# "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:** 6
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/101 "2006-03-09T03:19:01Z")
In Birmingham/Bloomfield (northern suburbs of Detroit), there is a Lahser Road. No one could agree on how to say Lahser (that “hs” tripped everybody up), so either LAHzer or LASHer are accepted. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/102 "2006-03-09T03:35:30Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > The ships dock at Naw’ fek, {Norfolk} Having been born into a Navy family and having spent a fair amount of time in said town, I always pronounced it NOR-fick. Learned it that way from the rents. Didn’t live in Virginia, though, so there you go. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/103 "2006-03-09T06:39:32Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Naah, I didn’t, did I? Too lazy to go back and check. :smack: Shit, you did too. Mucho apologies dude. > [@](#): > > 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. It’s P’RAN, with a little hesitation after the P (sort of like Mr Burns trying to blow out birthday candles…try it). 😛 Oh, I am pretty damned familiar with most of the pronunciations of the fair suburbs and towns of NSW, like Newcastle and Castle Hill and Nyngan. It’s bloody WA that screws me over every damned time. That state is so UP itself, it ain’t funny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/104 "2006-03-09T07:11:01Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > Not from Illinois: > Cairo: Pronounced - though I cringe to say it - CAY-ro. Not from Egypt: Cairo - pronounced al-QAA-hi-ra in Classical Arabic and il-’AA-h[sup]i[/sup]-rä in Cairene dialect. Not from Cleveland, Ohio: plain DEALer The local pronunciation, a shibboleth to identify outlanders, is PLAIN dealer Moving the stress to the first syllable in a phrase is considered a Southernism in American English. So it’s puzzling to find that in Cleveland, which is as far North as you can get in the USA on that longitude. I think this case may be an archaism rather than a Southernism. I read an article once that only old people still use initial stress on many long words, a holdout from 19th-century diction. Sometime in the 20th century, stress began moving to later syllables, although there are still plenty of polysyllables with intial stress; the shift was only partial. I’m guessing this older feature stayed longer in Southern speech than in the rest of the country, which is why it sounds so Southern to us now. For some reason the initial stress in _Plain Dealer_ must have become fixed at a time when that sort of thing was still current in the North. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/105 "2006-03-09T14:35:04Z")
I’m pretty new to Georgia and the pronunciation of this town cracks me up. Villa Rica is Vill - a Rick (like the name) - a. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/106 "2006-03-09T15:26:16Z")
There’s a town around here called Cockburn. It’s pronounced COH-burn. Brilliant bit of work, really 😃 ---
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/107 "2006-03-09T15:51:06Z")
It’s OR-EEE-GUN. Not Oruh-GONE. I can’t figure out how they get “Gloster” out of _Gloucester_ and “Wooster” out of _Worcester_. I feel pretty safe in saying that if I ever visit that part of the country, I will probably severely butcher a lot of the names because I tend to pronounce something the way it is written. :o ---
**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 9, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/108 "2006-03-09T16:18:34Z")
Just to note that those pronunciations of Cockburn, Gloucester, and Worcester are the traditional English pronunciations. They weren’t invented over here. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/109 "2006-03-09T16:51:17Z")
> [@squeekster](#): > > It’s OR-EEE-GUN. Not Oruh-GONE. The hell it is. If you say it with a loooongggg EEE in the middle, I don’t know where the blazes you’re from, but it sure isn’t Oregon. OR-uh-g’n, at least in the Portland area. Some areas allow for OR-y-gun. But that second syllable should never be drawn out. > [@FlyingRamenMonster](#): > > There’s a town around here called Cockburn. It’s pronounced COH-burn. > > Brilliant bit of work, really Like the Canadian singer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/110 "2006-03-09T17:33:55Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > What, no one from Central Texas posts here? > […]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. See also [Kreuz Market](http://www.kreuzmarket.com/about.shtml), pron. “Kreitz,” as in “Jeezuz Kreitz, that’s some good BBQ.” ---
**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 9, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/111 "2006-03-09T18:24:01Z")
> [@squeekster](#): > > … I can’t figure out how they get “Gloster” out of _Gloucester_ and “Wooster” out of _Worcester_. I feel pretty safe in saying that if I ever visit that part of the country, I will probably severely butcher a lot of the names because I tend to pronounce something the way it is written. :o Those pronunciations make a little more sense if you read the names as Glouce-ster and Worce-ster, rather than Gou-ces-ter and Wor-ces-ter. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/112 "2006-03-09T18:28:51Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Humptulips I used to work at a place where we pretty much dealt with ZIP Codes all day long so we used to run into all kinds of fun names - that was among my favorites. My other favorite is a town (can’t remember where) called Assawoman. ---
**Author:** ![bubble\_pop\_electric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@bubble\_pop\_electric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bubble_pop_electric)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/113 "2006-03-09T21:00:11Z")
Skaneateles, New York. Pronounced skinny-atlas. Why? I wish I knew. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/114 "2006-03-09T23:44:52Z")
Pacific NWer here… I’ve also heard a couple of other doozies… **Fife** , which should be pronounced like the musical instrument, was pronounced Fifi, like the poodle. **Renton** , which is pronounced RENtun, was mangled as REN-TAWN by a Canadian who must have worked as a Galactica bridge officer. And although it isn’t a place name, **geoduck** is always fun to hear people attempt 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/115 "2006-03-10T00:56:09Z")
> [@Doom Slinger](#): > > Those pronunciations make a little more sense if you read the names as Glouce-ster and Worce-ster, rather than Gou-ces-ter and Wor-ces-ter. This is true. However, the etymology of these names breaks down as Glou-cester and Wor-cester. The second element in the names dates from the Roman occupation of Britannia. The original Latin word is _castrum_ ‘armed camp’. So these place names are etymologically related to the Castro in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/116 "2006-03-10T03:52:34Z")
One more from Houston: Fuqua St., pronounced “FYOO-kway”, not “fuck-wa”. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/117 "2006-03-10T05:16:44Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > And although it isn’t a place name, **geoduck** is always fun to hear people attempt 😃 It’s not geo-duck, huh? ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/118 "2006-03-10T05:21:55Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > It’s not geo-duck, huh? Nope. It’s pronounced Goooey-Duck. Nooksack. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/119 "2006-03-10T06:39:48Z")
> [@This space intentionally blank](#): > > There’s a “Versailles” here in KY. Foreigners tend to say it the French way. [/SIZE] If a Frenchman were to ask for directions to Vermont’s capital, they’d get baffled looks from the locals, too. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2006, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424/120 "2006-03-10T12:45:54Z")
To be fair, it’s _spelled_ “goeduck”: > **[Definition of GOEDUCK](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goeduck)** > > … See the full definition [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-to-poo-yallup-youre-new-here-aintcha/347424.md?page=7)