User Panel
Posted: 12/19/2020 8:26:54 PM EDT
Any VA place names you know of that are mispronounced by non-locals?
Such as: Dumb fries (Dumfries = "Dum-freeze") Prince William Co. Stawn-ton (Staunton = "Stan-tin") Augusta Co. Mets Road (Meetze Rd. = "Meats Rd.") Haiti Street (Haiti St. = "Hay-tie St.") both Fauquier Co. Par Ham Rd. (Parham Rd. = "Perm") City of Richmond/Henrico Co. |
|
My understanding is Staunton is called Stanton as to determine who were the yellow bellied outsiders that may not have been on board with the revolutionary boog and general middle finger to the crown.
|
|
I know of two where the locals pronounce it wrong but visitors get it right.
Buena Vista - locals pronounce it bew-nah vist-ah instead of the correct bway-na veesta. Buchanan - locals pronounce it buck- annon instead of byoo-CAN-nen like in James Buchanan. A local weird one to my current area is catharpin. Locals pronounce it as two words. Cat-harpin |
|
Pulaski - Non-natives call it Puh-lasky. Locals call it Pew-lasky.
Powhatan - Non-natives (especially Yankees) call it Pow-HAT-un. The proper way to say it is POW-uh-tan. |
|
Quoted: I know of two where the locals pronounce it wrong but visitors get it right. Buena Vista - locals pronounce it bew-nah vist-ah instead of the correct bway-na veesta. Buchanan - locals pronounce it buck- annon instead of byoo-CAN-nen like in James Buchanan. A local weird one to my current area is catharpin. Locals pronounce it as two words. Cat-harpin View Quote Conversely in that area they are spot on with the pronunciation of Botetourt and the locals will give you the French history as they love to pull people over on I81......I assumed it was some Appalachian twang, sounding like a desert. The Buena Vista one is the only one that gets to me....maybe because it could've been a great little mountain town if not lead by idiots that put PD and FD up for collateral for a failed golf course. |
|
Rio Road in Charlottesville. Locals pronounce it Rye-oh instead of Reee-oooh like the Spanish word for river. It’s actually old rte 10 that got combined to r10...and then to Rio...and Rye-oh Road
|
|
An old timer that I know in Rockbirdge county once told me about Buena Vista. He said that during the war between the states, locals needed a way to weed out spies. They started pronouncing it that way so that anyone who spoke differently would be outed as a northern spy.
Anyone else hear that story? Everyone thinks that those people talk funny, but it's actually low-tech counter espionage. Kind of cool if true. |
|
Quoted: Pulaski - Non-natives call it Puh-lasky. Locals call it Pew-lasky. Powhatan - Non-natives (especially Yankees) call it Pow-HAT-un. The proper way to say it is POW-uh-tan. View Quote When I lived in Pa. my son came home from school and told me he needed to do a report on the Pow Hat Un indians of Virginia. |
|
Traveling down south, I used to cross three rivers: the Matta, the Po, and the Ni. It took half of my life to learn that the Mattaponi were an aboriginal Virginian people erased from history. I'm not a bleeding heart liberal, but I wish this history wasn't hidden from us.
|
|
Quoted: Traveling down south, I used to cross three rivers: the Matta, the Po, and the Ni. It took half of my life to learn that the Mattaponi were an aboriginal Virginian people erased from history. I'm not a bleeding heart liberal, but I wish this history wasn't hidden from us. View Quote Actually, the Mattaponi Indians have a reservation down near West Point. The Pamunkey tribe has a rez down that way also. IIRC both tribes finally got federal recognition just a couple of years ago. |
|
Quoted: An old timer that I know in Rockbirdge county once told me about Buena Vista. He said that during the war between the states, locals needed a way to weed out spies. They started pronouncing it that way so that anyone who spoke differently would be outed as a northern spy. Anyone else hear that story? Everyone thinks that those people talk funny, but it's actually low-tech counter espionage. Kind of cool if true. View Quote I have never heard that one, and my paternal grandfather was from there. |
|
Conductor is right.
