YeahitsK From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1594 times:
What is the proper native pronunciation of "Cochituate?" I'm guessing it isn't pronounced how it's spelled. I'll be in that area this week and don't want the locals looking at me funny.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 1, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1587 times:
From some guy's blog (I really hate that term)...
"If you happen to be driving around Natick like some kind of asshole looking for the Guitar Center out there - it actually is right where Google Maps says it is, you just don't get there the way Google Maps says to get there, near as I can tell - you will pass by COCHITUATE STATE PARK.
You should take a moment to pronounce it exactly the way your juvenile mind tells you to.
But the correct pronunciation, in case you're wondering, is 'Co-chi-chew-ate'. Like 'situate', only deeply stupid."
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8228 posts, RR: 28 Reply 2, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1578 times:
J_Hallgren From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 1507 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 1571 times:
Same for any of the "ham" towns...Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, etc...
The general/typical rule is skip the "ha" so it's Chat-m.
We can tell the tourists by the use of Chat-HAM.
Vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8228 posts, RR: 28 Reply 4, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 1566 times:
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Quoting J_Hallgren (Reply 3): Same for any of the "ham" towns...Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, etc...
The general/typical rule is skip the "ha" so it's Chat-m.
We can tell the tourists by the use of Chat-HAM.
Haha I actually forgot to mention Chatham. In addition to Chat-ham, tourists will also pronounce it with a soft "th" whereas we in Massachusetts pronounce it "Chadam."
I've also heard people from out of the region pronounce Falmouth as "Fal-mouth" literally saying the word "mouth," as opposed to Fal-muth (I'm not totally sure how to spell the correct pronunciation).
One of the guys I worked with last year grew up in Somerville (or Medford, I forget), Mass., and yet, he pronounced Stoneham as "Stone-Ham" as opposed to Ston-m. Needless to say, I was surprised and gave him plenty of sh*t for it.
~Vik
"Two and a Half Men" was filmed in front of a live ostrich.
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 5, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1558 times:
Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 2): gotta love crazy new england place names:
Uh-huh. So Worcester, Gloucester, Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, Falmouth et al would be totally unrelated to the English towns they were named after then? The pronunciations are the same as their English equivalents. Funny that.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
Cornish From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 8187 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 1553 times:
Quoting Banco (Reply 5): Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 2):
gotta love crazy new england place names:
Uh-huh. So Worcester, Gloucester, Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, Falmouth et al would be totally unrelated to the English towns they were named after then? The pronunciations are the same as their English equivalents. Funny that.
and almost as funny as hearing an American pronounce Leicester
Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 4): I've also heard people from out of the region pronounce Falmouth as "Fal-mouth" literally saying the word "mouth," as opposed to Fal-muth (I'm not totally sure how to spell the correct pronunciation).
As somebody who comes from across the harbour from the original Falmouth back in Cornwall, it is indeed pronounced Fal-muth.
However I'd be interested to know if, as the orginal was named after the mouth of the River Fal that it is situated on whether, when the named a town after it in the Us, they also named a river there too, or is it somewhat oddly called Falmouth without being on the mouth of a River Fal ?
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
IAH777 From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 0 posts, RR: 5 Reply 7, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
From languagehat:
Quote: Virtually every other town in Massachusetts is pronounced oddly.
Pflugerville (FLU-ger-vil)
Refugio (ruh-FEER-ee-oh, for some damned reason)
Dallasfortworth (A-nus)
Boerne (BER-nee)
Anahuac (AN-a-whak)
Gruene (GREEN)
New Braunfels (which actually sounds like its pronounced, but there are oodles of morons who say BRONS-fels)
Natchitoches (NAK-uh-tish) [actually in Louisiana, but not too far, and not to be confused with the following...]
Nacogdoches (NAK-uh-doh-chiz]
Kuykendahl (KER-ken-dol) [a street in Houston]
But, then, we tend to screw up names (especially Spanish):
Amarillo (am-ah-RIL-oh vs. am-ah-REE-yo)
Guadalupe (GWOD-uh-loop vs. gwad-ah-LU-pay)
San Felipe (san FIL-ip-ee vs. san fel-EE-pay) [street in Houston, that if you pronounce it the Spanish way, no one knows what you're talking about)
Jush From Germany, joined Apr 2005, 1636 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1546 times:
Quoting Banco (Reply 5): Uh-huh. So Worcester, Gloucester, Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, Falmouth et al would be totally unrelated to the English towns they were named after then? The pronunciations are the same as their English equivalents. Funny that.
Yep they are. Still the Americans can't pronounce the names properly.
Then again, it's not really wooster it's more like a short "o".
You might be better of with Worster, at least in England where the proper and original city is.
Nice sauce comes from there as well
Regds
jush
There is one problem with airbus. Though their products are engineering marvels they lack passion, completely.
