# Coo-pon or Queue-pon? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732 "2011-05-13T00:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/1 "2011-05-13T00:47:47Z")
If you are discussing that little slip of paper you hand to the cashier to get 50 cents off your latest order of Super Heavy Duty Depends, Purina Grue Chow, or Mr. Happy’s Studded Surprise Condoms. I’ve always said it as Queue-pon, so it always bugs me when people say Coo-pon, like advertising announcers and such, even if strictly speaking from a phonics standpoint they are correct. [And don’t get me started on primer vs. primmer-the latter just sounds so forced and gay-not meant as a jab at gay people] ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/2 "2011-05-13T00:53:39Z")
There’s a show on TLC (I think?) called “Extreme Couponing.” The show’s narrator says “coo-pon” but most of the subjects so far (two people per episode) say “queue-pon.” It’s awkward! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/3 "2011-05-13T00:58:20Z")
It looks to me like it’s derived from French; “couper” means “to cut”. No “y” sound. Adding in a superfluous “y” sound just sounds asinine. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/4 "2011-05-13T01:34:36Z")
Coo-pon now. But I switched pronunciations at some point. My family all use the other pronunciation, as did I when young. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/5 "2011-05-13T01:37:55Z")
Koo-pin ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/6 "2011-05-13T01:39:23Z")
Queue-pon for me. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/7 "2011-05-13T02:32:05Z")
Koopon, like ketchup, is a case where the “kiddie” pronunciation has gradually taken over. I don’t recall hearing very many adults say koopon - in person or in commercials - until the mid 80s or so. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/8 "2011-05-13T02:32:17Z")
“Koo-pon” for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/9 "2011-05-13T03:08:37Z")
I say both I guess. Never thought about that before. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/10 "2011-05-13T03:52:44Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Coo-pon now. But I switched pronunciations at some point. My family all use the other pronunciation, as did I when young. Yup. I was raised cutting queue-pons but recently changed to coo-pons when hub started correcting me in jest. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/11 "2011-05-13T03:59:24Z")
“kew-pon” grates on me like “new-kyoo-ler”. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/12 "2011-05-13T04:01:32Z")
“Coo-pon,” but I’ve commonly heard the other, too. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/13 "2011-05-13T04:01:58Z")
“kew-pon.” I don’t know why I say it that way when everyone else around here pronounces it the “coo-pon.” I also can’t say “bagel” correctly 3/4 of the time (I usually pronounce it “bag-el.” I don’t know why, my brain is just weird. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/14 "2011-05-13T04:03:50Z")
Koo-pon. British RP. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/15 "2011-05-13T04:58:30Z")
Keep on keeping on. There’s an ‘o’ before the ‘u’ folks. It’s pronounced “koop-on.” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/16 "2011-05-13T05:00:49Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Keep on keeping on. > > There’s an ‘o’ before the ‘u’ folks. It’s pronounced “koop-on.” So, how do you pronounce ‘debt’? ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/17 "2011-05-13T05:16:34Z")
Damn, I thought this was going to be a somewhat pornographic thread… ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/18 "2011-05-13T05:27:26Z")
So, it’s a military queue, then? I pronounce a coup as “koo” and so do the same with coupon. Though by online dictionaries, both are considered correct. I don’t really care if someone pronounces it the other way. Weird. I’m picky to the point of peevy about a few words, but this isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/19 "2011-05-13T05:52:46Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > So, how do you pronounce ‘debt’? There’s no **doubt** with **debt**. Not all silent letters follow the same rules, so I don’t see your point. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732/20 "2011-05-13T06:08:06Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > It looks to me like it’s derived from French; “couper” means “to cut”. No “y” sound. Adding in a superfluous “y” sound just sounds asinine. Well, if you’re going after the French pronounciation, the word coupon exists in French (probably is a French loanword to US English), meaning more or less the same thing. And it is said coo-pon. P.S: do you think that will replace “crudité” as the ongoing “cause celebre”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coo-pon-or-queue-pon/581732.md?page=2)