Reply
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,935
Registered: ‎07-02-2015

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced

[ Edited ]

This discussion is really amusing.  Attending schools in the South and Midwest, after growing up in one of the most cosmopolitan metro areas in the eastern  U.S., I always marveled at regional differences in speech.

 

I can tell a Minnesotan from a Chicagoan and a Tidewater Virginian from someone living more north of there.

 

 However, one of the biggest disparities in accents I've ever heard came from people living in eastern North Carolina versus the western  Appalachian region of North Carolina.

 

Take the phrase "nice bright white lights", for example.

 

  In eastern North Carolina, it goes something like this (although it's hard to write phonetically):  Noyce Broyte Whoyte Loytes.  The "Y or sharp "I " sound is prominent

 

In western North Carolina, it would be " Naahce  Braaht Whaaht Laahts."  You wouldn't hear the "i" at all.

 

As  all areas of the country have grown in population  and become more diversified, I think there has been a tendency to shed and blend particular  accents.

 

But I'll bet  many  folks from Chicago still say they're from Sheh-Cagg-O, and folks further north say they're from Minnesewda.  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,928
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@chickenbutt wrote:

@MaggieMack wrote:

Minot = MyKnot

Another mispronounced Midwestern word: Sioux. Pronounced Soo. You wouldn't believe how many times I have heard Sox or Sux or Si-Ox on the phone. Chuckles abound,

 

 

A lady called in for a quote or something (can't remember exactly what, as it was a long time ago) and I asked where she lived.  She said 'plain ol' Texas'.  I said, 'well, WHERE in Texas?'.  She said 'just plain ol' Texas' (or so I thought).  I was getting a little frustrated and said 'WHERE, where in Texas?'.  She said (this was on the phone, mind you) PLANO, Plano, Texas.   D'oh!  What an idiot I was that day.  I felt so bad because I just thought she was saying that she just lived in plain old Texas.

 

chickenbutt LOL that's really funny!

 

When I was young and working in an office, I had to call a "Charles Ng." I had no idea how to pronounce his last name so when he answered the phone, I asked, "Is this Charles Ngaaaaaaaaa??" and made this hideous sound from deep down in my throat and dragged it out ridiculously. He replied, "This is Charles Ng," which he pronounced as EN-GEE. I felt like such an idiot and was so embarrassed, because I don't think I could ever make that horrible sound come out of my throat again Woman LOL

"That's a great first pancake."
Lady Gaga, to Tony Bennett
Highlighted
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,970
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@chickenbutt wrote:

@MaggieMack wrote:

Minot = MyKnot

Another mispronounced Midwestern word: Sioux. Pronounced Soo. You wouldn't believe how many times I have heard Sox or Sux or Si-Ox on the phone. Chuckles abound,

 

Wow, that one is surprising (Sioux).

 

That reminded me of a time when I was in insurance for many years.   We serviced quite a few states so I was licensed in these states.   At one point we acquired Texas in our center.

 

A lady called in for a quote or something (can't remember exactly what, as it was a long time ago) and I asked where she lived.  She said 'plain ol' Texas'.  I said, 'well, WHERE in Texas?'.  She said 'just plain ol' Texas' (or so I thought).  I was getting a little frustrated and said 'WHERE, where in Texas?'.  She said (this was on the phone, mind you) PLANO, Plano, Texas.   D'oh!  What an idiot I was that day.  I felt so bad because I just thought she was saying that she just lived in plain old Texas.

 

I learned lots of new things after that.   Not AT ALL to disapage the accent, and I mean that, but one saying that I learned that really did bug me was 'It don't make me no never mind'.  The first time (of many) that I heard that I think my head really did explode.  I can visualize the cartoon thing of a guy's head going around and around and him saying 'whaaaaa?'.   I just said 'um, pardon me?'.  I was asking which coverage he wanted or something like that and I guess it meant 'whichever, I don't care'.   That was the only saying I heard a lot that really gave me pause.


___________________________________________________________

 

LOL!  Plano, Texas versus plain ole Texas!  ROFL!!!  Too funny chickenbutt!!


* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *
Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,648
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@sunala wrote:

@chickenbutt wrote:

@MaggieMack wrote:

Minot = MyKnot

Another mispronounced Midwestern word: Sioux. Pronounced Soo. You wouldn't believe how many times I have heard Sox or Sux or Si-Ox on the phone. Chuckles abound,

 

 

A lady called in for a quote or something (can't remember exactly what, as it was a long time ago) and I asked where she lived.  She said 'plain ol' Texas'.  I said, 'well, WHERE in Texas?'.  She said 'just plain ol' Texas' (or so I thought).  I was getting a little frustrated and said 'WHERE, where in Texas?'.  She said (this was on the phone, mind you) PLANO, Plano, Texas.   D'oh!  What an idiot I was that day.  I felt so bad because I just thought she was saying that she just lived in plain old Texas.

