# "How do I get to Poo-yallup?" - "You're new here, ain'tcha?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424 "2006-03-07T20:43:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/61 "2006-03-08T05:13:53Z")
> [@Suburban Plankton](#): > > San Francisco is a city in California. “Frisco” is a city in Texas. Nobody in the Bay Area calls it “Frisco”. How could they? Emperor Norton forbade it. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/62 "2006-03-08T05:16:00Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > And Avenue Road always throws people off. One business visitor asked what that was all about–he said it was like having a thoroughfare named “Street Boulevard.” Well, hey, that’s Tronna. There’s a “Street Road” near Philadelphia, in Bensalem. ---
**Author:** ![Waterman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Waterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waterman)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/63 "2006-03-08T05:20:14Z")
> [@Doom Slinger](#): > > … In my experience, anyone who pronounces New Orleans as “New Or-Lee-Uns” or “New or-LEENS” can be assumed, with close to 100% accuracy, to be from somewhere other than south Louisiana. Locals tend to say the name like “New Orlins,” “Norlins,” or “Nawlins.” Also, Lafayette is “LAF-fee-et”, not “LAH-fee-et.” Speaking of which, when I lived in Red Stick for 7 months I was repeatedly corrected everytime I said “Lo-eeze-i-ana” instead of “Looze-i-ana” (pardon my lack of proper pronunciation marks)!. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/64 "2006-03-08T05:22:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Anyone unfamiliar with Spanish stand out around here. They want to know how to get to Supple-veeda Blvd. or Pick-o Blvd. > > Oh, and it’s pronounced You- **ki** -pa. Not what you said. California is a funny place for this, though. In some instances knowing Spanish actually causes a newbie to pronounce the name incorrectly. For example, i remember on my first visit to San Francisco i saw Vallejo Street. Wanting to make clear that i wasn’t some ignoramus, i pronounced it: Vay-EH-ho Only to be told by the locals that everyone calls it: Val-AY-o ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/65 "2006-03-08T05:23:47Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Vay-EH-ho Guess i should have spelled that: Vy-EH-ho. Anyway, you get the picture. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/66 "2006-03-08T05:29:43Z")
What, no one from Central Texas posts here? The city of Llano is pronounced “LA-no” Just as sensibly, the city of Elgin sounds like “el-gun” when spoken. Also Manor is pronounced like “Maynard”, without the d at the end. Manchaca, both the city south of Austin and the road that leads to it, are probnounced “MAN-SCHACK.” Note that both syllables are stressed and it’s a tossup as to whether the ch is pronounced as a ‘ch’ or an ‘sh.’ Someone once mentioned to me that this originated as a Czech pronounciation of the Spanish/Mexican family name. It’s plausible, especially given the number of Czech and German people who settled this area, but the person that said it may have been drinking at the time. The Guadalupe River, said “GUAD-uh-LOOP.” My apologies to Jesus’ mother and everyone who has a drop of Mexican blood, but that’s the river’s name, no matter if it was named after the Virgin of Guadalupe. New Braunfels, which the Guadaloop runs through, is pronounced “New BRON-fuls” The Pedernales River is the “Purduh-NAL-is” when spoken. Yes, it has three syllables, no matter how it may read. Koenig Lane (in Austin) is pronounced “Kay-nig”, and the city of Boerne is pronounced “BUR-nee.” Actually, these are pretty good approximations to the original German pronounciations. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/67 "2006-03-08T05:37:10Z")
Most of the ones I know are already listed, but I’ll add that there’s a street in Midtown Memphis called “McLean,” which is pronounced “Mc-LAIN.” ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/68 "2006-03-08T05:48:03Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > In Sacramento, Goethe park is “Gate-y Park”, but Don Julio Drive can be pronounced however the hell you feel like it. Just for the record, most people pronounce it “Don Joo-lee-o” We also have Seamus Avenue, pronounced “see-muss” ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/69 "2006-03-08T06:11:53Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > **Cervaise** don’t forget Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Kalamath, Skagit, and the favorite of home brewers Willamette. > My favorite of the area though is Nooksack. Nooksack. It’s fun to say. Nooksack. > > Nooksack. …and Issaquah, the sound-it-out-slowly town name. Interloper:Iss-ACK-quh, or worse, ICE-ACK-QUH Instater: ISSS-suh-quah Resident: IZZ-zuh-quah Nooksack ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/70 "2006-03-08T08:28:57Z")
