Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « on: April 29, 2024, 04:54:50 PM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
For example, before learning the correct pronunciations of many British cities and counties, I used to mispronounce them in my head whenever I read them since I am American. For example, I originally mispronounced Worcestershire as “War-sess-ter-shy-er” before learning that it was pronounced “Woos-ter-shure”. After thinking back, I personally find the mispronounced British place names pretty funny.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2024, 05:04:56 PM by WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA »		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #1 on: April 29, 2024, 06:36:54 PM » Author: Rommie
My favourite one is where people can't pronounce "Loch", the Scottish word for lake (think Loch Ness). Even some Scots can't get it right..! Here's how to say it properly  The other one is Milngavie... I'll answer that one later
		Logged

Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
Administrator, UK & European time zones. Any questions or problems, please feel free to get in touch

"What greater gift than the love of a cat..?" - Charles Dickens
*** No smiley-only replies, please ***

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #2 on: April 30, 2024, 02:29:36 AM » Author: AngryHorse
With the Worcestershire thing both pronunciations are correct depending what English accent you have, (but without the ‘sess’ in the first version), in Cheshire we’d say the latter. But my favourites are in Wales with the Llans!  , for instance, one seaside town in north Wales, ‘Llandudno’, we pronounce in Cheshire as ‘Lan-dud-know’, but if you’re born and bred in Wales, the Welsh proper pronunciation is actually ‘Clan-did-no’! Another interesting one, my parents and sister live in ‘New Costessey’ in Norwich, and coming from Cheshire they say it as it is spelt!, however people born there say it’s said as ‘new cozzie’!
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #3 on: April 30, 2024, 02:32:33 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
Before I learned that the counties ending in “shire” were pronounced “sure”, I used to think that the “shire” ending was pronounced as “shy-er”.
		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #4 on: April 30, 2024, 02:40:22 AM » Author: AngryHorse
Yeah it’s complicated!, the ‘shire’ thing here isn’t said as shire, but as ‘sher’ if that makes any sense? , I can’t write it as I say it!  , but like ‘Chesh-er’
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #5 on: April 30, 2024, 02:43:08 AM » Author: WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA
I learned about the “Cheshire” pronunciation from the “Alice and Wonderland” story and also learned the “Hampshire” pronunciation by learning about the US state of “New Hampshire”. Additionally, I also learned about the correct pronunciation of “shire” in British counties by knowing the famous street in Los Angeles known as “Wilshire Boulevard”.
		Logged

Desire to collect various light bulbs (especially HID), control gear, and fixtures from around the world.

DISCLAIMER: THE EXPERIMENTS THAT I CONDUCT INVOLVING UNUSUAL LAMP/BALLAST COMBINATIONS SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #6 on: April 30, 2024, 05:07:14 AM » Author: AngryHorse
I always remember US actor and comedian Greg Proops on British ‘who’s line is it anyway’, commenting on the word Nicaragua, and Clive Anderson being British kept saying Nic-a-rag-uare!, to which Greg kept reminding him it was ‘Nic-ararg-wuar’, saying, “unlike you British, we Americans don’t pronounce every single letter in the word”!  , that always makes me smile!
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #7 on: April 30, 2024, 06:52:15 AM » Author: Rommie
Reminds me of the American pronounciation of 'Jaguar' which sounds like 'jag-uwar' which always sounds awful to me, being a big fan of those cars (but never able to afford one, still, I can dream...) By the way, it's 'Jag-you-are'
		Logged

Ria (aka Rommie) in Aberdeen
Administrator, UK & European time zones. Any questions or problems, please feel free to get in touch

"What greater gift than the love of a cat..?" - Charles Dickens
*** No smiley-only replies, please ***

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #8 on: April 30, 2024, 01:09:51 PM » Author: funkybulb
We have lot of that going around in the US.   i have a grocery store called brookshire.  Being  prononce as Brook-sheer  Ria as Texan called Jag  Jag-wire.   There a Texas town people get wrong is Mexia.  As it pronounce Meh- Hey-A.  English can be funny in some ways.  About closes feeling like UK in the US is the new england area with all them british names.
		Logged

No LED gadgets, spins too slowly.  Gotta  love preheat and MV. let the lights keep my meter spinning.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #9 on: May 01, 2024, 02:46:06 AM » Author: AngryHorse
The Irish have the best language!, I named my eldest daughter Siobhan, and she says nearly everyone new she meets usually asks her how to pronounce it!  , most get it wrong saying ‘Shivon’, but we say it as ‘Shuvorn’. I’ve always loved Irish names  , I think the Irish have some of the most beautiful female names in the world! Irish singer Enya’s full name is Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin!, and Enya herself once said that the Irish pronunciation of Eithne, (that I first mistakenly pronounced as Eethnee), is actually said in Ireland as Enya!
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #10 on: May 01, 2024, 12:24:27 PM » Author: rjluna2
Hey Rich, I mis-pronounced your eldest daughter
		Logged

Pretty, please no more Chinese failure.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #11 on: May 01, 2024, 02:43:05 PM » Author: AngryHorse
I’m pretty sure there is a US version of Siobhan?, which is pronounced as you probably say it?  , but the Irish version doesn’t say the Shiv part.
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #12 on: May 01, 2024, 04:36:40 PM » Author: rjluna2
I blurted out 'Slob han'
		Logged

Pretty, please no more Chinese failure.

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #13 on: May 01, 2024, 04:59:38 PM » Author: wide-lite 1000
It's not just British names that we Americans can't pronounce !! I've lived all over the US and heard all sorts of names of cities , towns , people , etc. here that get massacred by unknowing people !!
		Logged

Collector,Hoarder,Pack-rat! Clear mercury Rules!!

	Re: Any UK members ever heard of their place names being mispronounced by Americans? « Reply #14 on: Today at 07:43:57 AM » Author: AngryHorse
Quote from: rjluna2 on May 01, 2024, 04:36:40 PM I blurted out 'Slob han' That certainly a first for me Rob!
		Logged

Current: UK 230V, 50Hz
Power provider: e.on energy
Street lighting in our town: Philips UniStreet LED (gen 1)
Longest serving LED in service at home, (hour count): Energetic mini clear globe: 54,050 hrs @ 10/2/24

Welcome to OBLIVION