Not really OT - How do the locals pronounce it?

[George Pazin]

I had the good fortune of enjoying a round with Bill McBride last year. I asked him about a recent trip to the UK, and he was telling me all about it; he even mentioned a course I had never heard of: Bowduhzayr.

He must have seen the somewhat confused look on my face, and managed to work in how many folks assume it's pronounced "Bow Desert", like, well Bow Desert!

(As an aside, the ability to correct someone without making it seem like you're doing it must be one of the marks of a refined, well mannered, secure individual. I'd contrast it with a story about how I learned the correct pronunciation of "Zagat's", but let's just say the guy was not at all gentlemanly in his manner.)

So, I wonder how some things are said by the locals. For instance, I know Edinburgh does not rhyme with Pittsburgh, but I've heard different ways of saying it. "Edinboro" "Edinbura" "Edinburr" - what's right?

One of my first uses on this site was emailing George Bahto to find out how to pronounce "redan".

Anyone care to share other odd pronunciations, to help the rest of us out?

P.S. Leave it to Tom D to be smart enough to choose a name it's tough to mispronounce. Looking at the other architects on board, maybe that's one of the keys to success. Brauer, Young, Andrews, etc. - little room for misunderstanding there!

Now Hanse, on the other hand....

P.P.S. In case you're wondering, my last name rhymes with raisin.

 

[Kyle Harris]

George,

Perhaps you could enlighten us as to how to order a carbonated beverage in central Pittsburgh with something to help carry the rest of the beverage to the local NFL team's game.

[Marty Bonnar]

George,
Edinburra,
Glaz-go (not gow as in cow)

and for one to REALLY impress any Scotsman, just drop in:

Mull-guy (correct pronounciation of Milngavie!)

FBD.

[Marty Bonnar]

Oh, and PS:

Glenmorangie, Bruichladdich, Laphroaig...

ech, ech, ech...

FBD.

[Sean_A]

I had the good fortune of enjoying a round with Bill McBride last year. I asked him about a recent trip to the UK, and he was telling me all about it; he even mentioned a course I had never heard of: Bowduhzayr.

He must have seen the somewhat confused look on my face, and managed to work in how many folks assume it's pronounced "Bow Desert", like, well Bow Desert!

(As an aside, the ability to correct someone without making it seem like you're doing it must be one of the marks of a refined, well mannered, secure individual. I'd contrast it with a story about how I learned the correct pronunciation of "Zagat's", but let's just say the guy was not at all gentlemanly in his manner.)

So, I wonder how some things are said by the locals. For instance, I know Edinburgh does not rhyme with Pittsburgh, but I've heard different ways of saying it. "Edinboro" "Edinbura" "Edinburr" - what's right?

One of my first uses on this site was emailing George Bahto to find out how to pronounce "redan".

Anyone care to share other odd pronunciations, to help the rest of us out?

P.S. Leave it to Tom D to be smart enough to choose a name it's tough to mispronounce. Looking at the other architects on board, maybe that's one of the keys to success. Brauer, Young, Andrews, etc. - little room for misunderstanding there!

Now Hanse, on the other hand....

P.P.S. In case you're wondering, my last name rhymes with raisin.

 

There are some strange ones around me.  

A town spelled Alcester is pronounced Ulster.  

The county I live in is spelled Worcestershire, but pronounced Wustershur - pronounce the first "u" as in "wuss".

Shrewsbury is pronounced Shrowzbury.  

Oddly enough, quite near Bow Dezere is Rugely - pronounced Rougely (think red).  There are quite a few bastardized French place names here.  What do you expect from a culture that pronounces garage as garraige (rhymes with carraige) or fillet as fillit.  

I really like Leominster - pronounced Lemstir.  

Finally, even the locals argue over this one.  King's Coughton - is it Coatin or cofftin?  Nobody seems to know fer sure - ohh arre.

Ciao

[Tim Bert]

I'd like to know how to properly pronounce biarritz.

Is it is the "Byar - its" I want to say when I see it or is it really a full three syllable word?  If so, which syllable is appropriately emphasized?

[Kyle Harris]

I'd like to know how to properly pronounce biarritz.

