with Inspector Dalziel. It's pronounced 'dee-ELL'

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: jimmyt
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 12:27 PM

the UK has some rather quirky pronounciations, ie Belvoir+ Beaver. and Beuleau+Booley. I remember when driving in ENgland the first time, and mispronouncing Gloucester (Glowster) and Worcester (Wooster) I thought I was cleaver when stopping for petrol and asking the attendent how far it was to Crinster? FIneally he said," Oh, you must mean Cirencester!" (Actually pronounced as it is spelled for a change.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 01:52 PM

I grew up in Costessey, which is pronounced Cossy, in Norfolk, UK. I went to school in Wymondham, pronounced Windam. Not far away is Happisburgh, pronounced Hayesboro. Wonderful stuff, English!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 04:40 PM

Broader question: Is there a good place to look up the pronunciation of personal names and place names?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Gurney
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 09:46 PM

Born and raised in Warwickshire. (Worriksheer) And not all of the 'shires are pronounced 'sheer'.
Kiwi singer Bic Runga, (Beck)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Kaleea
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 02:48 AM

Having heard many folks in the "mid-west"ern USA pronounce words, I have learned that most folks around the world are evidently cornfuzed 'bout jist how yewz s'poztuh say werdz inn eenglish. Fer eggzampull, it ain't "feenger," it'z "fayngurr." An' it ain't "sand-wich," it'z "sammich!" An' eevin arr prezuhdint noz how tew say "newkyewlurr!"

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:15 AM

Do you pronounce electrocute with one yell or two?

Seriously in the US Navy they pronounce a liuetentant as liuetenant but in the Royal Navy we always pronounced liuetenant as 'lefttennant'even though the spelling was the same when written out.

Leeward (i.e down wind) was luward
Gunwhale was gun'l
Coxswain was Cox'n

Woe betide those who could not get their pronunciation correct.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:47 AM

shanghaiceltic, the spelling is indeed the same in both Forces, but in neither one is it spelled "liuetenant" .

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:51 AM

Sorry I added an extra e should be liutenenant.

'Start that man Mr Christian!'

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:55 AM

Shanghai, you are winding me up, aren't you ?!!

Should have spotted that first time ....

However, just in case you aren't fishing, it is spelled LIEUTENANT

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:56 AM

Hull is pronounced Ull.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 04:15 AM

Here is a name that has been a bone of contention among racing people for years, maybe a local Mudcatter can help out.

Is the town of Southwell pronounced Suth'll or South-Well ?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 04:48 AM

Sorry Murray


'keel haul that man instead'

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 05:13 AM

That all weather race track is Suthell.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 07:26 AM

What a feckin stupid name this is, Cholmondley- pronounced Chumley.
or St John- pronounced sinjun.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 08:41 AM

How about Sean Bean.
Is it - seen been / shawn bawn or shann bann?
Quack!
Geoff the Duck (pronounced Duck)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 08:46 AM

Sean Bean is shawn bean, but he's not Irish.

What about Greenwich (grennitch) Mean Time, and the town of Greenwich (green witch) in Scotland!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Fiolar
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 08:52 AM

The problem with may English place names is that they do not have English roots. A great number are derived from Viking, Roman, Saxon and Celtic languages. Check the "Oxford Book of Placenames" for many of the meanings.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 10:19 AM

Not far from where I'm sitting is a hamlet called Gotham. Even locals can't tell me whether it's Got-ham, Goat-ham, Goth- am or Goath- am, or even something else (Goofum?)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 11:00 AM

How about Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield pronouced Slouwit or Ben Rhyding near Ilkley pronouced Ben Ridding, or Bradford is pronouced as Brafud by locals.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 11:11 AM

Shithead

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Jim McLean
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:33 PM

Guest JTT, I think you meant Greenock in Scotland. I come from the West of Scotland and we always said Greenock although I have heard it pronounced Grinock, or Grenock, but rarely.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: dianavan
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:37 PM

For the longest time I pronounced lough - loo.

That certainly raised some eyebrows!

Whats worse are the words we learn in childhood and carry into adulthood. My brothers and I used to make great fun of it and still do. Time to start a new thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:37 PM

Down here in the swamps of Louisiana (Loo-Z-Anna) the names come from the French, Spanish, and Native Americans.

On my first tour of the area, a local told me that we were enterine DelCambre (pronounced Del-Cum). He said not to worry, it was miss-spelled on the water tower.

