OT: A Brief Break in the Action. Let's identify cities. . . | Page 2 | The Boneyard

OT: A Brief Break in the Action. Let's identify cities. . .

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Bourne, MA - Correctly pronounced by New Englanders as "born".

Melbourne, FL - Incorrectly pronounced by the local Florida TV news and weather reporters as "mel-burn". How the heck do you get "burn" from "bourne"?

I'm a CT transplant and relatively new to Florida, so if there any Floridians that can justify this ridiculous pronunciation, please post a response.
 
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Greenwich, NY is pronounced GREEN-witch by the locals, not GREN-ich.

Beaufort, NC is pronounced BO-fert. But Beaufort, SC is BYOO-fert. Or is it the other way around??!

All this reminds me of an address in our state by a distinguished English gentleman who was appalled by the local pronunciation of the THAMES.
 
Bourne, MA - Correctly pronounced by New Englanders as "born".

Melbourne, FL - Incorrectly pronounced by the local Florida TV news and weather reporters as "mel-burn". How the heck do you get "burn" from "bourne"?

I'm a CT transplant and relatively new to Florida, so if there any Floridians that can justify this ridiculous pronunciation, please post a response.
 
Madrid, NM, in between Sante Fe and Albuquerque, is often mistakenly pronounced Muh drid' (emphasis on the second syllable) like the city in Spain, but the locals pronounce it Maah' drid (emphasis on the first syllable).
Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but Kissimee, FL is another one. Kiss SIM' ee (emphasis on second syllable) is the proper way.
 
Surprised that no one has mentioned Die less Texas. Or Refurio. There is a great story about Refugio. A couple is driving through South Texas for the first time and they see this sign that says "Refugio 5 mi." and get into a friendly discussion about what the correct pronunciation of the name is. H opts for Anglization; Refu ji o, while she maintains that, this being a heavily Hispanic region, the Spanish pronunciation is correct. They decide to settle the argument by stopping for coffee and asking a local. They do, and when the waitress comes to their table they ask her; "Pardon me miss, but to settle an argument, would you please tell us very slowly and distinctly how the name of this place is pronounced?" And very slowly and distinctly she replies; "Chure. Day ree kween." (Rim shot, please.)

And, as above, the locals actually call it something very like Re foo ree o.
 
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DogWarden said:
Bourne, MA - Correctly pronounced by New Englanders as "born".

Melbourne, FL - Incorrectly pronounced by the local Florida TV news and weather reporters as "mel-burn". How the heck do you get "burn" from "bourne"?

I'm a CT transplant and relatively new to Florida, so if there any Floridians that can justify this ridiculous pronunciation, please post a response.
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I'll be moving to that part of FLorida next year. I think it's a slurred way of saying it. Kind of like the way some Rhode Islanders say Warwick, the second-largest city in the state: Warrick.
 
BlueDolphin said:
Greenwich, NY is pronounced GREEN-witch by the locals, not GREN-ich.

Beaufort, NC is pronounced BO-fert. But Beaufort, SC is BYOO-fert. Or is it the other way around??!

All this reminds me of an address in our state by a distinguished English gentleman who was appalled by the local pronunciation of the THAMES.
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That's really interesting. I used to work with some people from Greenwich and they always said "Gren-itch." Meanwhile, I grew up on Green-Witch Street, but that was in Springfield, MA, where I guess we just didn't know how to say it.
 
BlueDolphin said:
Greenwich, NY is pronounced GREEN-witch by the locals, not GREN-ich.

Beaufort, NC is pronounced BO-fert. But Beaufort, SC is BYOO-fert. Or is it the other way around??!

All this reminds me of an address in our state by a distinguished English gentleman who was appalled by the local pronunciation of the THAMES.
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That's really interesting. I used to work with some people from Greenwich and they always said "Gren-itch." Meanwhile, I grew up on Green-Witch Street, but that was in Springfield, MA, where I guess we just didn't know how to say it.
 
I know it's not a town, but indulge me, please. Houston Street in NYC is pronounced HOW-ston Street. :rolleyes:
 
tomcat said:
That's really interesting. I used to work with some people from Greenwich and they always said "Gren-itch." Meanwhile, I grew up on Green-Witch Street, but that was in Springfield, MA, where I guess we just didn't know how to say it.
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Greenwich, CT is definitely Gren-itch. But if you live there, you have enough money to pronounce it any way you want.

I grew up in the Devon (Dev-on) section of Milford. The Main Line town outside of Philly with the same spelling is Dev-in.

The home to UDel is New-ark (accent on the 2nd syllable), whereas the New Jersey city is New-erk (accent on the first).

The non-Spanish pronunciation of Paso Robles, CA is Passo Row-bulls.
 
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Kibitzer said:
I know it's not a town, but indulge me, please. Houston Street in NYC is pronounced HOW-ston Street. :rolleyes:
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I've finally learned that one, but I still think it's odd.
 
