# I just now hear how to pronouce this Zep song title **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538 "2008-04-16T02:01:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/1 "2008-04-16T02:01:01Z")
“D’yer Mak’er” from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy is pronounced [Jamaica](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'yer_Mak'er). As one of my all time favorite groups, I can hardly believe I never knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intravenus_De_Milo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/2 "2008-04-16T03:18:10Z")
Yeah…I think I read that one of the guys in the band exhorted confused people to “say it real fast” in order to get the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/3 "2008-04-16T03:23:34Z")
I have heard DJs on the radio say “Die-er maker.” I wish I could smack them. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/4 "2008-04-16T03:44:22Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I have heard DJs on the radio say “Die-er maker.” I wish I could smack them. [/QUOTE] Oh, c’mon, Argent. I’ve heard this tune for 30ish years, and I really never knew the ‘right’ pronunciation. I always assumed it was some unpronounceable Welsh thing or something. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/5 "2008-04-16T03:50:48Z")
Really? Everyone I know knows that it’s “Jamaica” (or, more properly, ‘did ya make her’ all slurred together.) I’d expect that someone who was a professional radio DJ should know that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/6 "2008-04-16T09:49:26Z")
As Wikipedia says (actually, slightly incorrectly - I had to edit it) - it’s based on a joke: “My wife’s gone to the West Indes” “Jamaica?” “No, she went of her own accord” ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/7 "2008-04-16T10:38:23Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] I always assumed it was some unpronounceable Welsh thing or something. [/QUOTE] That would br **Bron-Yr-Aur** go on give it a go. No Googling. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/8 "2008-04-16T11:50:48Z")
Well, if you listen to the song, the title (sort of) makes sense, as it was one of the first rock tunes to draw on Jamaican reggae. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/9 "2008-04-16T13:43:36Z")
[QUOTE=Small Clanger] That would br **Bron-Yr-Aur** go on give it a go. No Googling. [/QUOTE] I’ve always said “Brom-Yoor” because that’s how the guy who taught me to play it said it. I’m sure that’s totally wrong though. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-now-hear-how-to-pronouce-this-zep-song-title/445538/10 "2008-04-17T01:45:32Z")
A honeymoon couple is riding on the New York subway. As the train passes through Queens, the conductor announces the stop for, “Jamaica!” The groom gets up and punches the conductor. Translation: The groom misunderstood “Jamaica” for “Didja Make Her?”, an American version of the pronunciation in the song title (“D’yer Maker” = “Jamaica”).