How many of these can you think of? Let’s see, there’s rainier, tangier, messier, portage (obscure), noisy (also obscure), …?
polish my ass
Polish my ass
Reading, the town
reading, the activity
Any name that doubles as a plain ol’ everyday noun.
How is that pronounced any differently to the regular noun?
Herb. (For us Americans, anyway.)
Lima (city and legume)
Nice (city and adjective)
The only one I could think of was the name Roy is pronounced different if it is a first name (Roy Rogers) or a last name (Patrick Roy).
Really? How is the last name pronounced?
Pronounced Rue-Ah.
Here is another I just thought of:
guy
Guy (but only if your are a French Canadien Hockey Player)
matt_mcl
I grew up In Portage Wisconsin, which was named for the portage between the Wisconsin and Fox rivers. Both are pronounced the same. What were you refering to when you wrote portage.
polish (the verb) and Polish (the adjective).
worms (the little squiggly critters that live in dirt) and Worms (the place, as in the Diet of Worms.)
Being a Denverite and Colorado Avalance fan, I happen to know that the Roy in Patrick Roy is pronounced Wah.
Don’t know about any other Roys out there, since I’ve never heard it as a last name other than on Patrick. Just my nickel’s worth. 
Oh, and for he OP…couldn’t think of any besides Herb.
Whoops. Someone already posted “polish” and “Polish.”
Sorry.
It’s been a long day. That’s my only excuse.
You’re gonna have to do better than that. From now on you will treat me like a god.
portage = portázh.
Portage Avenue in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba = pórtidj. (Like I said, obscure.)
Summary so far:
rainier = ráyniur.
Rainier (prince of Monaco): rehnyé.
tangier = tángiur.
Tangier (city in Morocco): tandjéer.
messier = mésiur.
Messier (Mark) = mésyay.
portage, Portage (as above).
noisy = nóyzee.
Noisy (suburb of Paris) = nwahzí.
polish = páhlish.
Polish = pólish.
guy = gie.
Guy (Lafleur) = gee.
worms = wurmz.
Worms (Diet of) = vehmz.
herb = urb.
Herb = hurb.
Uh, what was the question again?
Being a Canadian and a lifelong fan of Les Glorieux, The Habs, or as some call them The Canadiens I have to point out to Sunshine that the pronounciation of Roy is Rue Ah as posted by xizor. Not Wah.
Guy as in LaFleur is pronounced “Gee”.
walks of muttering [sub]“sacrement, tabernacle!”![/sub]
Those are pronounced sacremant and tabernack if you’re wondering. So ends our lesson in how to curse in French.
Actual Québécois curse:
“Hostie de vierge de saint-sacrement de calice de crisse de tabernac!”
Literal translation:
“Communion wafer of a virgin of the Holy Sacrament of a chalice of Christ of a tabernacle!”
Idiomatic translation:
“That bloody goddamned motherfucking sonovabitch bastard piece of shit!”
Good to see you too Matt.
How’s my favourite socialist these days?