VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Bruce · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:55 am Post subject:

Of course there's the southern border states that can't decide whether to use the Mexican or American pronunciations of Spanish language place names. I did the narration for Texas' tourism video some years ago and most of the place names were fairly Mexican sounding until we got to San Jacinto. In Spanish it's Sahn hah-SEEN-toh. But in TX it's pronounced Amurican style: San juh-SIN-toh.

You need a guide sometimes to speak the language here in the USA.

B
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bobsouer · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:05 am Post subject:

As was famously said, Great Britain and The United States, two great nations separated by a common language. And the same can be said of different regions inside each country, I suspect.

For example, I've always thought it funny that Iowans pronounce Des Moines the French way, but in Illinois while they say the state name the French way, they say Des Plaines as Dess Planes. (It's a western suburb of Chicago.)
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GWIII · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:02 am Post subject:

Illinois has a tortured relationship with French place names.....I grew up in Kankakee, IL. One of the neighboring communities is Bourbonnais. For the majority of my formative years, they called it bur-BONE-is. Sometime in high school, the decision was made to pronounce it Bur-bon-AY.

We have lots of French surnames in the area....Trudeau, Marcotte, etc.....
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Hart · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:35 am Post subject:

The Gulf coast is that way too. I suppose that's understandable considering parts of it have been controlled by six different countries in history.

In Alabama you have Joachim Street (Jo ACK im), Big Bateau Bay (Batty) , Little Bateau Bay and the town of Coden (coh DAN).

In Mississippi two of my favs are Petit Bois (Petty Boy) Island and the city of Gautier (go-SHAY).

Don't even get started on Louisiana.
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Moe Egan · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:51 am Post subject:

New England's got our fair share of place names which trip up new comers...you can always pick out the out of state news people when they pronounce
HAVERHILL Mass the way it's written...it should be "Hav-Rul"

PEABODY...not like Sherman's good dog friend...it's "Pee-ba'd"

and in NH the capital is CON'-kurd, not Con-chord' (like the plane)

We also have a Berlin, NH, pronounced BER lin as apposed to Ber LIN ...toughest news story I ever read had ambassadors from Berlin, Germany coming to Berlin NH ....had to say each place name multiple times and keep them both straight...another reason VO rules...there's always take two to get it right...or three or four....
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glittlefield · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:56 am Post subject:

I don't think San Diego was as "chi-chi" in the 1940's, when my grandfather went to L.A.

Up here, L.A. is Lewiston/Auburn. Took me a few times to get used to that (being from the San Fernando valley and all...).
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Bruce · Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 8:11 am Post subject:

On my one trip to Nawlins (the most common local pronunciation of New Orleans) several years ago, I was staying at a hotel in the Vieux Carré (or French Quarter) (pronounced either view or voh cah-RAY depending on who you ask). One of the streets we were on was Chartres Street. I hardly know French, but I believe in France it's pronounced Shar-truh. But when I asked a bellman with a strong Cajun accent for directions, he kept calling it Cha-tuz.

Heck with it. Give me a couple of Hurricanes, and a big bowl of Jambalaya with a pint of Tabasco on the side and it just doesn't matter anymore.

B
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Don G. · King's Row Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 1071 Location: MA

I'll be glad when Brett Favre retires. It may be correct, but it bugs me when I hear all the sportscasters pronounce it "Farve".