How do YOU say it?

[jbsiegel]

The "You say 'To-may-to'.... I say 'To-mah-to'" thread got me thinking. We have a couple running arguments in our family! How do you say:

Tomato - "To-may-to" for me
Orange - "Are" as opposed to "Or" for the first syllable
Syrup - "Sir-up" as opposed to "Cee-rup"

Others?

[eclecticsynergy]

crepes- CRAYps vs CREPs

I say kyew-pon myself. But I don't say Grey Pyew-pon.
Wouldn't seem right unless it contained post-larval insects.

I've heard Brits saying ba-NAH-na. And folks who say to-MAH-to.
But I've still never heard of anyone who actually says po-TAH-to.

One of the major newspapers ran a contest some years ago where people were encouraged to submit new definitions for existing words. Two good ones that I can recall:

OYSTER: One who's in the habit of peppering their speech with Yiddish expressions
GARGOYLE: The latest in olive flavored mouthwash

[jbsiegel]

LOL on the Grey Pyew-pon, but I stand by kyew-pon!

I also say CRAYps, but I suspect the correct French pronounciation is CREPs...

[Yongeman]

In Canada we say basil like this: ba, as in bat, not ba, as in bay.
Also what the hell is broccoli rabe? It's rapini, here.

[mangiare24]

Its just regional.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapini

[Veggo]

I suspect one of the better Sherlock Holmes actors, Basil Rathbone, didn't appreciate being addressed as a garden item.

[porker]

I live in canada, but everyone I know says bay-zil.
Agree with the rapini.

[Tripeler]

Most Canadians I have met say "bag-el" instead of "bay-gel" for bagel.

[Yongeman]

Wow...I'm an old-timer and have always said basil with a short 'a'. Do you also say, 'zee' for 'zed'?

[porker]

I assume its said bag-el in TO? In Montreal its bay-gel (actually more like bay-gul). Interesting.
As for the Z...depends. I usually say zee as thats how I was taught growing up. However, when conveying difficult information (I dunno, zipcode over the telephone), I'll use the zed so not to be confused with something else.
We joke about the sodomizing, chopper-riding cop in Pulp Fiction: If he lived around here, the dialogue might have been different
"Who's motorcycle is this?"
"Its a chopper babe?"
"Who's chopper is this?"
"Its Zee's"
"Who's Zee?"
"Zee's dead, baby. Zee's dead."

[Yongeman]

Ha!
Nope, it's bay-gul in Toronto, too, although I've heard casual bagel-eaters use the 'bag' pronunciation.

[markabauman]

Maybe it's analogous to the different pronunciations you hear for "basil". Most people I know say "bay-zil", but you also hear "bah-zil".

[Karl S]

Probably for the same reason Canadian rapeseed oil producers came up with canola ...

[jbsiegel]

Catch-up instead of kets-up.

[mangiare24]

"Catch-up instead of kets-up."
The former is the preferred pronunciation over the latter as you can see below. :)

catsup |ˈke ch əp; ˈka ch əp; ˈkatsəp|
noun
variant spelling of ketchup .
ketchup |ˈke ch əp| (also catsup pronunc. same or |ˈka ch əp; ˈkatsəp|)
noun
a spicy sauce made chiefly from tomatoes and vinegar, used as a condiment.
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: perhaps from Chinese ( Cantonese dialect) k'ē chap ‘tomato juice.’

[Karl S]

Well, in American usage, Ketch-up is the preferred usage. Can't say for outside the USA.

[porker]

Just remembered, lotsa folks in my small town say
sang-wich...
For years I'd lightheartedly say something like "you know its actually SAND-wich", but alas I have since given up.

[jbsiegel]

One of my kids called hamburgers hang-ga-burgers for a LONG time!

[porker]

Well, sadly enough, many of the sang-wich people are long into adulthood.

[kattyeyes]

HA HA HA to both of you--an old colleague's little boy used to say "fork chops." :) I trust he has outgrown it by now and is probably in college.

[Wawsanham]

Well, it's just a case of consonant assimilation--the ng sound is closer to w than d. The same phenomenon causes us to not pronounce the b in comb.