Is it is the "Byar - its" I want to say when I see it or is it really a full three syllable word?  If so, which syllable is appropriately emphasized?

Be a ditz on the biarritz.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Biar·ritz      /ˈbiəˌrɪts; Fr. byaˈrits/ \Pronunciation[BEE-uh-rits; Fr. bya-REETS] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
a city in SW France, on the Bay of Biscay: resort. 27,653.

[Norbert P]

Of course there's Berwick - "bare ick"
and Gullane    "Gillin" (According to an Archie Baird article - or was it Finegan?."

 Then there's those old American Indian names from Long Island which I have no clue on . . . heck I can't even try to spell 'em.

 And New Zealand's Paraparaumu . . . my favorite boggler that I have obsessively compulsively repeated over and over again so I can't forget.

[Bill_McBride]

Oh, and PS:

Glenmorangie, Bruichladdich, Laphroaig...

ech, ech, ech...

FBD.

Not to mention my fave, Balvenie! (hic)  

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Here's what happens when you screw up the pronounciation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRKX8DQ96R8&feature=related


Anthony

[James Bennett]

Australia - os trey lee arh.  Deteriorates in pronunciation after alchohol to something like 'strey yah'

Aussies - Ozz ees (as in mosquitos are mozzies)

Couch (bermuda) - cooch (as in hooch)

Melbourne - mel bun

Brisbane - bris bun

Canberra - can bra  (I laughed at my own joke here)

James B

[Mark Bourgeois]

 And New Zealand's Paraparaumu . . . my favorite boggler that I have obsessively compulsively repeated over and over again so I can't forget.

Yes, but have you mastered Whangerei?

[James Bennett]

Yes, but have you mastered Whangerei?

fong a ray ?

[J_ Crisham]

How about Ceann Siebael in County Kerry: not sure if its spelled properly but trying to pronounce it is a guess.

[Brad Tufts]

The best part of this is that Sean Arble had me thinking he had moved to Massachusetts with Worcester, Leominster, and Shrewsbury....

[Bob_Huntley]

My absolute favourite is the rendering by the the Pommies of  Featherstonehaugh.... it comes out as Fanshaw.


Bob

[Kirk Gill]

How about Ceann Siebael in County Kerry: not sure if its spelled properly but trying to pronounce it is a guess.

From what I remember when I played at Ceann Sibeal, I believe it is pronounced "Cai-yoon shuh-ball."

[George_Bahto]

On my first trip ever to Scotland this past spring .... geez, I was getting them all wrong - Edinburgh - Pittsburgh.

Fortunately I was surrounded by guys that only let me get embarrassed one time each try.

.....  but haggis?  oh my - no way.  I was thinking about it until they (kindly) told me what it was. Holy cow! Or is that holy parts of cow ??

Then one day I met the Fat and Balding one  ....... couldn’t understand a word - but what a helluva guy!!

Tony, that a funny video

[Ken Moum]

.....  but haggis?  oh my - no way.  I was thinking about it until they (kindly) told me what it was. Holy cow! Or is that holy parts of cow ??

If ya dinna eat the King o' Puddin, ya missed a genuine delicacy.

On my first (and so far, only) trip to Scotland we had  haggis, neeps and tatties three times, in three different places and loved them all.

This one was at The Dunvegan. (I think the glass contains a wee dram of Aberlour)

[George Pazin]

Thanks for all the input!

Is Gaelic, seemingly the root of many of these problems, the most difficult to pronounce language in the western world? Difficult in the sense that there is seemingly little correlation to how it's spelled.

Here is the Burgh we speak a version of English that might just be the most grating to the ear.

Yinz guyz might want to check issss aht:

www.pittsburghese.com/

And just remember, you're laughing at us, not with us!

[JohnV]

My favorite Pittsburgism was that the folks in Erie called the Pittsburgers "mupears"  as in "I'mupear from Pittsburgh"

If it wasn't already pointed out, it should be pronounced Pittsburra, not Pittsburg.  After fighting the US Postal Service to get the "h" put back on the end yinz ought to pronounce it correctly (not that yinz prounounce much else correctly.)

[Norbert P]

George Peppper had an odd article about the game of Shinty in LINKS Mag that spoke about Kingussie ---  king-yoo-say .