Quoting Jush (Reply 8): Then again, it's not really wooster it's more like a short "o".
The way I think it's meant, "wooster" is exactly the same as we say it - the first syllable having the same kind of stress as the word "wood". We certainly don't say "worster".
[Edited 2006-03-13 12:22:18]
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 10, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1526 times:
Quoting IAH777 (Reply 7): But, then, we tend to screw up names (especially Spanish):
In Georgia we have Martinez but pronounce it Mar-TEN-Ez.
We also have...
Lafayette - Luh-FAY-yette
Cairo - KAY-roh
Viena - VIE-en-uh
Houston - HOUSE-ton (not so unusual as it is those damn Texans that say it different)
I know we have a few other strange ones but I can't remember them now.
Quoting Cornish (Reply 6): and almost as funny as hearing an American pronounce Leicester
Lee-Chester?....nope, Lester.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
TPAnx From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 1021 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 1515 times:
Worcester is usually pronounced "Wistah" by the natives. Once had an
audition which included.. "the Worcester-Winchendon Bus Company is dropping runs between Leicester and Leominster." Not really a pronounciation test..just wanted to see if applicants would ask if they didn't know. Many did
not.
TPAnx
Jush From Germany, joined Apr 2005, 1636 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1510 times:
Quoting Banco (Reply 9):
The way I think it's meant, "wooster" is exactly the same as we say it - the first syllable having the same kind of stress as the word "wood". We certainly don't say "worster".
I do not know how you you would pronounce wooster or woster. What I do know is that I know how to say it cause I lived there.
It's always a bit of a problem with this phonetic spelling
but I thought wooster would be pronounced more like booster or so.
That's why I thought it's wrong.
Regds
jush
There is one problem with airbus. Though their products are engineering marvels they lack passion, completely.
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 14, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1506 times:
Quoting Jush (Reply 13): but I thought wooster would be pronounced more like booster or so.
That's why I thought it's wrong.
Yes, that's what I thought you might be thinking, but I don't think that's what Vikkyvik intended - hence my clarification. Don't you just love English's consistency?
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
PHLBOS From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 7253 posts, RR: 25 Reply 15, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 1496 times:
Quoting YeahitsK (Thread starter): What is the proper native pronunciation of "Cochituate?"
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): But the correct pronunciation, in case you're wondering, is 'Co-chi-chew-ate'. Like 'situate', only deeply stupid."
As a native New Englander (North Shore, to be more precise), I've always heard it pronounced Co-Situate.
Quoting Vikkyvik (Reply 2): gotta love crazy new england place names:
I'm surprised that nobody mentioned Haverhill (pronounced Hay-vrill) yet.
Actually, New Jersey pronounces Gloucester (for Gloucester City & Gloucester County) the same way... Gloster.
In Pennsylvania, Lancaster (both city & county, aka Amish Country) is pronounced Lang-kastir. Everywhere else (including Massachusetts), Lancaster is pronounced the way it's spelled.
[Edited 2006-03-13 15:27:37]
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
Jush From Germany, joined Apr 2005, 1636 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (7 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 1490 times:
Quoting Banco (Reply 14): Yes, that's what I thought you might be thinking, but I don't think that's what Vikkyvik intended - hence my clarification. Don't you just love English's consistency?
Yep, love it.
There is one problem with airbus. Though their products are engineering marvels they lack passion, completely.
MD-90 From United States of America, joined Jan 2000, 8418 posts, RR: 13 Reply 17, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1440 times:
Y'all do not know how much grief I get for pronouncing Connecticut properly, which is "Connaticut." If Biloxi's "o" can be a "u," Connecticut's "e" can be an "a."
(lived in Broad Brook, CT for the first three years of my life)
YeahitsK From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 1417 times:
Thanks everyone for the replies. Co-CHI-chew-ett seemed to get the job done. However you pronounce it, the seafood is delicious around here.
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): "If you happen to be driving around Natick like some kind of asshole looking for the Guitar Center out there - it actually is right where Google Maps says it is, you just don't get there the way Google Maps says to get there, near as I can tell - you will pass by COCHITUATE STATE PARK.
Based on personal experience, Mapquest will also have you driving around Natick like an asshole. I know exactly where the guitar center is though, I can see it from the hotel!
Vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8228 posts, RR: 28 Reply 20, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1399 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Quoting Banco (Reply 5): Uh-huh. So Worcester, Gloucester, Chatham, Wareham, Dedham, Falmouth et al would be totally unrelated to the English towns they were named after then? The pronunciations are the same as their English equivalents. Funny that.
I knew someone was gonna say that.
Quoting Banco (Reply 14): Yes, that's what I thought you might be thinking, but I don't think that's what Vikkyvik intended - hence my clarification.
Indeed. I didn't actually employ the native accent in my post, cause that's another language (thankfully, even though I grew up near Boston, I don't have the accent).