[kattyeyes]

I read your post carefully and more than once and I am not tracking. :)

[porker]

Does anyone say shee-it?

[kattyeyes]

Only for emphasis when in disgust! ;)

[Wawsanham]

Some other pronunciations that might not be so standard, but I say them:

sher-bert
thyme (NOT time)
cae-ra-mel
chip-oht-lee

Non-food:
Ne-vae-duh
Colo-rae-dow

[kattyeyes]

Another one I just heard someone say: AH-minnd (for almond). The "L" in almond is NOT silent for this kat. But I have certainly heard many say it as though it is.

[LindaWhit]

Whereas it is silent for moi.

[kattyeyes]

:) Is it a NY/NJ thing? I always suspected so, but am not sure.

[LindaWhit]

That I cannot tell you. But I've always said "Ah-mund" and "Ahl-mund" sounds funny to me.

Dictionary.com pronunciation:

al·mond   [ah-muhnd, am-uhnd; spelling pron. al-muhnd]

http://dictionary.reference.com/brows...

[kattyeyes]

HEE HEE...Merriam-Webster:
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/pronunciation.php?id=food-kitchen/food/fruits/02444&title=almond

And this classic commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55QoI...

Prince sings it your way. :)

[LindaWhit]

I can't hear the AIF file @ M-W, so my way stands. :-P

Seriously, there are so many intonations and "dialects" throughout the U.S., a consensus is highly unlikely.

[kattyeyes]

LOLOL...that's just it--vive la difference! :) It's all good in our respective hoods!

[Karl S]

Silent for me, as well.

[Veggo]

I suppose you like macaldamia nuts, too.

[kattyeyes]

Not particularly...especially those pesky ones with superfluous Ls! ;P

[porker]

A couple I tease Mrs. Porker with.

Awhile back, I was unaware that she was making a few items outta the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook. She made a BBQ sauce and said with a flourish "This is 'moth-a sauce' "
"Its WHAT-sauce?"
"Moth-a" (almost sounded like "martha"...)
"From where did you get this "moth-a" sauce?"
"Dinosaur BBQ cook book"
"Lemmee see."
So I check, and its Mutha Sauce. So I'm smiling (I admit, it took me a minute to figure out) and she's like "What, whats so funny?"
"Oh, nothing," I teased, "I just like your *MOTH-A* sauce!"
"What, what? Tell me, what's so funny?"
"Its MUTHA sauce, you know, like badass "mother", you know, how a biker might say "mother": MUTHA!"
We had a few laughs.

Another time, she was checking out a public transit map in Manhatten. She said something like
"Oh, the park is right next to the flatter-ron building"
Again, I was smiles and again she's saying "What?! Whats funny now?!"
"I believe its FLAT-IRON building...."

[tamagoji]

Chipotle

I say "chi-poat-lay" thanks to The Two Hot Tamales and the US restaurant chain.

The other day I heard an Australian friend (not having the same cultural references) say: "chi-poddle"

[gingershelley]

What I HATE is when someone says chip-ol-tay, putting the 'T" in the wrong place!

[porker]

Kinda like tama's Aussie friend, I sometimes hear people say chi-patal

[woodleyparkhound]

I hate that too - or even worse, "chi-POL-tee". It's amazing to me how frequently I hear this.

[dmjordan]

What? Nobody is going to mention Bobby Flay's chi-pol-ti-lay?

[huiray]

I tend to think more of British English versus USAmerican English differences. Some examples - water, schedule, aluminum/aluminium, (the letter) z, vase ...

In any case, I say your three examples as you do.

[JenJeninCT]

to-MAY-toe
PEH-cahn
Oh-range
PRAY-leen

MY DH's great-uncle says "veg-a-tahble"
also, non- food:
ahn-juh-nuh = Angina
uhnt= Aunt

[kattyeyes]

You made me think of one more: restaurant. In our family, we've always said it as though it's two syllables (rest-raunt). I realize both pronunciations are correct, but when people say it as three syllables, it a) reminds me of Billy Joel and b) makes me think they're from New Yawk or NJ as people I know from that area say it that way, too. HA, not to mention "Brendar" and Eddie. ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au74rR...