By the way, it's not New Orleans its Nawluns!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Burke
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:52 PM

Sometimes it's Nawluns, other times it is New Orlens, or New Or-lee-ans. It is never, New Or-leeens. (born there)

What was really hard war all the people with the last name pronounced Abair. I can't even remember the spelling, Hebert, I think.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 12:10 AM

The real fun is trying to understand whether the folka around here are saying Bayou Penchant or Bayou Pigeon. They come out about the same in Cajun.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 03:57 AM

HOW about--
Kirkoobrie---[Kirkudbright]
Boness---[Borrowstoness]
Anster---[Anstruther]
Mulguy--[Milngavie]

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Gurney
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 05:41 AM

I thought it was lootenant in the Andrew and leftenant in the Cake, but I stand to be corrected.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 06:55 AM

Back to folklore, celidh- kaly.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Peace
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 07:12 PM

GHOTI=fish

The gh as in enough.
The o as in women.
The ti as in action.

Gotta love language.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,SirTK
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 08:22 AM

OK, so what are the rules in the USA for "Louis"?

Examples

Joe Louis, (who I know as "Lewis", but most people in UK want to say "Loo-ey")

Louis Armstrong (hello Dolly, this is Lewis, Dolly),

St Louis, Missouri. "It's the ghost, of the Saint Lewis Blues" according to Leon Redbone, but Billie Holliday sings "Saint Loo-ey Woman")

and then there is Louisville, Kentucky.

Can somebody please 'splain.

cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 02:47 PM

If I recollect aright, the good citizens of Louisville KY seemed to pronounce the name of their city "LOO-ville"

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 03:19 PM

And when you're in New Yawk city, don't pronounce Houston street the same way you say Houston, Texas. It's Howsten street. I've always wondered if there are any Hewsten Astro fans living on Howsten street.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 04:58 PM

Gotham in the midlands was always go-tum when I lived near there. Bradford is Bratford if you come from Yorkshire (my wife tells me) Basford is bays-ford in Nottingham. Hucknall was traditionally uckner. "H" is aitch not haitch.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Peace
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 05:24 PM

And then there's the following.

TOUGH
THROUGH
BOUGH
THOUGH

OUGH makes four sounds, and if you don't mind adding a T, it will make five.

THOUGHT

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,ozmacca
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 06:06 PM

Hey Boab, ah cum fae Bo'ness, an' we niver ca'd it Borrowstouness unless we wis pittin oan the swank. Mind, we ca'd it a' soarts o ither things..... The abbreviation is actually official. It appears in the press,on road signs and maps, and on other things (like artillery targets with any luck) as Bo'ness.

And talking of pronunciation, why is there so much cONtroversy over hopw to say contrOversy? Oh yes, and why is "abbreviation" such a long word?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 06:20 PM

You missed out "Hiccough" there, brucie, pronounced "Hiccup"

And also one we've had already, "Lough".

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Peace
Date: 01 Feb 04 - 06:54 PM

Good one, McG of H. I'll add them to the list I show my students.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 05:30 AM

Barnoldswick, Lancashire? pronounced Barlick by the locals, very strange. A beauty from Edinburgh Corstorphine pronounced, Kerstoffan.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Fiolar
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 06:19 AM

All the postings remind me of the story about the overseas student who was learning English at one of the colleges in GB. On his way home one evening he saw a headline on one of the newstands. It stated in bold letters - "Pope Pronounced Worse."
Confused or what?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 06:52 AM

There is a Jeremy Taylor song about De Gaulle coming to England, he got told to piss off that many times he took it for the traditional English greeting.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: AKS
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 07:01 AM

"Pope Pronounced Worse."
Now that wouldn't surprise me at all, knowing some basics on the 'rules' of English spelling ...

You guys ever heard of 'one-sound-one-letter' -principle in spelling??

AKS ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 10:16 AM

Nay s&r it's not Bratford it's Brafud

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Big Mick
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 12:04 PM

Cairo, Ohio

pronounced by the locals as Kairoe, Uh-High-ya

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 12:33 PM

Big Mick, did you go and move Cairo, Illinois? (Kayroe, Il-i-noi)
Illinois is home state for Aye-thens and San Josey, too. And Kwinsee.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 01:26 PM

Unless you can get all English speaking people to speak it the same way (whihc couldn't be done even within one small island), there's no point in pretending you can have a one-sound-one letter system.

