# Is there an absolute, 100%, authoritative final word on the pronunciation of the game "Galaga"? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766 "2012-02-13T23:41:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/21 "2012-02-14T21:43:34Z")
[YouTube video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKzx1mBV2PU) of Reactor gameplay, including the theme music. Doesn’t really do it justice, as you can’t feel the thumping beat from the subwoofer (or whatever it was) they put inside the game cabinet. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/22 "2012-02-14T23:42:06Z")
Gal ah gah is how aussies do it, well the ones who hung out at the Ringwood Bowling alleys in the 1980’s did! ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/23 "2012-02-15T02:32:09Z")
like you’re saying gallagher with a bad boston accent. ---
**Author:** ![dzray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@dzray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzray)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/24 "2012-02-16T21:29:03Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Whereas “Sinistar” was pronounced “Fu-kin-im-pos-ible” or more properly…“arghh! bastard! bastard! bastard! piece of shit! bastard twatting shit!” I Hunger… run run RUN RUN!!! ---
**Author:** ![Reebevoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@Reebevoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reebevoli)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/25 "2012-02-17T11:52:23Z")
Had a similar ongoing argument with a friend, he swore blind that Gyruss was pronounced ‘Guy-russ’ . Even after me pointing out that the name most likely comes from ‘gyroscope’. Still remember that after 30 years. On a side note, I always wondered how Gorf knew I had a coin in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Reebevoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@Reebevoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reebevoli)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/26 "2012-02-17T12:02:28Z")
> [@Reebevoli](#): > > Had a similar ongoing argument with a friend, he swore blind that Gyruss was pronounced ‘Guy-russ’ . Even after me pointing out that the name most likely comes from ‘gyroscope’. Still remember that after 30 years. > > On a side note, I always wondered how Gorf knew I had a coin in my pocket. Oops, I meant Berzerk. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/27 "2012-02-17T13:28:29Z")
This seems a good place to ask - what was the name of the 3-D isometric game where you flew a ship under and over force fields and shot ICBMs and fuel tanks? Would have been out in the early 80’s. Never mind, I googled that for me and found Zaxxon. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/28 "2012-02-17T13:39:48Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > Never mind, I googled that for me and found Zaxxon. Ah. I was going to say _Scramble_. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/29 "2012-02-17T14:40:55Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> the Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/30 "2012-02-17T18:33:49Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > This seems a good place to ask - what was the name of the 3-D isometric game where you flew a ship under and over force fields and shot ICBMs and fuel tanks? Would have been out in the early 80’s. > > Never mind, I googled that for me and found Zaxxon. That was a fun one. I had it for DOS in beautiful 4-plus-color CGA graphics glory. Lots of pink and pastel blue, although I think it had other color modes. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/31 "2012-02-17T20:21:31Z")
West coaster, and, for some reason, I always pronounced it, “Guh-LAG-uh”. (Except for the times I called it “Meteor Madness,” when it appeared under that name for some reason on an episode of _Fame_.) ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/32 "2012-02-17T21:31:31Z")
Please, everyone knows it’s pronounced gay-lay-gay. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/33 "2012-02-17T21:49:34Z")
> [@Reebevoli](#): > > Oops, I meant Berzerk. Ah, Berzerk. The game that–in 1980— left me wandering out of a mall arcade dazed, sweating, missing the hard-earned $20 I’d walked in with, and evermore incapable of properly spelling the word “berserk” on the first attempt. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/34 "2012-02-17T21:58:39Z")
I, uh, always pronounced it “Guy Russ”. How is it supposed to be pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/35 "2012-02-17T22:34:58Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > An old supervisor of mine pronounced it “Gallagher,” but he was from England. I’m pretty sure that’s why GALuhguh sounds more like it’s English. Well, that and the first syllable is longer in the Japanese as well (as it’s two syllables there). BTW, would people please indicate the stress of the word? Galahgah and and Galuhguh don’t necessarily sound that different. It’s the stress that changes the word. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/36 "2012-02-17T22:58:20Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Well, that and the first syllable is longer in the Japanese as well (as it’s two syllables there). No, it’s not. The difference between the pronunciations is the ‘l’ is attached to the second syllable, not the first. The difference is between Gal a and Gya ra, not Gal and Gyaru. (Which is how ‘Gal’ is transliterated into Japanese.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766/37 "2012-02-17T23:20:10Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I, uh, always pronounced it “Guy Russ”. How is it supposed to be pronounced? I’m only familiar with it being pronounced with a soft “g”, as in “gyroscope.” So, JIE-ruhss. I’m not sure if that’s the intended pronunciation, but that’s the one I’ve always heard. Now Ninja GAY-den/GUY-den there was never any consensus on here in popular usage, although the former (and incorrect one) was probably slightly more popular. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-absolute-100-authoritative-final-word-on-the-pronunciation-of-the-game-galaga/612766.md?page=1)