I think these people and these people would be quite surprised to find that they were "erased from history." Adding to the list of oft-mispronounced names: real Roanokers know that their city is pronounced Roan-Oak, never Row-An-Oak. |
|
Quoted: Conductor is right. I think these people and these people would be quite surprised to find that they were "erased from history." Adding to the list of oft-mispronounced names: real Roanokers know that their city is pronounced Roan-Oak, never Row-An-Oak. View Quote I have never heard anyone other than yankees refer to roanoke the first way. I have always heard it the second. Just like Norfolk is Nor-fuk, not Nor-fok. Edit: Actually the yankees refer to it as Ro-noke and I have always heard it as Row-a-noke |
|
Quoted: Actually, the Mattaponi Indians have a reservation down near West Point. The Pamunkey tribe has a rez down that way also. IIRC both tribes finally got federal recognition just a couple of years ago. View Quote Quoted: Conductor is right. I think these people and these people would be quite surprised to find that they were "erased from history." Adding to the list of oft-mispronounced names: real Roanokers know that their city is pronounced Roan-Oak, never Row-An-Oak. View Quote Cool! I did hear about the Pamunkey gaining Fed. recognition, didn't know about the Mattaponi change in status. I learned on my own about the Doeg (Dogue) people of VA while studying NoVa history. I went to public school, so I'm not surprised at how much I don't know. I guess it was more important to glue macaroni to paper plates for hanging on refrigerators at home, than to learn anything of value. |
|
Almost all of the English/UK derived names are mispronounced .
|
|
Not mispronounced, but Backlick Road in Springfield (Fairfax Co.) - wife ALWAYS asks "Who goes around licking backs?"
I think it had something to do with deer and salt licks. Thank goodness for the edit feature. |
|
Quoted: Norfolk Nor-fuck Nor-folk Naw-fick North-fork View Quote Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. Quoted: I have never heard anyone other than yankees refer to roanoke the first way. I have always heard it the second. Just like Norfolk is Nor-fuk, not Nor-fok. Edit: Actually the yankees refer to it as Ro-noke and I have always heard it as Row-a-noke View Quote I'm from down the valley and I always have said it as Roan-oak... am I screwed up? |
|
Quoted: Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. View Quote I grew up in Hampton, and we always referred to that place across Hampton Roads as Nawfuk. I remember a sailor who was stationed there told me that the cheerleaders at the high school there had a cheer that went "We don't drink and we don't smoke! Norfuk! Norfuk! Norfuk!" |
|
I worked with old twins from Roanoke, and their r's sounded more like w's. I tried not to laugh whenever they said "Woe-uh-noke."
|
|
Quoted: I have never heard anyone other than yankees refer to roanoke the first way. I have always heard it the second. Just like Norfolk is Nor-fuk, not Nor-fok. Edit: Actually the yankees refer to it as Ro-noke and I have always heard it as Row-a-noke View Quote Actually, the original Roanokers pronounce it “big lick”. |
|
Quoted: Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. I'm from down the valley and I always have said it as Roan-oak... am I screwed up? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Norfolk Nor-fuck Nor-folk Naw-fick North-fork Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. Quoted: I have never heard anyone other than yankees refer to roanoke the first way. I have always heard it the second. Just like Norfolk is Nor-fuk, not Nor-fok. Edit: Actually the yankees refer to it as Ro-noke and I have always heard it as Row-a-noke I'm from down the valley and I always have said it as Roan-oak... am I screwed up? Since I'm not from roanoke and try not to go there, I have probably heard it wrong all my life. I just find it funny. |
|
In downtown Fredericksburg there is a Sophia St. but, it is pronounced So-Fy-Uh instead of So-Fee-Ah.