Unless of course everyone starts spelling the words differently, to fit with the way they speak, and that would get even more confusing.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,ozmacca
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 06:07 PM

Always liked the story about Bernard Shaw's suggestion that the word "fish" could be spelt (spelled?) GHOTI...

GH as in "tough" or "cough"
O as in "women"
TI as in "nation"

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 07:40 PM

well muppet, I'm not alone in my (my wife's) pronunciation - there are many on google, including one intriguingly from CCL (a computer firm) but also this strange post (one of several) from Lord Huntroyde (who he?) on this Boris Johnson fan page stand back in horror

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 07:49 PM

I just remembered that the town of Elgin, Illinois is pronounced EL-Jin, whereas the original town of Elgin in Morayshire is of course pronounced Elgin (wwith a hard "G")

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Feb 04 - 09:13 PM

And of course Iraq is correctly pronounced with a long "a", to rhyme with park.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Daithi
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 08:58 AM

Muppet/s&r I think your apparent disagreement might stem from the difficulkty of writing the glottal stop. My ex-wife and her Family are Yorkshire and in the west riding at least it is usually pronounced bra'fud - where the ' is a glottal stop.A bit like brat but wiothout the t.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 09:57 AM

Daithi - Excuse my ignornance about the use of the 'glottal stop, but that might solve the mystery of S&R Plus others pronouncing Brafud as Bratford, However I've just done a poll with a group of Fagley, Thornbury & Bradford Moor residents (areas of North Brafud)who are all born & bred in the area (and the youngest being 60)from a community group I work with and they all agree there's no T in Brafud.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 10:38 AM

Mousehole in Cornwall=mouzle..go figure.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 03:02 PM

Calais in the Us is callous. Odd eh ?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Burke
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 06:25 PM

And of course Iraq is correctly pronounced with a long "a", to rhyme with park.

Funny, I thought a long "a" would rhyme with rake. The real question is what you do with the "I"
eye-rak
ear-ak

Data, status, I've heard with both long & short "a"

Interesting: 3 or 4 syllables?

Melville Dewey, in addition to devising a classification system for libraries, was an advocate of orthographic reform. The Dewey Schedules published during his lifetime made use of the revised spelling. They are odd to read.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 03 Feb 04 - 07:36 PM

Marylebone is always a good one to get Londoners going.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 05:30 AM

There was a bloody awful country and western son a few years ago which had the line, ' it's centrifugal motion ' pronounced- centrifagal. I still cringe.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Daithi
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 06:45 AM

Muppett - yes, ..but do they pronounce it Braff-ud? Surely they say bra'-fud?(i.e.with a glottal stop between the "a" and the "f")

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 08:41 AM

I think the way Iraq would be pronounced in Iraq would be with the first syllable more or less rhyming with tee, but shorter. I suspect that Iraqis would be likely to assume that the "eye-rack" version was intended as a deliberate insult. (I note that NPR has a pronunciation guide on this and similar, which correctly gives Iraq as pronounced "ih-RAHK".)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 03:52 PM

Daithi (don't know how to get the accent)

Dáithí - yes I do with cut and paste - I think you may be right with the glottal stop: my wife is from Yorkshire and puts a glottal stop in the middle of thirty, forty etc (thir/?/ty, for/?/ty etc.). Strangely she doesn't hear it any differently whether or not it has a glottal stop.

It is she who insists it's Bratford: I'm from Notts, and have only academic interest.

Since your earlier post I ended up with a goole-trawl on glottal stop. Fascinating...

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: open mike
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 04:57 PM

Utah Phillips always pronounced the word foothills as if the "th" was a dipthong (it that a piece of clothing?!) as if footh rhymed with truth.
There is a town in Nebraska called Norfolk which is pronounced Nor Fork.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 06:19 PM

I think it was Dave Walters who (resenting Wesham being pronounced with a sh sound, when it should be wess ham) that insisted on calling Bispham Biss fam instead of Bisp ham

That's really boring : >

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: jimmyt
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 06:29 PM

And Bill Bryson, the author of Notes From a Small Island ,of his impressions as an American travelling to England, said he went to visit Newquay if for no other reason than he wanted to be in a place that is pronounced "Nookie" (.................well, hell, now that I think about it, who wouldn't?)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 07:47 PM

Then of course there's Derby and Berkshire, pronounced Darby and Barkshire in England.