 

chickenbutt LOL that's really funny!

 

When I was young and working in an office, I had to call a "Charles Ng." I had no idea how to pronounce his last name so when he answered the phone, I asked, "Is this Charles Ngaaaaaaaaa??" and made this hideous sound from deep down in my throat and dragged it out ridiculously. He replied, "This is Charles Ng," which he pronounced as EN-GEE. I felt like such an idiot and was so embarrassed, because I don't think I could ever make that horrible sound come out of my throat again Woman LOL


 

It's the kind of thing you remember forever, no?  I really hate embarrassing myself, but mostly I hate when the person on the other end has to be, well, on the other end of that.  Smiley Sad

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,648
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced

[ Edited ]

Pitdakota - Yeah, that was one of my more idiotic moments for sure.  We had JUST gotten Texas and, needless to say, I  had never heard of Plano, TX at that point.   I will never EVER forget it after that!

 

The way she said it was so sweet - like 'just plain ol' Texas, Darlin'.   oy  (that 'oy' was pointed at ME, not her!)

 

Thankfully, she was gracious and it ended well but I, of course, apologized profusely.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,517
Registered: ‎09-18-2014

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@pitdakota wrote:

@mstyrion 1 wrote:

"boo koo" for beaucoup.

"jewlery" for jewelry

garNET for GARnet

 

__________________________________________________________

 

Mystyrion, reading your post reminded me of something that I will share.  Several years ago, my husband and I had dinner with Dale Dye a former Marine (? I think) and actor.  It is a long story but he was the keynote speaker at a national convention for Vietnam Veterans that we attended.

 

There were several people at the table, but the conversation at this point centered about the boot camp he had just finished having for Tom Hanks and other actors that were getting ready to film Saving Private Ryan.  That led to some discussion since Dale Dye also serves as a consultant for military movies, etc. 

 

Anyway, somehow this came up in the conversation with him laughing about actors for Vietnam war movies wanting to read the word in the script in the proper French pronunciation.  This brought a round of loud laughter from the veterans at the table.  I found out, that our veterans that fought in Vietnam actually coined the term "boo-koo" as a slang term that soon took hold and became a term that many veterans learned from others over in Vietnam. 

 

At any rate, Dale stated there was no way anyone would be allowed to use the french pronunciation of the word on any movie he starred in or consulted on that involved the Vietnam War.  It had somewhat of a derogatory meaning & is a deliberate mis-pronunciation of the word.  Evidently it really caught on though.  LOL   

 

Since that time, I have noticed the term is used frequently with that particular pronunciation in Vietnam war movies.  My husband found it interesting I didn't know that.  Really?  How was I supposed to know?  lol    I jab back since one of the other veterans at the table said he adopted the term while over there, but he didn't really know that was not how your were supposed to say it & didn't know about the origination of it in terms of the Vietnam War.  LOL!

 

Just thought I would pass that along.  It was the first thing I thought of when I read your post.  Funny though, I think many that might say it that way today may not know that is not the proper French pronunciation, but they don't have a clue as to how it was used that way in Vietnam, either.

 

 


 


_________________________________________________________________________

 

Wow! Interesting to hear the roots of "boo koo".  

I studied French in high school, so it still makes me cringe!

~Enough is enough~
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,034
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced

[ Edited ]

@chickenbutt wrote:

@MaggieMack wrote:

Minot = MyKnot

Another mispronounced Midwestern word: Sioux. Pronounced Soo. You wouldn't believe how many times I have heard Sox or Sux or Si-Ox on the phone. Chuckles abound,

 

Wow, that one is surprising (Sioux).

 

That reminded me of a time when I was in insurance for many years.   We serviced quite a few states so I was licensed in these states.   At one point we acquired Texas in our center.

 

A lady called in for a quote or something (can't remember exactly what, as it was a long time ago) and I asked where she lived.  She said 'plain ol' Texas'.  I said, 'well, WHERE in Texas?'.  She said 'just plain ol' Texas' (or so I thought).  I was getting a little frustrated and said 'WHERE, where in Texas?'.  She said (this was on the phone, mind you) PLANO, Plano, Texas.   D'oh!  What an idiot I was that day.  I felt so bad because I just thought she was saying that she just lived in plain old Texas.

 

I learned lots of new things after that.   Not AT ALL to disapage the accent, and I mean that, but one saying that I learned that really did bug me was 'It don't make me no never mind'.  The first time (of many) that I heard that I think my head really did explode.  I can visualize the cartoon thing of a guy's head going around and around and him saying 'whaaaaa?'.   I just said 'um, pardon me?'.  I was asking which coverage he wanted or something like that and I guess it meant 'whichever, I don't care'.   That was the only saying I heard a lot that really gave me pause.