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 1): If you happen to be driving around Natick like some kind of asshole looking for the Guitar Center out there - it actually is right where Google Maps says it is, you just don't get there the way Google Maps says to get there, near as I can tell - you will pass by COCHITUATE STATE PARK.
I go to the Guitar Center in Danvers
~Vik
"Two and a Half Men" was filmed in front of a live ostrich.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 21, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1381 times:
Quoting Cornish (Reply 11): "Lester" is correct, but an American tourist will usually say
LIE-SES-TER
I had to look it up when I was in London because I would be on the Tube and could never understand the driver when we passed through Leicester Square. Perhaps he was speaking Cockney but I could never make it out. I got a look of surprise from some of the natives when I asked for directions there using the British pronunciation.
Quoting IAH777 (Reply 7): Natchitoches (NAK-uh-tish) [actually in Louisiana, but not too far, and not to be confused with the following...]
Nacogdoches (NAK-uh-doh-chiz]
IIRC they are sister cities. On I-49 outside of Natchitoches there are billboard signs that show the pronunciation as Nak-a-tosh for those passing through going "huh?" Everyone there has a story on how they met the cast of "Steel Magnolias" from when they filmed it there.
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 10): I know we have a few other strange ones but I can't remember them now.
Marietta (where I live) - we say it MAY-retta
Atlanta - At-lanna (we drop the second T)
Kolb's Farm (part of the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield) - Cobb's Farm but everyone says it wrong.
Holcomb Bridge Road - The true pronunciation should be HALL-cum but everyone says it wrong.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 22, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1371 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 21): had to look it up when I was in London because I would be on the Tube and could never understand the driver when we passed through Leicester Square. Perhaps he was speaking Cockney but I could never make it out. I got a look of surprise from some of the natives when I asked for directions there using the British pronunciation.
But it should be borne in mind that saying Lie-ses-ter is probably a pretty good approximation of how the town's name was originally pronounced. It's a mere surmise on the part of linguists, but it seems a fair bet that the modern "Lester" was just a contraction that came into being simply because it was easier to say. So, that apocryphal American tourist could always say that he is just using the original pronunciation, and therefore educating the ignorant Brit.
On the same basis, prior to English spelling becoming fixed, someone like Shakespeare (or Shakpear, Shakspere, Shekespere etc etc) would happily spell Gloucester as Gloster, or Worcester as Wuster.
As for the tube driver (and those announcements are usually automated these days, so the problem has gone away), there's a decent chance that he wasn't a native English speaker. We get all sorts of accents used on the tube, not all of which are English!
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
DeltaGator From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 6341 posts, RR: 16 Reply 23, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1370 times:
IIRC I read something about how British will use two syllables to pronounce a word that we Americans say in three syllables. Les-ter versus Lee-kes-ter and so on.
I still get a chuckle out of the look on my Indian counterparts face when I said I was fixin' to fix something. [Insert Indian accent here] Shan, I do not understand? You are fixing to fix something? What does that mean? I spent about a half hour explaining southern redneck dialects and had him saying y'all in no time.
"If you can't delight in the misery of others then you don't deserve to be a college football fan."
Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 55 Reply 24, posted (7 years 2 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 1366 times:
Quoting DeltaGator (Reply 23): IIRC I read something about how British will use two syllables to pronounce a word that we Americans say in three syllables. Les-ter versus Lee-kes-ter and so on.
To some degree certainly. Webster's little blue book, which was the main influence on modern American pronunciation, made a point of emphasising each and every syllable when teaching children. One of the best examples of the differences that arose as a result is the way Americans say "lab-ora-tory", whereas the British say "la-borrer-tree".
Perhaps (and this is guesswork), it shows how a largely evolutionary approach lops endings off, and a taught one emphasises them. Just a thought.
She's as nervous as a very small nun at a penguin shoot.
25 N229NW: Some are pronounced the same, but American places ending with "ham" often get a real vowel instead of the British schwa--as in Framingham, Massachuse
26 DeltaGator: I don't know any Americans that say it that way. LAB-ra-tory is the usual pronunciation.
27 Vikkyvik: Actually, the stress is on the first syllable. Heh, I would love to hear someone pronounce it walt-ham. ~Vik
28 N229NW: I guess you're right technically now that I think about it, but the second syllable is drawn out to the point where it picks up a second stress... My
29 Banco: Yes, that's what I'm saying. But Americans definitively pronounce the separate syllables in a way the British do not.
30 Cornish: Of course we talk about how place names be prononuced by differently americans - whether they be in the UK, or English names used for US towns, but ev
31 Banco: And St Aines becomes Chav-ville on the same basis.
32 Cornish: Absolutely. Thank goodness I live in West Laleham
33 Vikkyvik: Speaking of different accents in the United Kingdom, I was in Wales on work last May or April, a bit outside of Cardiff (right off the large rotary (r
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