baberuth73 If you ever find youself in Columbia, S.C. we have a couple of streets that have French names, Gervais and Huger. Whenever the local TV stations hire a midwesterner to read the news I wonder why someone from the station doesn't give these folks some sort of orientation before putting them on the air. There seems to be a rule that no one that speaks with a Southern accent will be employed as a so called TV journalist (news reader).
If you ever find youself in Columbia, S.C. we have a couple of streets that have French names, Gervais and Huger. Whenever the local TV stations hire a midwesterner to read the news I wonder why someone from the station doesn't give these folks some sort of orientation before putting them on the air. There seems to be a rule that no one that speaks with a Southern accent will be employed as a so called TV journalist (news reader).
As to different southern accents, I have noticed a great difference as to what is spoken in Charlotte, N. C., and in Baton Rouge, and what is spoken in Reform, Ala., and Columbus, Miss. (30 miles apart).
Johnny
baberuth73There seems to be a rule that no one that speaks with a Southern accent will be employed as a so called TV journalist (news reader).
I once read an article about accents that pointed out this in one movie ("Fried Green Tomatoes?") the four protagonists (all women) spoke with different southern accents, although I don't recall what they were. There are actually some variations that are quite pleasant to hear, but others, well...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Bruce KellyBut I give him credit for having taught me that Lancaster, CA, and Lancaster, PA, don't sound the same.
I grew up in LANCaster county, S. C., and when I was living in Pickens county (named for Andrew Pickens, an S. C. patriot) in Alabama, I met some LanCASTers whose forebears had come form S. C. in the early nineteenth century.
Larry, thank you for the pronunciation of Gananoque (We have some pronunciation headaches around here - both from the French and the native American place names - Chaumont (sha MOE) and Gananoque (gan an AH quay) are two often massacred by "furriners."); I would never have guessed it.
Dale:
The Kansas pronunciation of Arkansas is 'ARE' Kansas'. I live near the ARE Kansas River- and growing up around Memphis; I guess I've mistakenly pronounced 'Ar ken Saw' most all my life. But I'm adjusting-slowly
I'm still having problems with 'cricks', vs. creeks-- and am ,I now live on Euphrates Crick!
I can only imagine what it must be like up in the far Northwest! I am sure what the Indians diden't name the Eskimos; did....and then you have to deal with the unreconstructed french who won't even try to speak anything but their own French.
I used to go down into the Evangeline Country of Louisiana, pretty often. Most of those folks were anxious to go up to french speaking Canada. Their biggest disappointment was finding out, when 'up there', their brand of French was unintelligible to the Canadian Francophiles. It was the collision of French, and English and the resultant idioms were something of a calamity. You might refer to the results as kind of a Franglish.... Maybe, some day the CN will be able to aford to hire a crew to paint their cars and they can paint both sides the same...I guess, that's like getting the French to work with those illegals who only speak English!
CSSHEGEWISCHActually, in Colorado, Arkansas (the river) and Kansas do rhyme.
nanaimo73 Anyone (Sam?) happen to know why Kansas and Arkansas don't rhyme? Since Arkansas was a territory in 1819, and Kansas not until 1854, surely everyone in Kansas already knew how Arkansas was pronounced?
Anyone (Sam?) happen to know why Kansas and Arkansas don't rhyme? Since Arkansas was a territory in 1819, and Kansas not until 1854, surely everyone in Kansas already knew how Arkansas was pronounced?
Actually, in Colorado, Arkansas (the river) and Kansas do rhyme. This is according to my mother, who worked for the VA in Fort Lyon in 1949-1950.
aricat When sitting in the Worcester Massachusetts station in 1952 on The New England States I learned how to properly pronounce this city; and that I was on the B&A not NYC according to the conductor.
When sitting in the Worcester Massachusetts station in 1952 on The New England States I learned how to properly pronounce this city; and that I was on the B&A not NYC according to the conductor.
While not a station stop, the first town you passed through west of Worcester was Leicester (less-ter). A little further west you would also run parallel to the Quaboag (kway-bog) River.
Paul_D_North_JrThe Butler Juniata Locomotive Shops How is Juniata pronounced? Also, is it Read-ing or Red-ing Railroad? Crandell/ selector has Juniata correctly above, as I know it. Reading is "Red-ing" for both the railroad and its namesake city. - Paul North. (just down Mauch Chunk Road from Hokendauqua, Catasauqua, Tamaqua, Nesquehoning, and a few others of like kind . . . ).
The Butler Juniata Locomotive Shops How is Juniata pronounced? Also, is it Read-ing or Red-ing Railroad?
Juniata Locomotive Shops
How is Juniata pronounced? Also, is it Read-ing or Red-ing Railroad?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
I'm guessing the I is silent...
We can't forget "Dew-rand", either.
Not far from here is Madrid - in this case pronounced "Mad-drid," emphasis on the first syllable.
Also not far from here is Lowville. The "ville" is normal, but the "low" is pronounced "lau", not "lo" with a long O. It was on the Utica & Black River (which mileposts are still used today) as well as being one end of the Lowville & Beaver River, now part of the GVT family, if inactive.