[jbsiegel]

I'm from Jersey and it's definitely rest-a-raunt for me! I've never really heard it any other way...

[Veggo]

3 syllables for Arlo Guthrie.

[kattyeyes]

How do YOU say restaurant, wise@$$?!

ETA: Interesting discussion here. Still betting it's a regional difference:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/...

[Gio]

Hey KE,, I hear many folks say "res-ter-ahwn".

[kattyeyes]

It's a wonder we can find places to eat with so many different ways to pronounce them. ;)

[kattyeyes]

I'm going to play close attention in the days to come to see who else says it as we do in my fam. I'm betting it's one of those regional things. Like how folks in your neck of the woods say "avenue" as a-veh-nyew (right?). Oddly, my mom says it that way, too, but it's a-veh-noo for most around here. My mom has these funny "import" tendencies from neighboring states, HA HA.

[gingershelley]

Rest-raunt to me...Wow, that's one I never thought about that I say it wrong. Oops!

[kattyeyes]

Nope, not wrong, just different. ;) That's the beauty of it!

[LindaWhit]

Jersey Girl here. It's definitely still pronounced rest-ah-raunt. :-)

[porker]

ress-traunt

Not many folks in these parts use the rest-a-raunt. The ones who do pronounce Sears as see-ers.

[porker]

jal-a-pee-knows always kills me...
occasionally hear jap-a-lee-knows ...eeeeek

[Veggo]

I like the way Bogart pronounces bourbon in Casablanca: boar-bun.

[GirlyQ]

Funny, I always pronounce bourbon as "more, please"

[kattyeyes]

I am very much on board with THAT pronunciation. :)

[Wawsanham]

Potato: puh-tay-tuh

Pecan: pee-can

Plantaine: plan-tin

Those are just a few I can think of that have some pronunciation variation. The above are mine.

[porker]

plan-tayne

[kattyeyes]

The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plan-tayne! I concur.

[jbsiegel]

Pecan: Pee-cahn

My darned husband calls that drawer thing a draw as well. Born and raised in NJ, so I can't blame it on New England!

That's the funny thing about some of them. My sister and I (who clearly grew up in the same household) actually say some of the thing differently.

[kattyeyes]

I say "ba-day-duh" (badada) instead of potato just to be silly. Talking to my uncle this weekend, I mentioned I was making badadas, and he said, "BADADAS? Uncle John used to call them that, but I'm pretty sure they're potatoes!" HA HA HA. And Uncle John was 100% Italian. I always thought badada was my Irish shining through. :)

[LindaWhit]

Aww, my grandfather used to called them badadas as well!

[markabauman]

Culinary:

Cull-in-nary
Cue-linary?

[LindaWhit]

Cull-i-nary

[kattyeyes]

What she said. :)

[LindaWhit]

I now live in New England. Where the letter "r" doesn't exist at the end of words that have them.

Bubblah = Bubbler (as in water bubbler, a.k.a. water fountain)
Draw = Drawer
Kegga = party that involves a keg of beer (or more)
Chowda = 'nuf said.

[kattyeyes]

I think those are Mass-specific. ;) We like our final Rs here in the Land of Steady Habits, south of you.

[LindaWhit]

Believe me, I don't say any of these words as I spelled. My mother and both grandmothers (speech/English teachers, all) would never allow it. Nor would my English teacher at Katharine Gibbs, Mrs. Beck. :-)

[kattyeyes]

It's funny how that particular accent takes Rs from where they DO belong and sticks them where they DON'T--(e.g. "Cuber" for Cuba).

[LindaWhit]

Oh yeah. Drives me bonkers.

[GirlyQ]

Oh, I love it! I find the non-rhoticity in the Boston area to be charming.

[macca]

Yup- I'll have a vodker tonic!

[kattyeyes]

That makes everything betta. :)

[Karl S]

That''s the Law of Conservations of Rs. It's a hallmark of Yankee thrift.