Cirencester used to be Sissiter, but that seems to have pretty well died out, and it gets pronounced the way it's spelt.

The same with "Sawbridgeworth" down my way, which used to be "Sapsworth".

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: PoppaGator
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 09:05 PM

Back to New Orleans (where I've lived for 35 years -- not all my life, but more than half):

I *never* heard anyone pronounce it "N'awlins" before that erroneous phonetic spelling became popular about 15 years ago.

Here's how I believe that error developed:

Back in the early 1970's, the headline over an article by local writer John Newlin in the (now-defunct) Vieux Carre Courier used the spelling "No Awlins," which *is* a pretty good phonetic representation of the way most working-class locals say the city's name. It's three syllables (maybe two-an-a-half), NOT the two syllables convey by the neo-spelling "N'awlins."

I believe that some less linguistically sophisticated advertising copywriters bastardized "No Awlins" (which made sense, in the light of actual usage) and started the wide dissemination of "N'Awlins" (which never did represent anyone's actual speech pattern). Now, we have "local" TV personalities reading "Naw-lins" off cue cards and further popularizsing this mispronunciation.

Other ways to approximate an authentic phonetic spelling of the same or similar pronunciation might include "N'walins" "Noo-awlins," etc. The more genteel uptown community says it more like this: "Noo-wally-uns" (making "leans" into two syl;lables rather than one).

To confuse matters furhter: With or without contractions and other allowances for dialect, the accent should always be on the first syllable of "OR-leans" when used with the word "New," as the name of the city. However, when used *without* "New," as in Orleans Parish and Orleans Avenue, etc., the accent is properly on the second syllable ("Or-LEENZ"). Of course, there are many many songs incorrectly pronouncing the city name as "New Or-LEENZ," just because it scans and rhymes more easily.

We have many more pronunciation-related flukes around the city:
Burgundy Street is bur-GUN-dee, not BUR-gundy.
Chartres Street is "charters," not the proper French "shart[re]"
The nine streets named for the Greek muses all have quirky voicings:
Calliope is "cally-ope" not ca-lye-o-pee;
Melpomene is "MEL-puh-MEEN" (or even "mel-ka-meen") not mel-POM-any.
Then there's Burthe Street uptown, pronounced "Byooth."
Across the river in Algiers, Socrates St. is pronounced "so-crates" -- really!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 04 - 09:16 PM

Holyhead to Dun Laoighaire is always a corker.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 04:55 AM

Wow, S&R, you're right, I've done the same, looked up about The gottal stop, fascinating. Cheers Daithi

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Daithi
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 08:29 AM

Tha's wha' i's all abou' , inni'? Aren' compu'ers grea'? :^)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Feb 04 - 01:23 PM

"Snorbens" for "St Albans" is one I have always quite liked.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 05:26 AM

as Spike Milligan said "He walked with a pronounced limp, pronounced limp."

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 05:30 AM

of course there is always

the doctor pronounced him dead.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 05:46 AM

Appletric is what Dales folk call the Wharfedale village of Appletreewick

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 07:39 AM

We always called it Appletrewick, when fishing there.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: muppett
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 10:00 AM

AR But eric are you local?, it's what local people call their local village.

Talking of which, here's a slight variation of the theme, I've heard the locals of Robin Hoods bay refer to the village as Bay town and the neighbouring village of Filingthorpe as Thorpe. Any other examples of this?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Feb 04 - 02:17 PM

There is a thread on the latest CD by a group called "The Boarding Party" ('local' to my area ).A local lady, originally from a small town in coastal Mass. happily refers to "The Bawding Potty"..and I have a hard time keeping my face straight.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 08:39 PM

Why do people pronounce cervical and dissect with long 'i's?

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 07:56 AM

jOhn from ull- pronounced TWAT.
eric

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bobjack
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 11:31 AM

Appletreewick! Is John Pitchers still running the pub up there? Anyone know how he is? I heard he was run over by a car a bit back.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 02:56 PM

It could be worse. My (more or less) hometown of Norfolk, VA which should be Nor-folk somehow has become Nor-fuk or as some outsider call it No-fuk add to that the state being bastardized to vagina instead of Vir-gin-ya.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,Paul Burke
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 12:08 PM

>>"Snorbens" for "St Albans" is one I have always quite liked.