Chaumont was on the original main of the Rome and Watertown, predecessor to the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg, which at one time ran many of the rails north of today's NYS Thruway and west of the Adirondacks. The RW&O joined the Central family around 1900 or so.
samfp1943garr Being in the south, how do you think Martinez, GA just outside of Augusta is pronounced? Jay Jay: I am not sure of the Georgia-correct pronunciation, I would suspect that it is all about a long aaaaaaa! I had enough of a time when my neighbors pronounced "Faye'vil" for Fayetteville, and I pretty much gave up on Atlanta, and it was Hot-Lanta or shortly "ATL" in e-mail correspondence, VI-day- Li-a (my favorite onion) was Va-dal-ya to the locals. It's a great country ( or COUNTRIES, with A TIP O THA' HAT TO DALE& CRANDELL), if you don't let its' linguistic Idiosyncrasies drive you over the edge!
garr Being in the south, how do you think Martinez, GA just outside of Augusta is pronounced? Jay
Being in the south, how do you think Martinez, GA just outside of Augusta is pronounced?
Jay
Jay:
I am not sure of the Georgia-correct pronunciation, I would suspect that it is all about a long aaaaaaa!
I had enough of a time when my neighbors pronounced "Faye'vil" for Fayetteville, and I pretty much gave up on Atlanta, and it was Hot-Lanta or shortly "ATL" in e-mail correspondence, VI-day- Li-a (my favorite onion) was Va-dal-ya to the locals.
It's a great country ( or COUNTRIES, with A TIP O THA' HAT TO DALE& CRANDELL),
if you don't let its' linguistic Idiosyncrasies drive you over the edge!
James and Sam,
As far as Martinez, GA--the i is totally disregarded so it is pronounced Mart--nez. One of those words that identifies visitors.
Now try Taliaferro which is a county here in Georgia roughly half way between Atlanta and Augusta.
The ButlerJuniata Locomotive ShopsHow is Juniata pronounced? Also, is it Read-ing or Red-ing Railroad?
Wow! This could be fun! As a multi-lingual (6) army interpreter (all European) it might prove challenging. I have cousins (Jack & Tess Hanlin) that live in Chaumont, NY, ex-of the New York Central. Cool place! Yar, Cajon is the proper spelling. I hate to transliterate, but "Kay-HONE" is close. Kind of rhymes with pugga ma hon in Gaidhlig. Crandell: For more info, send me some "Naniamo Bars". It has been a long time since I had one! P. S.: I do have a Watertown Times clipping of the "last train from Clayton"!
Hays
Seriously, I thought it was Nan-YIGH-Moe.-Norris in Sow-duh-Coe-duh, the state south of NORT ! Uh-coat-uh.
Okay, it is June - eee - at - uh....right?
Dale, I'm partial to You - CLUE - let.
And Tims, that was something to be proud of.! The correct (closest I can get) pronounciation is:
Eh - ya - fiAT - la - YOkootch Don't say it when any social workers are around. They pack you off.
-Crandell
Kay-DEEZ
Boyd All these years of reading about it and in my head I was pronouncing it as Ca jun pass and not Cahon pass. You can learn a lot watching the RR feature on the History channel.
All these years of reading about it and in my head I was pronouncing it as Ca jun pass and not Cahon pass. You can learn a lot watching the RR feature on the History channel.
Good thing you never encountered my high school Spanish teaching wife (ret.) as she may have wack you on the side of your head with a ruler. LOL.
For a real test try the pronunciation of Valladolid, the Spain city that we visited last fall.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
The naval air station in Iceland was once known as NAS Kwitcherbellyakin!
Tom
COAST LINE FOREVER
It is better to dwell in the corner of a roof than to share a house with a contentious woman! (Solomon)
A contentious woman is like a constant dripping! (Solomon)
James
selector Dale, should we tease 'em with Ucluelet?
Dale, should we tease 'em with Ucluelet?
Whenever I hear tourists asking for directions to get there, they always seem to say YUCK-o-let or YUCK-u-let. I go with U-Q-let myself, but U-clue-let is probably better.
Mar-tin-ezz?
LORD! Bruce, and Jim, and everybody else:
All I can say is I feel your pain! It is bad enought that as Americans we manage to mangle the 'Kings English' to almost the point of ridiculousness., But at least we do it without prejudice to all. I guess it must be a national trait. Since we have such a varied population.
English gets some pretty grusome treatment across this fruited plain. Then you have all those Frenchmen who have left their imprints on our geography, multiple sylable monikers as well. Here in Kansas there is a river The Marias de Cygne, you'd not belive the way that gets mashed around! Not to give short shrift to the way we mangle the Indian pronunciations, and finally angelize them, so they'll fit on signs that aren't the size of a Ball Diamond.
Pitty the poor Canadians, not only do they HAVE to learn TWO languages, If one of the CN trains goes by; if it is the English side, the folks in Quebec can't read it. They have to wait for the train to come back so they'll know what railroad they're seeing, by being able to read the French side of the cars!
I guess the by-linguals can read everything in one pass? Ain't this a great country?
vsmith selector Oh yeah? I'll sse your challenges and raise you the name of the Icelandic volcano: Eyjafjallajokull. It doesn't say as it reads. -Crandell Easy: Eye-of-jello-joke-hole, just sound it out
selector Oh yeah? I'll sse your challenges and raise you the name of the Icelandic volcano: Eyjafjallajokull. It doesn't say as it reads. -Crandell
Oh yeah? I'll sse your challenges and raise you the name of the Icelandic volcano: Eyjafjallajokull.
It doesn't say as it reads.
Easy:
Eye-of-jello-joke-hole, just sound it out
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