# "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:** 5
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/81 "2006-03-08T19:51:36Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > AKA, the common mispronunciations of place names and other local features that identify somebody as a visitor or recent transplant. > > The word in the thread title is the classic for Pacific Northwesterners. “Puyallup” is correctly pronounced “pyoo-AL-up.” People who have never tried to say it before mangle the word in all sorts of amusing ways. Damn, that takes me back. I was even at the fair in the late-70’s watching Bill Cosby doing a routine on how he couldn’t pronounce the place. And we had a fast-food burger chain that he’d never heard of. > [@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. No way, dude. Humptulips ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/82 "2006-03-08T19:52:46Z")
You forgot Muswellbrook (Muswell sounds like Muzzle) and Canowindra (like Can-_ound_-ra) there **Loaded.** We of course have Prahran here in Melbin. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/83 "2006-03-08T20:24:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Anyone unfamiliar with Spanish stand out around here. They want to know how to get to Supple-veeda Blvd. or Pick-o Blvd. Don’t forget La Cienega, pronounced “La see-YEN-neg-uh.” My friend laughed hysterically when I came to visit her in LA and told her I was on “la see-yen-NAY-ga.” Others already mentioned the big local ones from my area: Vallejo, Frisco, San Pablo–and I do say “San Paaaablo” and never thought twice about it until I started dating my boyfriend, who’s from the Midwest and cringes whenever I say it. Hey, if we were going to be speaking correct Spanish all the time, we’d be saying “Los AN-he-les” instead of “Laws AN-juh-lus.” From my boyfriend’s neck of the country, there are towns like Cape Girardeau (accent on the “rar”), the aforementioned Cairo (CAY-ro), and New Madrid (New MAD-rid). ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/84 "2006-03-08T20:35:26Z")
If you’re from the Kanawha valley in West Virginia, you know that the correct pronunciation is not “kan - AH - wa” but “ki - NAW”. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/85 "2006-03-08T21:01:08Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > You forgot Muswellbrook (Muswell sounds like Muzzle) Acksherly, it’s “MUSCLE-brook” (no ‘z’ sound) > [@](#): > > and Canowindra (like Can-_ound_-ra) there **Loaded.** Naah, I didn’t, did I? Too lazy to go back and check. Anyway, the honest burghers of said town are REALLY anal about it, too. They go ballistic if you mess it up. > [@](#): > > We of course have Prahran here in Melbin. 😉 I’m _still_ unsure how to pronounce that, as I’ve even heard Melburnians give different versions. It’s _pran_, isn’t it? That’s what I stick with. Then again, you guys are a bunch of weirdos. 😃 You come up to NSW and say New-_CASSLE_, American-style. It’s New-_CAH_-sle, dear. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/86 "2006-03-08T21:07:02Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > 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 Yeah, the name of the guy, Gen. Mariano Vallejo should be pronounced as “vay-eh-ho”, but the city/street is pronounced half English/half Spanish. There’s no way you could know how to pronounce it just by looking at it. Another Bay Area shibboleth is San Rafael. It’s pronounced San Ru-FELL. I think I was about twenty-two years old (and had taken Spanish for years and years) when I realized this was a bizarre pronounciation. In LA, there’s a street called Los Feliz, pronounced Los FEE-liz. Nice. In Chicago, I initially prounounced both Devon (di-VON) and Paulina (paw-LIE-na) Avenues incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/87 "2006-03-08T21:10:34Z")
> [@wayward](#): > > Ex_actly_. I swear they do it just to piss me off. Actually, you’re correct there, in a way. _Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch_ apparently isn’t a traditional Welsh placename at all, but is only about a hundred years old. It was concocted by the railway company for the station name as an early form of tourism gimmick. You might be able to help me with something else. The town of Lithgow, west of Sydney is a coal mining town, and not surprisingly has some historical Welsh connections. There is an area in it called the Vale of Clwydd. Now the locals call this the Vale of _CLUE-id_, but I’m pretty sure they’re butchering it. Isn’t the Welsh one pronounced _Cleyth_ or something weird like that? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/88 "2006-03-08T21:25:12Z")