|
|
Quoted: Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. I'm from down the valley and I always have said it as Roan-oak... am I screwed up? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Norfolk Nor-fuck Nor-folk Naw-fick North-fork Once upon a time I heard a railway worker over a scanner say "Nawwwwfuck" and I can't say it any other way. Quoted: I have never heard anyone other than yankees refer to roanoke the first way. I have always heard it the second. Just like Norfolk is Nor-fuk, not Nor-fok. Edit: Actually the yankees refer to it as Ro-noke and I have always heard it as Row-a-noke I'm from down the valley and I always have said it as Roan-oak... am I screwed up? RVA born, grandparents from Halifax and kin folk back in the day in Roanoke, always heard it pronounced Row Noke BTW, the natives usually get the pronunciation correct, it's those that come there later that say it wrong, brother and I drove over to Bueno Vista to buy an estate, ended up getting a pile of reloading gear, but not the pistols we were hoping for, so we called it No Bueno Vista, there was a good BBQ joint downtown tho |
|
Quoted: Tar. For the black rubber things on car wheels. View Quote That sounds like Front Royal. When I was in junior high, a had a buddy from Front Royal who told me that his dad had to put new tars on his car. On Armed Forces day, his family went to a parade at Fort Marr. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where Fort Marr was. Then I found out that he was talking about Fort Myer. And those metal things that you use to hold stuff with? They're called PLARS. Ah! And a couple more: In western Loudoun, you don't go behind a bush to pee. You go behind a BOOSH. And Purcellville, that little town on Route 7, west of Leesburg? It's PUR-sa-vul, not Pur-SELL-ville. |
|
|
Quoted: That sounds like Front Royal. When I was in junior high, a had a buddy from Front Royal who told me that his dad had to put new tars on his car. On Armed Forces day, his family went to a parade at Fort Marr. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where Fort Marr was. Then I found out that he was talking about Fort Myer. And those metal things that you use to hold stuff with? They're called PLARS. Ah! And a couple more: In western Loudoun, you don't go behind a bush to pee. You go behind a BOOSH. And Purcellville, that little town on Route 7, west of Leesburg? It's PUR-sa-vul, not Pur-SELL-ville. View Quote Oil was a three-syllable word to my late mechanic. Easy one in NoVA, McLean, it’s “Mclayn”, not “Mcleen.” |
|
The one I find hard to believe is Charlottesville. Named after Queen Charlotte, same as Charlotte , NC. You never hear anyone pronounce them wrong but we have people here that use a hard Ch. like Char-broil. There are a few radio commercials with different people that say Char. You can tell right away they ain’t from round here.
|
|
Manquin, French spelling of an Algonquin word that’s pronounced in English. Lots of other places like that.
Mank-win is current pronunciation, Mon-ku-en is supposedly the original way. |
|
Father-in-law told me Goochland is "Goosh-lin," not "Gooch-land." Is that how locals say it?
|
|
Growing up in Fauquier County in the 70-80's provided a lot of opportunities to hear it pronounced wrong. Fawkyear is the way it is pronounced, not Fucqueer as many tv folks would pronounce when announcing school was closed for snow.
|
|
|
|
|
Schuyler is pronounced Skyler.
A while back some yankee implants to the Nellysford (Nellies ford) area thought that sounded too hickish and tried to get the pronunciation officially changed to the more genteel "Nellisfurd". That did not fly with the locals. |
|
|
The creek that makes up a portion of the county line between Clarke County and Frederick County is the Opequon.
I always called it the OP-uh-kwon, until I found out that the locals there call it the Oh-PECK-un. |
|
Quoted: catharpin kat-harp-in View Quote I've heard catharpin spoken that way in onesies and twosies, but everyone else says 'Kath-ar-pin.' I point out to my wife how weird it is that there are so many British names here. Probably because old english money is still entrenched in this place. Stafford, William street, Prince George's county, etc. Even new subdivisions like Somerset or Berkshire. Fucking yankees have their own country to go to; stop naming our streets after yours. |
|
Syria (sy-ree-ah)
Verona (I think. I've heard it as "ver-onna") oh, and New New York ("nor-thern vir-jin-ya") |
|
Funny thread. I lived in MD and drove through VA more times than I can count, also spent several months in Hampton Roads so I recognize a lot of these.
In Texas we have Italy, but it's pronounced It-Lee. Actually you don't even really pronounce the T, it's more of a glottal stop. Pedernales is pronounced Perdenales. I guess if my name started with peder I'd probably say it different too! I went to college in Prescott, AZ - rhymes with biscuit. |
|
Quoted: This thread has me laughing my ass off. As a native Virginian, I've heard all of these. I've heard catharpin spoken that way in onesies and twosies, but everyone else says 'Kath-ar-pin.' I point out to my wife how weird it is that there are so many British names here. Probably because old english money is still entrenched in this place. Stafford, William street, Prince George's county, etc. Even new subdivisions like Somerset or Berkshire. Fucking yankees have their own country to go to; stop naming our streets after yours. View Quote you realize Va was settled by the British at Jamestown before the Mayflower? Virginia named after Queen Elizabeth I and was a big state for a long while, so English names in the area are pretty much a given, those yankees are from a similar heritage BTW,, they just went a bit rogue over the years |
|
Quoted: you realize Va was settled by the British at Jamestown before the Mayflower? Virginia named after Queen Elizabeth I and was a big state for a long while, so English names in the area are pretty much a given, those yankees are from a similar heritage BTW,, they just went a bit rogue over the years View Quote The true native folks on Tangier still speak a weird sort of Elizabethan English dialect. |
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.