I grew up in NYC. Queens to be exact. Yes, I USE to have a Queens accent, but I wanted to make money on Wall Street so I opted for more of a New England accent. It worked. However, in the Northwest everyone knows I come from the Northeast because I talk fast. What does this have to do with food? Nothing, I am ranting.
I met a woman recently who introduced herself as Don. She said it quickly, so I asked her to spell it…D-a-w-n. In NYC, that would be pronounced Dawn as in AW-ful. I think it should rhyme with fawn. She pronounced it Don as in Don Quixote. Ok. Here’s what Merriam-Webster says: dawn.
I met a man recently who gave me directions to Squalicum HS. He said to make a right from Sunset onto McCloud. McCloud pronounced like the word “loud”. Ok. I passed McLeod 2x and decided I ought to call. Why is McLeod pronounced McCloud? The sheeple strike again! Why not McDawneold’s?
Here’s another one. Gyro. In NYC, it is pronounced jeye-row. On the west coast, it is pronounced yee-row. Merriam-Webster is from which coast? The mysteries of phonology.
I’m done now. Thank you for your payshins.
Hmmm – in Ohio we pronounced it “Ghee-row” – it always tasted good, no matter what it was called!
Comment by Joey — March 1, 2009 @ 6:39 am