Mispronouncing Ottawa

[GregC]

Maybe in New Zealand... meanwhile, here in America:
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Not sure how ratings negate his personal opinion. Hip hop (which I happen to like) is the best-selling music genre in the US now by some measures, even though its popularity on TB is at best mixed.

Also, 4.9 million viewers is just 1.5% of the US population. TV viewership has gone down dramatically due to streaming/internet/etc., so niche shows have a better chance of hitting the top echelon of ratings. For comparison's sake, the top-rated show in the last week of the 1995-96 season drew more than 34 million viewers.
'ER'! 'Friends'! 'Seinfeld'! Look back at TV's top 10 from 20 years ago

 

[vickerekes]

Not sure how ratings negate his personal opinion...

And I was thinking that they might actually reflect, rather than negate his personal opinion. Silly me.

 

[two fingers]

Exactly the same way people mispronounce Elvis’ house Graceland.
It is NOT Grace-Land.
It’s pronounced Gracelun’.

Memphis, (the one in Tennessee, anyway) is pronounced Meh-fis.

I've heard Mem-fis and Men-fis.

I've been there a dozen times and met lots of people from there. I have never ever heard anyone say "Meh-fis".

 

[GregC]

And I was thinking that they might actually reflect, rather than negate his personal opinion. Silly me.

I may have misinterpreted your post. If so, my apologies.

 

[Guild B301]

I've heard Mem-fis and Men-fis.

I've been there a dozen times and met lots of people from there. I have never ever heard anyone say "Meh-fis".

Well, the old folks there used to say it that way. Maybe they’ve all died off. But, there are a lot people living in Memphis nowadays, who moved from other places. I guarantee you between 50-100 years ago it was pronounced that way (meh-fis) by the locals.

 

[Guild B301]

While I’m at it, I’m from Texas.
By the thousands people are moving to Austin every day who pronounce Austin wrong.
It is ‘Awe-stun’ - not ‘Ass-tin’
It is ‘Tex-is’ - not ‘Texas-Ass’.

 

[DirtDog]

While I’m at it, I’m from Texas.
By the thousands people are moving to Austin every day who pronounce Austin wrong.
It is ‘Awe-stun’ - not ‘Ass-tin’
It is ‘Tex-is’ - not ‘Texas-Ass’.

Had an an American friend up to visit before the Covid. He was living in DC but moving back to his hometown. He called it Alston. I had to ask him a couple of times where that was. Then he said - you know, Alston, Texas, the home of SXSW. OH....AUSTIN!

Also came to realize that Texans from that area call a "saw" a "saul". Weird, but I get it now.

 

[Guild B301]

Had an an American friend up to visit before the Covid. He was living in DC but moving back to his hometown. He called it Alston. I had to ask him a couple of times where that was. Then he said - you know, Alston, Texas, the home of SXSW. OH....AUSTIN!

Also came to realize that Texans from that area call a "saw" a "saul". Weird, but I get it now.

Yep, that is an even older pronunciation that goes back to the 1800s. Not used much around Austin anymore. More so towards East Texas.

 

[Jeff K]

Back in the '90s, our (mainly) oldies band was practicing one night. We decided to do The Beach Boys' "Surfin' U.S.A." At one point as the singer was singing the lead, the rest of us just busted out laughing and stopped playing. "What's wrong?!!", he asked. He had just sung the line, "...All over La Jolla...", but pronounced it with the "J" sound instead of the "H" sound. To his credit he never did that again...

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

Also, Van Nuys
Pronounced Van-eyes.

I was born there and spent 50 in the general vicinity, 9/10 natives and non-natives say "Van-eyes", I say "Van-eyes". Therefore, Van-eyes.

 

[monsterthompson]

 

[nutdog]

lafayette = laugh-ee-ET in indiana, sometimes laughyet. wolf angel road = wolf angle road in my part of cincy.

In GA it's la-FAY-et

 

[Lesfunk]

If you ever pass through Dubois PA, be sure to say “doo-boys” or the locals will correct you

 

[ElectroVibe]

He's smarter than that. He probably just got nervous.

 

[MJ5150]

If you ever pass through Dubois PA, be sure to say “doo-boys” or the locals will correct you

I have family who live there.

-Mike

 

[Jeff Scott]

There was a bookstore in Cincy in the mid '70s called Dü-Boyz (spelled Du Bois).

 

[PWRL]

It's always amusing to hear people who aren't from Wisconsin try to pronounce the names of some Wisconsin towns.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I've heard a fairly straightforward name messed with, many years ago: Sepulveda.

 

[monsterthompson]

I've heard a fairly straightforward name messed with, many years ago: Sepulveda.

Ha. That's a street name in a few SoCal towns, so I hear it occasionally. I haven't heard anyone butcher it, but I've heard of that happening.

 

[yodedude2]

One of my favorites is Edinburgh.
Should sound like Ed-un-brrrruh.
Roll your R’s!


In Texas we have an Edinburg.
No “h” on the end.
It is pronounced Edin-burg

edin-burrgo