[kattyeyes]

HA HA HA! Yankee thrift indeed! And then they go on a "spending" frenzy with the rest of the Rs, inserting them with reckless abandon. ;)

[Karl S]

No, what I meant is that the Rs are not wasted. Waste not, want not, use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

[huiray]

Hearing Hahvad Yahd makes me roll my eyes a bit.

On a related (non-MA specific) note, it still makes me frown a bit when I hear "wodder" and "Scoddy" instead of waTer and ScoTTy. Ditto for similar words.

[Gio]

On a TV show last night one of the actors continually used the word "budden" instead of "button"... It hurt my ears.

[DeppityDawg]

Lots of examples in these earlier threads that you might like to revisit:

Car-mel vs. cara-mel/Pee-can vs. Puh-cahn
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/581128

How do you pronounce "OYSTER"?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793403

How do you pronounce "praline"?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/815081

How do you pronounce "sherbet"?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/309244

How do you pronounce SUNDAE ( ice cream sundae)?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/120606

Hummus prefered [sic] pronounciation [sic
]http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/289777

Correct pronounciation [sic] of the word "endive"
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/294167

Plus many, many others about "bruschetta", "gyro", "pho", "gouda", "gabagool", etc., etc.

[jbsiegel]

Car-mel and Car-a-mel are two different things in my world. Car-mel is the sauce and car-a-mel is the candy. Don't ask me to explain that, though.

Sherbet = sher-bert (I know...adding that "r" in there.)

Sundae = Sunday (never heard it any other way)

Endive = Ahn-deeve

[kattyeyes]

Oh dear, we can't help you. ;P LOLOL "Sher-bert" would be your reply to Bert if he asked you if you'd like some ice cream. Would you like some, jbsiegel? Sure, Bert!

Though I love the commercial where the lady insists, "No, it is absolutely AHN-deeve!" and tries to start the flashy car instead of her own..."And then everyone has one of their own baby chickens!"

ETA: And no, Carmel is the place by the sea--caramel covers both syrup and candy...and the candy bar...CARAMELLO!

[kattyeyes]

AHHH! Here 'tis, the AHN-deeve/baby chickens commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiD6Oz...

[LindaWhit]

Carmel is a city in California.

[kattyeyes]

Jinx! ;)

[GirlyQ]

These are really similar to my rules! Except the sauce is car-mul, the candy is care-a-mel, and the city is car-mel

[seamunky]

"Sorbet? No kids of mine will eat sor-bay! They will eat sherbet, pronounce it sherbert, and wish it was ice cream!" - Homer Simpson

[LeoLioness]

To-may-to

Aw-range

-Sirr-up

[porker]

al-you-MINI-um

[kattyeyes]

I do NOT say it that way, but think it sounds oh-so-cool. Like JAG-you-ARR! ;)

[helou]

I'm sorry - alu MINI-um is so wrong. Unfortunately President Eisenhower pronounced it that way so many people followed suit.

[huiray]

Why "unfortunately"? It is the usual pronunciation in the UK.
http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word...

[porker]

I unconcsiously say alu-mih-num, but when trying to be snarky, use the English pronounciation.

[Caroline1]

Excuse me? "aL-U-minium" is the BRITISH pronunciation. Eisenhower spent a lot of time in England, where he picked it up. Who knows why he kept it when he returned Stateside. To the best of my knowledge, he gave up calling car hoods and trunks "bonnetts" and "boots" when he came back. I think most everyone who heard him use the Brit pronunciations knew what was going on.

[mangiare24]

"I'm sorry - alu MINI-um is so wrong."

helou: do you realize in GB the word is spelled "aluminium?" So that pronunciation is indeed correct.

[gingershelley]

Al-OO-minum here in NW....

[coll]

Depends on where you grew up, no shame either way.

[jbsiegel]

One more....

Coupon - "Kew-pon" for me

[Veggo]

Per Ron White: COO-pun

[kattyeyes]

I'm with Ron! And things aren't "kewl," either--they're COOL.

[gingershelley]

+1 on COO expression!