# Quick pronunciation query. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407 "2007-12-01T01:52:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/1 "2007-12-01T01:52:04Z")
Gloucester, the cheese. m-w says gloster, as in foster. Is that right? This is important. 😉 Thanks. BTW; is there a better pronunciation guide than m-w available? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/2 "2007-12-01T02:41:08Z")
That’s how I’ve always heard it. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/3 "2007-12-01T02:48:59Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] That’s how I’ve always heard it. [/QUOTE] Thanks. That’s all I needed to know. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/4 "2007-12-01T04:59:57Z")
Are you in a cheese limerick competition? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/5 "2007-12-01T05:09:17Z")
[QUOTE=J Cubed] Are you in a cheese limerick competition? [/QUOTE] 😃 No. I had to say “gloster” to someone. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/6 "2007-12-01T05:41:20Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] Gloucester, the cheese. m-w says gloster, as in foster. Is that right? This is important. 😉 Thanks. BTW; is there a better pronunciation guide than m-w available? [/QUOTE] U.K. person here - yes, your M-W is right. Of course when I was very young, it took the little nursery rhyme to teach me the pronunciation. Or at least to send me to ask my parents why it “didn’t rhyme” > [@](#): > > Doctor Foster went to Gloucester > > In a shower of rain, > > He stepped in a puddle, > > Right up to his middle, > > And never went there again. Ah, inspired literature. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/7 "2007-12-01T15:40:14Z")
[QUOTE=Celyn] U.K. person here - yes, your M-W is right. Of course when I was very young, it took the little nursery rhyme to teach me the pronunciation. Or at least to send me to ask my parents why it “didn’t rhyme” Ah, inspired literature. 😃 [/QUOTE] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/8 "2007-12-01T15:52:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Doctor Foster went to Gloucester > In a shower of rain, > He stepped in a puddle, > Right up to his middle, > And never went there again. Just please don’t tell me that “puddle” and “middle” are supposed to rhyme! ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/9 "2007-12-01T16:15:33Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Just please don’t tell me that “puddle” and “middle” are supposed to rhyme! [/QUOTE] Only in New Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/10 "2007-12-01T16:18:07Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] No. I had to say “gloster” to someone. [/QUOTE] This is the received pronunciation but some of the locals in my vicinity articulate the word as ‘Glahster’. If you ever visit this wonderful county that’s worth remembering. In the meantime you can impress your friends with your mastery of our local dialect. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/11 "2007-12-01T17:08:56Z")
[QUOTE=Chez Guevara] This is the received pronunciation but some of the locals in my vicinity articulate the word as ‘Glahster’. If you ever visit this wonderful county that’s worth remembering. In the meantime you can impress your friends with your mastery of our local dialect. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Ah, from the horses mouth. 😉 So, how does one add the “shire” part? ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/12 "2007-12-01T17:13:46Z")
Or if he’s ever in Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/13 "2007-12-01T17:44:33Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] So, how does one add the “shire” part? [/QUOTE] Well, it’s normally either ‘Glostersher’ or ‘Glahstershur’ but the final ‘r’ tends not to be pronounced in the case of the former. Incidentally I’ve been campaigning for ‘Glosterchez’ for years but my arguments in favour have thus far failed to persuade. ---
**Author:** ![adirondack\_mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@adirondack\_mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adirondack_mike)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/14 "2007-12-01T17:47:48Z")
[QUOTE=cckerberos] Or if he’s ever in Massachusetts. [/QUOTE] Where the final syllable in Gloucester rhymes with the last of Worcester. If you ask for directions to Peabody and someone tells you it is next to Sherman, you pronounced something wrong. There’s more, but that’s it for now. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/15 "2007-12-01T18:42:06Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Just please don’t tell me that “puddle” and “middle” are supposed to rhyme! [/QUOTE] Before it was bowdlerised by the Victorians they did: “He stepped in some piddle, right up to his middle.” ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/16 "2007-12-02T01:04:35Z")
[QUOTE=adirondack\_mike] Where the final syllable in Gloucester rhymes with the last of Worcester. If you ask for directions to Peabody and someone tells you it is next to Sherman, you pronounced something wrong. There’s more, but that’s it for now. [/QUOTE] Pibiddy, right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/17 "2007-12-02T15:54:58Z")
[QUOTE=adirondack\_mike] If you ask for directions to Peabody and someone tells you it is next to Sherman, you pronounced something wrong. There’s more, but that’s it for now. [/QUOTE] Ah, Sherman and I go way back. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/18 "2007-12-02T16:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=iwakura43] Ah, Sherman and I go way back. [/QUOTE] I think you mean WABAC, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/19 "2007-12-02T17:45:55Z")
[QUOTE=cckerberos] Or if he’s ever in Massachusetts. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but if Worcester is “Wooster”, why isn’t Goucester “Glooster”? The mysteries of life. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407/20 "2007-12-02T18:05:06Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] Yeah, but if Worcester is “Wooster”, why isn’t Goucester “Glooster”? The mysteries of life. [/QUOTE] 😕 They aren’t misspelled the same, why would they be mispronounced the same? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pronunciation-query/428407.md?page=2)