Ohio: Lima: It’s [laI m@] (LIE ma) not [li ma] (LEE ma) Delhi: It’s [dEl haI] (DELL high) not [dE li] (deli) Bellefontaine: It’s [bEl faUn n] (bell FOUNtain) not [bEl fAn tEIn] (bell fon TAIN) Russia: It’s [ru S@] (ROO sha) not [rVS j@] (RUSH ya) Versailles: It’s [v@r sEIlz] (ver SAILS) not [ver saI] (vair SIGH) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/89 "2006-03-08T21:34:35Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > There is an area in it called the Vale of Clwydd. Now the locals call this the Vale of _CLUE-id_, but I’m pretty sure they’re butchering it. Isn’t the Welsh one pronounced _Cleyth_ or something weird like that? From what little I know of Welsh pronunciation, the locals are close, but not quite there. It should be CLOO-ith (voiced “th” as in “breathe”) if they were trying to approximate genuine Welsh. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/90 "2006-03-08T21:45:22Z")
Two streets in Houston: San Felipe - San FILL-uh-pee Kuykendahl - KIRK-en-doll A town is SE Texas: Refugio - Re-FUR-i-o (“fur” is said like “your”) ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/91 "2006-03-08T21:50:39Z")
> [@Vlad/Igor](#): > > You grew up in St. Andrews, right? HA! I wish. But it was nearby. I’m from Utopia/Pennfield (We lived on the border of Utopia, then they changed the name, then we were Utopia, address was still Pennfield, then it was Utopia, now it’s Pennfield again… but if you’re a local, I’d say I was from Utopia and everyone would know what road I was talking about). ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/92 "2006-03-08T21:53:45Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > The ships dock at Naw’ fek, {Norfolk}, no matter what the navy says. Hmmm … when I was there it was NO-FUK. I won’t mention how ‘Virginia’ was pronounced. Anyhow, someone upthread mentioned a few from around Central Texas. But I wanted to say that pronounciation is not the primary way we screw with yankees here. Around these parts, we like to refer to a particular road or street in a way not reflected in the signage for that particular throughway. For example, your map may say “Loop 1”, but if you ask someone, they are going to refer it it as “Mopac”. (and BTW, Loop 1 doesn’t loop, not even close). Your map might designate a road as “Capital of Texas Highway”, we call it “Loop 360” (doesn’t loop either). Also, just because a street is called something in one block, that don’t mean that it has the same name in the next. For example, we have a Highway 290 which becomes Koeing, which becomes Allandale, which becomes Northland, which becomes FM2222. ---
**Author:** ![Yeeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/96bed5/32.png) [@Yeeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeeter)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/93 "2006-03-08T22:32:46Z")
**FilmGeek** could you please pronounce Ousdahl for me? When I was in Lawrence, I heard anything from ooze-doll, to Ozdale. Not exactly in the spirit of the thread, but in Missouri Nevada is Nuh-VAY-duh and Versailles is Ver-sales. It’s kinda like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. ---
**Author:** ![Doom\_Slinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Doom\_Slinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doom_Slinger)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/94 "2006-03-08T22:43:58Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Humptulips Now, is that Hump-Tulips or Hump-Two-Lips? 😃 Another one from the linguistic land of confusion that is Louisiana: Nachitoches. That’s NACK-uh-dish. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/95 "2006-03-08T23:04:47Z")
Even though I have never been to California, I know this one: San “PEE-drow” not San “PAY-drow”. Or, I think that is right, atleast. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/96 "2006-03-08T23:08:30Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. > . Good ones, all. We native South Austinites can usually tell transplanted Northsiders (you know, came to Austin from California and have lived there for a few years, never dips south of Riverside Drive, shops only at Central Market and Whole Foods on Sixth)or fur’ners by the Manchaca Road thing. Don’t forget Burnet, durn it. And one of my faves: Niederwald! Boston is a whole 'nuthin world. Scituate? “Sitchoowait.” Billerica? “Bill-ricka.” And nobody, I mean nobody, ever calls it “Beantown.” Occasionally the Hub, but never “Beantown.” Even the sportscasters who use it in jest get dirty looks. Most fun I had with a Massachusetts place name - the town where Emeril Lagasse hails from, on Route 27, I think. The signs say “Fall River” but everyone calls it “Faw Wivva!” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/97 "2006-03-08T23:19:12Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Cuyahoga County (and River): > > Natives pronounce it Ky-a-HOG-a, visitors pronounce it Ky-a-HAWG-a, except for some natives who pronounce it Ky-a-HAWG-a, and some visitors who pronounce it Ky-a-HOG-a. I found the pronunciation differs depending on what side of the river you live on. Here on the East Side, Kuy-uh-HO-guh is the preferred pronounciation. Most West Siders I know say Kuy-uh-HAWG-uh The pronunciation of one of Buffalo’s suburbs, Cheektowaga, also varies in the region. Most say “Cheek-toe-WAH-guh.” Those living there say “Chick-uh-tuh-WAH-guh” or, in some cases, “Chick-uh-tuh-VAH-guh.” ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/98 "2006-03-09T00:23:31Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Here in NY’s Capital District, the clearest shibboleth\*is Rensselaer. It’s pronounced “Rens-lur,” not “Rens-sel-LEER.” > > Even better, though more obscure, is Valatie. Only a native knows it’s pronounced “Vuh-LAY-shuh,” as though it ends with an “a.” > > Cohoes also is confusing: the stress is on the second syllable: Cuh-HOES. (Not CO-hoes.) > > It’s also fun to hear phone solicitors trying to pronounce Schenectady. (Hint: replace the “ch” with a “k”.) I’ve also been amused by people pronouncing Worcester, MA (Wooster). > > \*The technical term for what we’re talking about. Hey, you forgot Coxsackie. It is “Cook-sockie.” It gets some pretty interesting pronouncations, as you can imagine. 😃 Here in AZ the Spanish names get some odd treatmentgs by newbies. There’s a story about two guys driving to Gila Bend, and they argued all the way as to whether it was “Hila” (correct) or “Gila.” When they got to town, they pulled into a gas station and decided to settle it by asking the attendant. When he came to the car, the driver asked, “Say, how do you pronounce this place, anyhow?” The guy look at him strangely for a minute, and slowly said, “TEX-A-CO.” ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/99 "2006-03-09T01:04:45Z")
> [@This space intentionally blank](#): > > There’s a “Versailles” here in KY. Foreigners tend to say it the French way. Wrong! It’s “Ver-SALES.” Since the local TV news talking heads are not locals, they’ll often say it wrong, causing everyone I know to laugh hysterically. 😃 > > And I know about the French city’s pronunciation! And yet, right outside of VerSALES is a distillery pronounced “LaBROE and Graham”. Why don’t the natives call it “LaBROT?” That’s how it’s spelled. We also have AY-thnz (Athens) and YOE zi mite (Yosemite). I’m originally an East Side Clevelander and agree that it’s Kuy eh HO guh. I thought that the Portland Oregon locals pronounced the river Will AMM it. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/100 "2006-03-09T02:24:33Z")
> [@LunaV](#): > > More Massachusetts here… > > **Worcester** : Wooster, Woostah, or Wister are all acceptable. War-chest-er is not. > **Athol** : Ath-all, not At-hol > **Leominster** : Lemon-ster, not Lee-oh-minster > > All I can think of for now. I heard a new one last week. Apparently a transplant weather gal was giving the forcast for Meth-un. :rolleyes: Methuen has three syallables, not two. Haverhill: Hav-rill Portsmouth: Ports-mith Plymouth: plim-ith Coos: Co-os (co as in co-ed) Calef: Kay-lif Raynham: Rain-um Fall River: Fall Riva Weare: Ware Wolfeboro: Wolf-burro Fall River is a city, for the record. I wish I could remember some of the more eye-raising manglings of various lakes and rivers in NH (with names like Pemigewasset, Ashuelot, and Nubanusit they beg to be mangled)… my hall director sophomore year was famous for it. Chocorua was an entertaining attempt. Even I’m not exactly sure how Ammonoosuc River is pronouced, but I take it to be phonetic am-mono-suck (or maybe sick). I think that’s what trips people up - they see something like Souhegan and Pemigewasset and don’t realize you can pretty much sound them out: sow-he-gan; pemme-gee-wah-sset. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=6)