Don't forget Fort Neaf in sarf London, otherwise Thornton Heath. And no less an authority than the BBC changed the pronunciation of Daintry to Daventry.

Then there's always Loughborough.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Snuffy
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 01:24 PM

I've heard an American pronounce it Loogburoo

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: HuwG
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 02:42 PM

... and of an Australian who pronounced it, "Loogabarooga".

Near to me, Tintwhistle (on the A628), locally pronounced "Tinsel". A friend who asked directions to my house and was told to cross "Tinsel Bridge", nearly went mad looking for the bridge covered in Christmas decorations.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 05:38 PM

I'm still feeling oddly compelled (though not necessarily in a pleasurable way...) by the idea of the Cher, Sinead O'Connor and June Tabor performance...and possible follow-up CD!

D.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: woodsie
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 10:55 PM

What about the stupid names:

Marjoribanks - Marshbanks

Featherstonehaugh - Fanshaw

Oh and why do people pronounce Bert Jansch "yansh"? In an interview in the London Evening Standard a couple of years ago he said that his name was pronounced "Jansh"!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: woodsie
Date: 06 May 04 - 02:30 PM

What acout Bastard (as in the french jockey)pronounced B'sturd ha ha!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: woodsie
Date: 06 May 04 - 02:35 PM

Wines are a good one too!

Vermouth should be pronounced "Var moot"
Moet Chandon "MOW ETT" not "Mow ay"
Riesling "Reesling"

I think a few Scotch whiskys have strange guttaral sounds as well.

Glenfidikhrgggggrh!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,Shlio
Date: 06 May 04 - 04:56 PM

After many arguments over games of Monopoly, Marylebone station is always called "the M-station". Does anyone know if it should be Mary-le-bone or Marlybone?

The worst place name by far is "Llanfairpwyllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch"

The people who work in the station there learn how to say it. Apparently the proninciation is
"Llan-vire-pooll-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-llandus-iliogogo-goch".

Not helpful when you aren't welsh.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 06 May 04 - 05:44 PM

I'm always amused by the pronunciation Americans give to Notre Dame - 'Noter Dayme'. Insular lot or what?

The residents of Southwell I'm informed call it Southwell, not Suthell.

And there's a village in Notts called New Houghton, which the locals call 'Uff'n' (the 'New' being totally ignored!

:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 06 May 04 - 07:30 PM

There was a long debate on the M-station on uk.transport.london the only conclusion seemed to be NEVER Mary-lee-bone

Marly-bone and Mary-l'bun seem acceptable alternatives.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: ranger1
Date: 06 May 04 - 11:00 PM

As an American who can pronounce Notre Dame correctly (some of us do live in French speaking areas, thank you very much), I challenge you to:
Damariscotta
Chocorua
Piscataquis

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:15 AM

Then, Dear Ranger1, you need to teach your TV sports commentators and news readers to do the same! :0)

Johnny :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: woodsie
Date: 07 May 04 - 12:16 PM

Van Gough

"van gow" "van goff" "van gok" Ha!

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: HuwG
Date: 07 May 04 - 01:10 PM

Best comment on the pronunciation of "Norfolk":

In the mid-1930's, Mae West heard that the Duke of Norfolk was staying in the same hotel as she was. She sent him up a present of a bottle of scotch and box of cigars, with a note to say that the Duke was welcome to pay her a visit some time.

She received in reply a note which said, "Madam, I neither drink nor smoke. Norfolk."

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 04 - 03:21 PM

on TV the last few days, I have been hearing hosts of Big Brass who STILL have not learned to pronounce "Iraq" correctly....don't they even care? (They are 'almost' as bad as some Brit journalists on CNN, who seem to be constitutionally incapable of saying foreign names anywhere near the way the natives would.)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 07 May 04 - 05:26 PM

Place names are often pronounced differently by non-natives. What English speaker says 'Paree'(Paris) except jocularly?

What's correct for Iraq? What happened to Peking?

How many people say Nescafeh and Nestlehs?

Why do newspapers persist in printing 'up' as said in the North of England as 'oop'?

Vive les differences

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:17 PM

Simón Bolivar as "Sy-mon Bolliver"?

Nick-uh-RAG-you-uh for Nicaragua?

we can at least try....

