# So how do YOU say "David Bowie"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539 "2010-07-04T18:18:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/41 "2010-07-08T20:20:48Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > This reminds me of the recent episode of Dr Who where they meet Vincent van Gogh, which I have only ever heard pronounced “Goh” but who was called “Gof” by the Dr and “Gaghk” (like the Klingon dish) by the museum guy. To give the short answer, the “gh” is the same as the “ch” in “loch,” probably like Klingon. Some Brits use an “f” instead. The “true way”, either in standard dutch or what Vincent might’ve spoken, the answer is more tricky. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/42 "2010-07-08T21:48:00Z")
The Sovereign. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/43 "2010-07-08T21:59:57Z")
I was down south and I heard some funk with some main ingredients like the Doobie Brothers, Blue Magic, David Bowie. It was cool. Cast their vote for “Booie.” ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/44 "2010-07-09T14:58:52Z")
My first thought was “rhymes with snowy”, what a stupid question I’ve never heard anything else, most especially not rhymes with ‘Maui’", but after thinking about it, my boyfriend pronounces it somewhere in between. I’ve always put it down to his (English) accent, as opposed to him actually thinking it should rhyme with “Maui”. The weirder thing is he always refers to him as “Dave” Bowie. Is this a common thing in the UK? I’ve never heard him referred to professionaly as “Dave” and I’m fairly certain the boyfriend isn’t on a first name basis with him. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/45 "2010-07-09T15:21:13Z")
Colin Powell, whose name is pronounced Coe-lynn Pau-ll in the US, has joked at appearances in the UK that over there his name would be pronounced Cah-lin Poe-ll. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/46 "2010-07-09T16:52:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Colin Powell, whose name is pronounced Coe-lynn Pau-ll in the US, has joked at appearances in the UK that over there his name would be pronounced Cah-lin Poe-ll. His own pronunciation of his name is odd by American standards. Americans only pronounce it that way because he wants them to. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/47 "2010-07-09T21:37:26Z")
The story about him changing his name because of Davey Jones the Monkee just can’t be true. He was releasing records under the name Bowie from the beginning of 1966, before the Monkees show had ever been aired & before there were Monkees records. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/48 "2010-07-09T21:59:03Z")
But Davy Jones was already performing on stage and on television before the Monkees existed, so there was scope for confusion. Probably also an Equity rule, but I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/49 "2010-07-09T22:05:15Z")
Davy Jones was a minor celebrity before the **The Monkees** aired. He had been in the London and Broadway productions of _Oliver!_ (and was nominated for a Tony), appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and a few other TV shows, and (barely) cracked the the Billboard 100 as a solo performer. Besides, the casting of **The Monkees** would hardly have been a state secret. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/50 "2010-07-10T04:48:27Z")
He was also afraid of being confused with J’onn J’onnz, the Martian Manhunter. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/51 "2010-07-10T06:31:28Z")
You can’t be sure of pronunciation 'cause he’s English You know how “those” people are. They spell it “B-U-C-K-E-T” but pronounce it “Yes, I can assure you it’s pronounced ‘Boo-Kay’.” Or It’s spelt Raymond Luxury Yach-t, but it’s pronounced “Throatwobbler Mangrove” ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/52 "2010-07-10T17:30:39Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > … > It’s spelt Raymond Luxury Yach-t, but it’s pronounced “Throatwobbler Mangrove” No no, dear chap. “Throatwarbler”, surely? 😃 It’s a pity David Whatsit’s middle name isn’t Cholmondeley or Featherstonehaugh. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/53 "2010-07-10T17:47:59Z")
For a name chosen to avoid confusion with Davy Jones, it has certainly managed to produce enough confusion of its own. Of all the knives in the world … Why not David Dagger, or David Dirk or David Stiletto? David Swiss-Knife-With-Many-Useful-Bits? But NOT, of course, David Sgian Dubh, or I think the S.D.M.B. would have to start again with the pronunciation thing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/54 "2010-07-10T20:23:41Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > His own pronunciation of his name is odd by American standards. Americans only pronounce it that way because he wants them to. Per wiki > [@](#): > > Despite his parents’ pronunciation of his name as /ˈkɑlɪn/, Powell has pronounced his name /ˈkoʊlɪn/ since childhood, after the heroic World War II flyer Colin P. Kelly Jr.[9] Public officials and radio and television reporters have used Powell’s preferred pronunciation. Also, it’s only the Colin part that’s odd by American standards, the Powell part, no American would say Powell as “poe ll” or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/55 "2010-07-10T21:00:46Z")
I pronounce it “coolest guy EVER” ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/56 "2010-07-10T22:12:40Z")
I say “Boh (w)ee” [del]but I know it’s really “Bough wee.”[/del] 😛 For a while I thought it was “Boo ee” like Jim Bowie. Alternatively, “Jones.” 😛 [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkNL9cU6cYo) David seems pretty cool with whatever. Recommends “Evans.” And I went through exactly the same thing as the OP. I suppose “Zowie (rhymes with Maui) Bowie (rhymes with Zoe)” is [like Moon Bloodgood’](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Bloodgood)s name [del](which, as far as I know, is pronounced Mudd Bleurdgewd)[/del] in a small way. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539/57 "2010-07-10T22:18:15Z")
Most frequently Snowy, occasionally Snoowy, never heard Maui ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-say-david-bowie/545539.md?page=2)