Pronunciation of "St. John"

[Fromage_A_Trois]

@Pushkin

Or in the UK, Harry Enfield’s Mr Cholmondeley Warner, warning women to know their place.

Next Week: Exercising Your Conjugal Rights

[Acsenray]

Here’s another:

Mainwaring = Mannering

[RickJay]

@Bookkeeper

For what it’s worth, I’ve always understood the capital of Newfoundland, St. John’s, to be pronounced “sinjahns” (although I haven’t lived there since I was 5, so YMMV).

My newfie co-workers say “Saint Johns.” “Sinjahns” could be a reasonable approximation, though, if you were to hear it spoken by someone with a really heavy Newfie accent.

[Throatwarbler_Mangrove]

I would like to point out that St. John, New Brunswick, aka The Fundy City, will generally be pronounced in the French manner.

[Northern_Piper]

@acsenray

@Lissa

A local told me that Sault Ste. Marie is pronounced “Soo Set Marie.” I’m still shaking my head over that one.

I assume the pronunciation is Anglicised from the French, which would be something like “Sew San Marie.”

I don’t think so, for two reasons. First, the “t” in the feminine of “sainte” is pronunced in French. Second, even if the “t” is elided, the combination of a final, nasal “n” followed immediately by an “m” is hard for anglos.

It’s the “n” sound that is sometimes dropped, when “sainte” and “marie” are run together, leaving the “t” in, to break up the slurred “saint”: “Soo set-marie”. (Which is not how everyone says it. I’ve also heard it pronounced with “saint” but I don’t think that’s as common - more “CBC announcer-like.”)