# The way Marge Simpson says 'vacation'...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 25, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937 "2004-01-25T02:29:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/1 "2004-01-25T02:29:20Z")
Does this annoy anyone else? She says it with the first ‘a’ short instead of long, sort of ‘vuh-ca-shun’. Is this a regional pronunciation? Webster online doesn’t list it. Do I have too much free time…
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/2 "2004-01-25T02:55:00Z")
No, I don’t find it annoying. I do find it unusual, but I’m kinda staggered that of all the things in the world, you picked that one to be annoyed by. 😛 Since we don’t know what region Springfield is in, it might be hard to pinpoint a regional pronunciation.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/3 "2004-01-25T03:00:13Z")
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it annoys me, but it does jump out at me, and I can’t think of anyone else who pronounces it that way (with a schwa in the first syllable). I’ve just assumed it was a personal quirk, though I’ve wondered whether it was Marge’s quirk or Julie Kavner’s (the actress who does Marge’s voice).
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### Author:  [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/4 "2004-01-25T08:25:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> No, I don’t find it annoying. I do find it unusual, but I’m kinda staggered that of all the things in the world, you picked that one to be annoyed by. 😛 Since we don’t know what region Springfield is in, it might be hard to pinpoint a regional pronunciation.
It depends on how you look at it…but Behind The Laughter said that Springfield was in Kentucky…however, there have been contradicting bits of information throughout the series.
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### Author:  [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/5 "2004-01-25T08:52:11Z")
> [@Call me Frank](#):
>
> It depends on how you look at it…but Behind The Laughter said that Springfield was in Kentucky…however, there have been contradicting bits of information throughout the series.
IIRC there were two different versions of that episode - one where they were in Kentucky and one in Tennessee. Which one you saw depends on where you lived at the time it originally aired (I saw the Kentucky episode too).
Julie Kavner also does the voice of Bart; why not keep an ear out to see how he pronounces the word?
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/6 "2004-01-25T09:07:39Z")
Nancy Cartwright voices Bart. Julie Kavner only does the women in the Bouvier family.
One version of Behind the Laughter said Northern Kentucky, the other said Missouri, I think. Doesn’t matter: the show is plainly not set in any real location. I wouldn’t be surprised if Patty and Selma say it the same way.
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/7 "2004-01-25T09:09:26Z")
Julie Kavner does not do the voice of Bart. Nancy Cartwright does, and always has.
I’ve said “vuh-cay-shun” all my life. Never thought it unusual, although I’m aware many people say “vay-cay-shun”.
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### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/8 "2004-01-25T11:20:12Z")
Try This:
_VUH-cation all I ever wanted_
_VUH-cation have to get away_
_VUH-cation meant to be spent alone_
Yeah! That rocks schwa style!
.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/9 "2004-01-25T11:54:17Z")
I believe that’s pronounced resu_mé_.
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### Author:  [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/10 "2004-01-25T18:01:16Z")
Actually, **Bryan Ekers** , both are acceptable. 😉
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/11 "2004-01-25T18:04:02Z")
What does the word _résumé_ (yes, two accents) have to do with the word _vacation_?
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### Author:  [@TheDerf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheDerf)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/12 "2004-01-25T18:17:07Z")
> [@Walloon](#):
>
> What does the word _résumé_ (yes, two accents) have to do with the word _vacation_?
you’re right of course, but wrong accent on the first e (it’s supposed to be a grave) i.e. rèsumé
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/13 "2004-01-25T18:22:52Z")
Not according to Larousse and Merriam-Webster: the accents are both acute in _résumé_. Check it yourself.
But what does it have to do with the word _vacation_?
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### Author:  [@TheDerf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheDerf)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/14 "2004-01-25T18:33:05Z")
Touché. Damn it (I blame my french teacher!) :o
As for the line, I believe it’s a line from the Simpsons, but I’m not sure. Sounds like something they’d say (after it was pronounced ree zoom)
Obviously I haven’t lurked long enough, I’ll shut up now.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/15 "2004-01-25T19:14:40Z")
It’s from _Take My Wife, Sleaze_, the one where Marge is kidnapped by a biker gang. She’s persuaded them to live normal, violence-free lives and starts talking about getting a job. Then one of the scummy bikers corrects her pronunciation of resume. Haha. 😉
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### Author:  [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/16 "2004-01-25T21:06:46Z")
Although it’s not a big part of the show, Marge’s odd pronounciations of some words are an occasional running gag. In several episodes, she says “al-kee-hol” for “alcohol” and, at least once, refers to “foliage” as “ **foil** age.”
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### Author:  [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/17 "2004-01-26T02:50:48Z")
> [@Walloon](#):
>
> Not according to Larousse and Merriam-Webster: the accents are both acute in _résumé_. Check it yourself.
I believe the accent name is _ague_ and not _acute_. Hopefully I know this; the accent is in my RL name.
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/18 "2004-01-26T03:14:27Z")
> [@Hail Ants](#):
>
> Does this annoy anyone else? She says it with the first ‘a’ short instead of long, sort of ‘vuh-ca-shun’. Is this a regional pronunciation? Webster online doesn’t list it. Do I have too much free time…
[“Vuh-kay-shun” is very much an acceptable pronunciation](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=vacation) according to the American Heritage Collegiate dictionary. It’s also the way I pronounce the word myself.
(Hang on a minute … “[www.websters.com](http://www.websters.com)” goes to the same website. I thought you said it didn’t show the schwa pronuniation? Look again.)
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/19 "2004-01-26T03:23:49Z")
> [@Lockz](#):
>
> I believe the accent name is _ague_ and not _acute_. Hopefully I know this; the accent is in my RL name.
Close … it’s an _accent aigu_.
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-marge-simpson-says-vacation/225937/20 "2004-01-26T04:40:47Z")
Acute accent is also correct.
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