Well, there are no natives left where I live, other than me and a half dozen or so old farts. So, allow me to point out that you guppies never did figure out that back when they were small towns, instead of suburban intersections the following were pronounced: Muh-clain’, not Mac’ lain {McLean} A’ mus vil, not A miss’ vil. {Amissville} Cat harp’ in, not Ca- thar’ pen. {Catharpin} However, most of those places are not even places anymore. Like Skunk Holler, which has been Annandale now for so long that even the skunks don’t remember it. Further west we have Stan’ ten, rather than Stawn’ tun. {Staunton} And Beautetort is pronounced bot’ e tot, and I don’t want to try to spell the attempts. Ro’ noke {Roanoke} only has two syllables. The ships dock at Naw’ fek, {Norfolk}, no matter what the navy says. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/71 "2006-03-08T10:12:05Z")
Damn. I got Albany wrong. It’s awl-BIN-ny. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/72 "2006-03-08T10:33:06Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > That’s similar ot how we pronounce the “t??n” construction in Central PA (West Central…Altoona area), too. Moun’n, for mountain, especially. Yep… my hometown in North Jersey was near Boonton (Booh’n, as best as I can get it down) and Moun’n Lakes. Moun’n, we all knew we were mispronouncing, but Booh’n was more or less official. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/73 "2006-03-08T16:05:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Here in NY’s Capital District, the clearest shibboleth\*is Rensselaer. It’s pronounced “Rens-lur,” not “Rens-sel-LEER.” IME, the “Rens-lur” pronunciation was most used for the town, but “Rens-sel-LEER” was used for the school. (When not just saying “RPI”, of course.) And then there’s Accord, which was pronounced AK-erd. In central NJ, there’s a town named “New Egypt”, which is naturally pronounced “New Egyp”. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/74 "2006-03-08T17:12:08Z")
Kircudbright pronounced Kikoobree. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/75 "2006-03-08T17:13:47Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > Kircudbright pronounced Kikoobree. Make that Kirkcudbright (sp) ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/76 "2006-03-08T17:14:14Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Not from Illinois: > Cairo: Pronounced - though I cringe to say it - CAY-ro. > DesPlaines, DuPage, Armitage: To sound like you’re from here - not so hard in this instance, admittedly - don’t say them with the proper French pronunciation, Americanize them. I once heard a conductor on the Chicago & Northwestern (What’s it called now? Metra?) annouce Deh Plahn. Was this his first run on his first day in Illinois? Who knows? I just got off the train at Dess Playns and went home. Out here, there was a BART operator that mangled Martinez (mar TEE nez) as Mar Tin EZZ. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/77 "2006-03-08T17:30:02Z")
A lot of these examples are of Native American or foreign origin and were named when a much larger percentage of our population was illiterate, or near to it. So, not pronouncing something wrong is wrong. Only in America… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/78 "2006-03-08T17:57:52Z")
> [@Anastasaeon](#): > > Names people trip over back in my homeland: Digdeguash, Pocologan, Mirimichi, Piskahegan, Magaguadavic, Manawagonish, You grew up in St. Andrews, right? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/79 "2006-03-08T18:05:15Z")
When they leave the hey outta Mexia. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/80 "2006-03-08T19:07:45Z")
A Seattle newsman reported a tornado in Ankeny, Iowa. He pronounced it Ann Kenny. (It’s ANK-uh-nee.) It was funny, because I’ve heard so many Washington State names pronounced wrong by Iowa news guys. Driving with sister-in-law, watching road signs, when she says “There’s the sign for Wa-CHEE-ta”. Wa-CHEE-ta? I looked up at the sign. Wichita. My hairdresser tells me that Melbourne is “Melbin”. She married an Aussie. Or is it Ozzie? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=5)