# Please don't call it... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883 "2013-08-22T16:13:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/41 "2013-08-22T18:51:09Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Oregonians rightfully object to the dreadful “Or-y-gawn” pronunciation. But for some reason the will insist it’s pronounced “Or-y-gun”. Actually, it’s pronounced “Or-gun” when they aren’t trying to highlight the pronunciation. ‘OR-ih-gun’. I grew up pronouncing ‘Nev-ADD-uh’. Somehow, perhaps from too much exposure to so many people pronouncing it ‘Nev-AH-uh’, I have to make sure I use the correct (former) pronunciation instead of the incorrect (latter) one. ---
**Author:** ![Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dustin\_the\_Wind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dustin_the_Wind)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/42 "2013-08-22T18:59:54Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Talking GPS units make mistakes all the time like that. > > Here’s one that’s unlikely to be known by non-Wisconsinites: “Shawano,” a town in the Menominee Indian Reservation. It’s pronounced “SHAW-no” (one syllable), NOT “shuh-WAH-no” (two syllables). It’s an easy word to use to separate the natives from the tourists. How about Oconomowoc? Or any of the other Indian names, for that matter! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/43 "2013-08-22T19:03:51Z")
Terre Haute, Indiana, is called “Tare Hut” by its locals. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/44 "2013-08-22T19:06:05Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > In another thread, **Strainger** asked that Orange County not be called ‘The OC’. I agree. It’s just ‘OC’. Of course. “_The_ OC” refers to the Oshawa Centre, the mall in Oshawa, as anyone who grew up in Whitby and Oshawa knows. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/45 "2013-08-22T19:20:34Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Huh. I’ve never heard “Sepulveda” pronounced but I would have guessed something like “Sepple-VAY-da”. I guess that’s not it. I see the original Spanish name has an accent on the U, so is it “Suh-POOL-vi-da”? Or an Anglicised “Seh-PUL-vi-da”? I believe se-PUHL-veh-duh would be preferred. Here’s one everyone should know. Milwaukee = mo-WALK-ee. The “l” is silent and the “i” is “o”. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/46 "2013-08-22T19:26:32Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Russiaville, Indiana, is pronounced “Rushville” by it’s locals. There is an actual Rushville, Indiana. I always thought the locals pronounced Russiaville “ROO-shaville” (instead of RUSH-sha-ville), avoiding the “uh” sound found in both “rush” and the usual pronunciation of “Russia.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/47 "2013-08-22T19:27:27Z")
In Texas “Houston” is pronounced “HEWS-tun”, in Georgia it’s “HOWS-tun”. In California “Concord” is pronounced “CON-kerd”, most everywhere in the South it’s “con-CORD”. Also, the GA county “Talliaferro” is pronounced “TELL-fare”. I cringe when I hear “the” in front of an interstate number. I do, however, put in the “I” so you’ll know I’m talking about Interstate 20 as opposed to state highway 20 or county road 20. You may get quite lost if I told you to “take 20 to 20 to 20”. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/48 "2013-08-22T19:27:52Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by **Johnny L.A.** Nobody calls L.A. by its full name of ‘El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula’. Everyone calls it L.A. Ah, yes! The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the River of Porziuncola. The Japanese refer to it as Rosu-Ahnjyures and, since even that is difficult, shorted in to “Rosu” Its northwestern neighbor has a horribly long name as well. Wikipedia says it was named after Saint Bonaventure, but local place-name publications list it as The City of the Fine View of the Mountains of Saint Gabrielle – La Ciudad de la buenaventura de los montañas de San Gabriel. This was shortened to Buenaventura, Buena Ventura, and now most people just call it Ventura. I guess the view isn’t so fine any more, what with all the smog obscuring things…:mad: Back in the 1970’s \*The 405 \*was called the Ventura bypass. It tried to skirt around L.A. (which has now outflanked it) and ends in San Fernando (which is technically L.A. but Ventura’s Simi Valley is just a canon-shot away. Then it became the Ventura Highway and the group America wrote a nostalgic song about it. Now-a-days it’s essentially a long parking lot with small businesses packed tightly on either side. ☹ —G! \*It doesn’t get an _I-_ because it was never intended to cross state lines. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/49 "2013-08-22T19:28:54Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Huh. I’ve never heard “Sepulveda” pronounced but I would have guessed something like “Sepple-VAY-da”. I guess that’s not it. I see the original Spanish name has an accent on the U, so is it “Suh-POOL-vi-da”? Or an Anglicised “Seh-PUL-vi-da”? [Here you go](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-DGzykx3Hc)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/50 "2013-08-22T19:32:21Z")
> [@Grestarian](#): > > Back in the 1970’s \*The 405 \*was called the Ventura bypass. It’s also called **the** San Diego Freeway – even though the 405 doesn’t actually reach San Diego by a long shot. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/51 "2013-08-22T19:33:35Z")
> [@SpeedwayRyan](#): > > There is an actual Rushville, Indiana. > > I always thought the locals pronounced Russiaville “ROO-shaville” (instead of RUSH-sha-ville), avoiding the “uh” sound found in both “rush” and the usual pronunciation of “Russia.” My source was my Dad who worked there for a few years in the 1960’s. Obviously, it may have changed, or he may have misheard. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/52 "2013-08-22T19:37:09Z")
As someone from Hawaii, please don’t call it anything. Just point at your map or printed street address and we’ll go from there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/53 "2013-08-22T19:40:40Z")
> [@Geek\_Mecha](#): > > As someone from Hawaii, please don’t call it anything. Just point at your map or printed street address and we’ll go from there. ‘Is it “Ha-wa-ee”, or “Ha-va-ee”?’ ‘Ha-va-ee.’ 'Thank you. ‘You’re velcome.’ ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/54 "2013-08-22T19:44:35Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > You don’t pronounce the S in Illinois. And in Bourbonnais, Illinois you pronounce the first s, but not the second s. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/55 "2013-08-22T19:48:31Z")
Don’t call it Washington… if you do everyone will know you’re a tourist. It’s DC. If you live in the suburbs it’s either downtown or the city. ---
**Author:** ![LMarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@LMarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LMarie)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/56 "2013-08-22T20:21:52Z")
Wilshire is Wil-shur, not Wil-shier. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/57 "2013-08-22T20:28:43Z")
Okay, tell me again: SKY-kill? SHY-kill? SCHOOL-kill? (Seriously?) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/58 "2013-08-22T21:16:31Z")
The only person ever allowed to call it “St. Louie” was Judy Garland, and only when she sang. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/59 "2013-08-22T22:54:41Z")
I don’t hear this anymore, but this Trekkie back in the '70s flinched at his favorite show being called, “Star TRACK.” ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883/60 "2013-08-22T23:23:14Z")
> [@romadea](#): > > I assumed it was an Arrested Development reference. You assumed correctly. George Bluth: I’m a patsy. I was set up by the Brits. A group of British builders operating outside the O.C. Michael Bluth: Don’t call it that… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-dont-call-it/666883.md?page=4)