 

**************

 

Your story is very funny!

 

As for the "it don't make me no never mind"---I actually think we should treasure these kinds of regional sayings---makes our language so rich and interesting---and yes, puzzling and astonishing.  There should be a book of regional sayings.

 

Back in the Fall of 1986, PBS did an Emmy Award winning 9 part series called "The Story of English" a documentary detailing the development of the Englis language.  I was very busy working 18 hour days in a law firm in NYC at the time and I never got to watch it.  I'd love to get my hands on that series now.

 

Here's a blurb about it: Encompassing history, geography, sociology, drama, language, arts, and more, The Story of English takes viewers on an unforgettable journey through the history of the English language. Host Robert MacNeil travels the world to illustrate the language's global influence. Part travelogue, part linguistics, part history, and all fascinating, the series is a unique blend of solid scholarship and engrossing entertainment.

 

The series was released as a 5 tape box set in 2001, running 495 minutes. The book and series have been used in University courses. But who has a tape player any longer, I sure don't.

 

Also, Do You Speak American? is another 3 part series that I would like to see. Here's a blurb: It demonstrates that the way we speak is intrinsically tied to a number of complex factors, including ethnicity, political climate, socioeconomic status, historical events, and individual personality. The series offers a rare opportunity for viewers to hear and discuss how language shapes us as individuals, as communities, and as a nation.

 

I'm off to find these if I can.....


 

"More is more and less is a bore!" Iris Apfel
Valued Contributor
Posts: 597
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced

[ Edited ]

With all the posts about South Dakota, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri [me] and other U.S. states, it made me think about something I've wondered about, but never looked up until today.

 

How many U.S. states' names have their origin in a Native American language?

 

 

This list is just state names; think of all the lakes, rivers, moutains, and other terrestrial features that have Native American names, e.g., Minnetonka, Kennebunk[port], Okefenokee, Potomac, etc.

 

There are also many American cities with Indian names, e.g., Niagara, Manhattan, Chicago, Milwaukee, Chesapeake, etc.

 

[This is of interest to me because my great-grandmother on my father's side of the family was a Native American (Cherokee).]

 

ETA: The explanation of the derivation of the name "Missouri" proves [to me] which one is the correct pronunciation; it is derived from mihsoori, "dugout canoe" [note the "i," not "a" at the end of the word]. Heart

 

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. -- Oscar Wilde
Valued Contributor
Posts: 597
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@novamc1 wrote:

Re:  pronunciation of Peeeeecannnns and Missourah.

 

If you are the daughter of  Midwesterners (as I am) but married to a deep-South guy who grew up with two gorgeous huge pecan trees in his front yard, you say "pehcan".  But visits and part of my college career spent in the South, I know it is normal to hear about pee-cans.

 

If you were born in Missouri (as I was,, although I was not raised there) and if you graduated from the University of Missouri (as I did after attending the first several years of college in the South), you would know that "Mizzou--rah" is the cheer you hear at the school's sporting events.  It's normal to use it while cheering for the school, but not for daily speech in identifying the state, I guess.

 

It's always been just plain Missouri to me, but as a state university alumnus, I'm also sometimes caught calling the school by its nickname---Mizzou.

 

(And if anyone's checking, I'm not a new poster, despite what the supreme QVC Webmaster decided I had to become.  I got a notice last week that he obliterated my current valid email address and needed to find a new nickname for posting and log in using an email address that I haven't had for years.  Too hard to explain, and a purely arbitrary action on his part that has caused me to not only get a new nickname, but a new email address as well.  Unbelievable............)

 

 

 

 


I have an explanation for the perceived inconsistency in pronouncing "Missouri" in the college cheer, which you touched upon in your post.

 

I grew up in Missouri, and rarely, if ever, heard the University of Missouri called anything but "Mizzou."  So, the college cheer would be translated as . . .

 

MIZZOU [name of the college] ....... RAH [used to cheer on a team]

 

It has nothing to do with pronouncing Missouri incorrectly.  Woman Very Happy

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. -- Oscar Wilde
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,997
Registered: ‎03-25-2012

Re: The different ways that words are pronounced


@novamc1 wrote:

REALTOR, for those who care, is a trademarked name owned by the National Association of REALTORS and should always be fully capitalized.  Obviously, this "requirement" doesn't cut much ice out there in the real world. 

 

I was once a REALTOR.  Now I'm just a state-licensed real estate broker who doesn't work enough to justify paying NAR dues and MLS fees.  Just because someone has a state-issued real estate license (as a salesperson, associate broker or broker) does not mean he or she is a REALTOR.

 

And it's easy to find people in that very business who have no clue about all that I just said.


 

And you didn't mention how often it is pronounced "reLAtor" instead of REALtor.

 

 

Formerly Ford1224
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Elie Wiesel 1986