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: GUEST,woodsie
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:32 PM

Thatamerican warmonger bloke "COE-lin Powell"

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:51 PM

ah...Mr Powell!...well..*shrug*...he seems to have chosen, so I pronounce it like he does. I don't even think about the 'other' use...but it seems to drive the Brits barmy to hear it said that way...*grin*

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 07 May 04 - 06:56 PM

years ago, didn't the BBC have a manual of BBC preferred pronunciations of places and names; that would at least give consistency of reporting.

NEWcastle is a northern city in UK unless you live there; then it's NewCASTLE.

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 08 May 04 - 07:44 AM

S&R, people in the North of England don't say 'oop' (test it - say 'loop', then say 'loop' without the 'l', that's not how we pronounce 'up'). We say 'up'. People in the South of England say 'ap'.

Johnny :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: s&r
Date: 08 May 04 - 01:03 PM

Just my point Johnny - we both know that the U in up is short; we both know how it sounds. Regularly in newspapers it is spelled oop. I wish they wouldn't.

Other pet hates: quarter pronounced corter (like cestionnaire) Belorus - pronounced without the soft Russian e (b-yel-o-roos).

We are northern; our daughter in Oxford called our grandson Grant...(Gr-are-nt)

stu

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Tracey Dragonsfriend
Date: 08 May 04 - 01:54 PM

Try this one - I'm native English, and it gives me trouble!


                ENGLISH IS TOUGH STUFF
                ======================

                Dearest creature in creation,
                Study English pronunciation.
                I will teach you in my verse
                Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
                I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
                Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
                Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
                So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

                Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
                Dies and diet, lord and word,
                Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
                (Mind the latter, how it's written.)
                Now I surely will not plague you
                With such words as plaque and ague.
                But be careful how you speak:
                Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
                Cloven, oven, how and low,
                Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.

                Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
                Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
                Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
                Exiles, similes, and reviles;
                Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
                Solar, mica, war and far;
                One, anemone, Balmoral,
                Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
                Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
                Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

                Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
                Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
                Blood and flood are not like food,
                Nor is mould like should and would.
                Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
                Toward, to forward, to reward.
                And your pronunciation's OK
                When you correctly say croquet,
                Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
                Friend and fiend, alive and live.

                Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
                And enamour rhyme with hammer.
                River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
                Doll and roll and some and home.
                Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
                Neither does devour with clangour.
                Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
                Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
                Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
                And then singer, ginger, linger,
                Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
                Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.

                Query does not rhyme with very,
                Nor does fury sound like bury.
                Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
                Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
                Though the differences seem little,
                We say actual but victual.
                Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
                Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
                Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
                Dull, bull, and George ate late.
                Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
                Science, conscience, scientific.

                Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
                Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
                We say hallowed, but allowed,
                People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
                Mark the differences, moreover,
                Between mover, cover, clover;
                Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
                Chalice, but police and lice;
                Camel, constable, unstable,
                Principle, disciple, label.

                Petal, panel, and canal,
                Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
                Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
                Senator, spectator, mayor.
                Tour, but our and succour, four.
                Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
                Sea, idea, Korea, area,
                Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
                Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
                Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

                Compare alien with Italian,
                Dandelion and battalion.
                Sally with ally, yea, ye,
                Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
                Say aver, but ever, fever,
                Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
                Heron, granary, canary.
                Crevice and device and aerie.

                Face, but preface, not efface.
                Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
                Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
                Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
                Ear, but earn and wear and tear
                Do not rhyme with here but ere.
                Seven is right, but so is even,
                Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
                Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
                Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
         
                Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!
                Is a paling stout and spikey?
                Won't it make you lose your wits,
                Writing groats and saying grits?
                It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
                Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
                Islington and Isle of Wight,
                Housewife, verdict and indict.

                Finally, which rhymes with enough --
                Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
                Hiccough has the sound of cup.
                My advice is to give up!


                                              -- Author Unknown

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Bill D
Date: 08 May 04 - 06:29 PM

oh, mercy, Tracy...that is one of the best I have seen.

I also like the short one..
"The wind was rough
And cold and blough.
She kept her hands
Inside her mough."

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: beardedbruce
Date: 08 May 04 - 11:04 PM

And for those of us native to Warshington, the strange pronuciation of the city to our north- Ballmur...

Subject: RE: BS: Pronounciation
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 09 May 04 - 01:57 PM

Stu - a thousand apologies old lad! I'm a SOB who's losing the ability to read postings properly! (LOL)
Johnny :0)