Some seemingly odd State pronunciations:

Oregon = Organ

Missouri = Missoura

Nevada = Ne-VAD-a (not Nev-AH-da)

Hawaii = Ha-vai-ee
 
Kibitzer said:
. . . whose names are pronounced one way by outsiders bu differently by natives. Let me start with a few examples:
- Quincy, Mass., is Quin-zee (to residents), not Quint-cee (as most of us say it).
- Worcester, Mass., is something like WISS-tah.
- Toronto, Ontario, is called "Tronna" up north.
- Out in Dakota, Pierre is pronounced "Peer" (to rhyme with "beer").​

OK, 'Yarders, your turn. Add a few (but stay in North America, please. :)
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I thought it was Warchester to CT natives.
 
TerpWomenFan said:
How did the city Des Moines get its pronunciation?

Of course the main thing here in Maryland is ˈmɛrɨlənd not Mary-land. (a state and not a city)
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Des Moines is, I believe, pronounced as it would be in French. Additionally, regardless of how it is pronounced locally, I know a number of folk (of French decent) who prefer Baton Rouge to be pronounced in French.
 
BroadwayVa said:
Came from the natives of the Ohio region---Miami, Irioquois sold the Miami territory to the British when the Miami wouldn't sell it.
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Cincinnati and Cincinnatah, don't know why but most older residents use the second pronunciation.
 
Uconnrick said:
Cincinnati and Cincinnatah, don't know why but most older residents use the second pronunciation.
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I think that it's not peoples' age, but depends on which part of the city they live in.

In Maine, we have the town of Calais -- I.e., "callous"

also, the city of Saco -- "socko"

And the city of Bangor, which is pronounced as it appears, rather than as "Banga"
 
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tomcat said:
Well, the QU in French is never kwa, as in kwa-BEK. It's always Kuh, as in kuh-BEK. And the accent is always on the last syllable. And speaking of Canadian, I am of Canadian heritage and my wife is a Canadian citizen, and I have never even once heard anyone call Toronto "Tronna." Just sayin'.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island has a couple of interesting ones: Woonsocket, which they call one-SOCK-et. And the beach village of Quonochontaug, pronounced QUON -uh --kuh - TOG
And one in Connecticut that has come up before on this board: Wequetequock, a village in Stonington (and home to comedienne Ruth Buzzi), pronounced wickety-QUOCK.
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Actually, I think Rhode Island has its' own language all together, from West'lee to Wawwuck, Addleburra to Fauh Rivvuh
 
Charleston, SC = Chaw-stun, easiest way we pick out transplants from the natives with roots here. The natives, influenced by the African American Gullah dialect, all say "Chaw-stun".. transplants and visitors pronounce it how it looks.. Charle-ston

Huger, SC = Hu-GEE, it's French but outsiders tend to pronounce it Hu-GER anyway.

Beaufort, SC = Byu-fort, another French name origin city but instead we decided to kick the pronunciation to the curb. Outsiders pronounce it as the French probably would, Bo-fort.

Edisto, SC = EDDIE-sto if you're from the lowcountry... e-DIS-tow to everyone else..

Long story short.. because it's South Carolina, we talk funny and summers are long and hot (further influencing our speech), there are more.. but I can't think of them at the moment..
 
BlueDolphin said:
All this reminds me of an address in our state by a distinguished English gentleman who was appalled by the local pronunciation of the THAMES.
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I still pronounce it correctly, "Timz".
 
Uconnrick said:
Cincinnati and Cincinnatah, don't know why but most older residents use the second pronunciation.
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I prefer the ---Cincy. Older residents use what they learned early--and a bit more southern. Before the War between the States -Cincy wasn't sure whether it was north or south--and probably didn't care.
 
meyers7 said:
I still pronounce it correctly, "Timz".
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Locals call it Thames --very British or those that were taught the river in London spelled THAMES was called the Temz
More proof that we don't speak ENGLISH.
 
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Dove said:
New HAY-ven by normal people, NEW Haven by others.
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I don't know where you come from but as a local I pronounce it Na Haven - like all locals do
 
Newark DE is New- Ark, not like in Jersey.

Worcester, MA was all one word to us; Wisstamass.
 
KnightBridgeAZ said:
Des Moines is, I believe, pronounced as it would be in French. Additionally, regardless of how it is pronounced locally, I know a number of folk (of French decent) who prefer Baton Rouge to be pronounced in French.
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Much of the upper Mississippi was explored and settled by French explorers. Fur trapping from 1600 through the mid to late 1800 by French Canadians accounted for some of the French sounding names. Baton Rouge --Louisana belonged to the French however some settlers there came from Nova Scotia and were Canadian French --interesting
Duncan Idaho said:
Newark DE is New- Ark, not like in Jersey.

Worcester, MA was all one word to us; Wisstamass.
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Mom and dozen Irish relatives were born in Wooos ter Mass . The un-initiated called it Wor Cess ter
We made trips for har ford , Ct.
Sometimes Bris til , Ct or Har in ton
or Pennsadelphia, Pa
How about Cour de aleen ???
 
pinotbear said:
Actually, I think Rhode Island has its' own language all together, from West'lee to Wawwuck, Addleburra to Fauh Rivvuh
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I worked in West-lee for a couple of years, and I think it's actualluy: WEST-a-lee
 
Nevada, Iowa -- a small town not far from Ames, home of the Iowa State Cyclones

Nevada is pronounced nuh-VAY-duh
 
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