Don't you just love travelling somewhere for the first time and totally mispronouncing the name of the place to the great amusement of the locals!
I think Norfolk corners the market in this respect. Just one of the many examples - Happisburgh, pronounced 'hazebruh'.
I bet you know some too....?
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The one that springs to mind for me is leominster - it's pronounced lemster rather than leo-minster.
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Or there is Launceston. Now I have always called it Lawn-ston
But In Tasmania their one is pronounced lawn ces ston
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Or there is Launceston. Now I have always called it Lawn-ston
In North Cornwall "Lans'n".
Honiton, near Exeter, is "Huniton"
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Towcester == Toaster
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Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
Come on, somebody was bound to suggest this!
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It's Welsh so it has a purely phonetic pronunciation so you say it exactly as it is written!
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As long as you know how to pronounce the letters and understand the complicated mutation rules. SWMBO who has mastered it gives an example. Bangor is Bangor in both languages, "In Bangor" becoms "Ym Mangor" in Welsh, how confusing is that ?
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Salisbury - The I is silent, but I wonder how many people say it as it's written.
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Uttoxeter Staffordshire pronounced "utchitter" and Cirencester,Glos
pronounced "Sissitter".
They go well with the Featherstonehaugh and Cholmondley people:-))
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Witham (say Witt-ham) Essex often mispronounced as With-ham to non locals.
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Aberchirder gets called foggieloan which rather confuses visiters looking for it on a map.dont know why though.
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Holborn v. Hoborn anyone ?
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Berkshire?
Whitworth near Rochdale pronounced Wit'uth
Bury pronouced berry, mind you in Bury they say 'buury'
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Trottiscliffe (Kent)= Trosley!
Wrotham = Route um
Meopham = Meppum
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Clifton Hampden - p is silent, just as it is in bath!
Long Wittenham / Little Wittenham / Wittenham Clumps - the e & h are both silent and should be pronounced Wittnum.
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Even more confusing - Bosham and Cosham in Sussex & Hampshire respectively. It's OK to say Cosham (as in Coshem), or if you are being posh, Coss-hum or Cozzem. But it's always Bozzem - never any other way.
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Milngavie = Millguy
Carlisle = Carlyle
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Eglwyswrw was on my list of calls today, and tomorrow I've got to head off to Bwlchgroes. Llandydwydd is another regular on my list, and they are the easy ones.
I can now pronounce most of them without spitting or having a violent coughing fit. Not bad for an Essex Geezer.
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Just remembered where my TV transmitter is
Tacolneston = Tackleston
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Clifton Hampden - p is silent, just as it is in bath!
even somewhere as simple as Bath is tricky. Most native Bathonians (living on the south slopes) call it Bath like a northerner pronounces grass. Most of the residents who are settled (mainly from the south east) call it "Barth".
Frome is one that catches people out - it's pronounced Froom!
Alnwick in Northumberland from my childhood - Annick
Worst of all though, i lived in Belgium when i was a kid (Dad was in the RAF) and the signs are in the local language only. Hence you get off the ferry, and need to look out for Liuk, not Liege. Similarly, we would set off for our weekly excursion to the nearest base in Tongeren, but you need to look out for Tongres.
One place that sticks in my mind in Holland was a place called something like "U bag of worms"
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One place that sticks in my mind in Holland was a place called something like "U bag of worms"
Hamlet round here "The Land of Nod"
Hamlet (with no pub) called "Booze"
Street name round here "The Land of Green Ginger".
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martin123 - you must be a fellow Yorkshireman.
How about Hessle - pronounced Hezzle to fellow locals.
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Just thought of two more ..
Market and Little Weighton - Weighton pronounced Weeton
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Beaulieu.
Slaithwaite.
Anything Gaelic
Used to draw maps for the OS, saw loads of bizarre names. Favorites include Pendicles of Collymoon, Little Cocklick (feel free to moderate that one) Catsick Hill.hang on this isn't connected with motoring...
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>Catsick Hill.hang on this isn't connected with motoring...
How about Catbrain, a suburb in Bristol, i wonder where they got that from?
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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You beat me to these. I live alongside Trosley Country Park (which is on the hill above Trottiscliffe) and work in Wrotham Road, Meopham!
I used to live in Bearsted - pronounced Bursted, and before that in Loose - where they have the Women's Institute of Loose, not the Loose Women's Institute!
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Uttoxeter Staffordshire pronounced "utchitter" and Cirencester,Glos pronounced "Sissitter".
As Mark mentioned with cirencester i'm fairly local to uttoxeter and i've never heard it pronounced utchitter. If anything it's just shortened to "toxeter"
Also local to uttoxeter is rowcester but it's pronounced rowster.
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As bad as many Welsh dictionaries which say such things as
"For words beginging with 'G' also look under 'C'"
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Belvoir, the hunt, the castle, the vale of. = Beavor
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And changing the topic slightly (there is a Catsick Hill not 200 yards from where I am sitting, and I remember giggling childishly at an OS map which had a Bushy Bottom on it - South Downs I believe) have a look at this site
www.i-r-genius.com/rudeplaces.html
Note that the "rudeplaces" bit of the address means that some of them are very rude
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>at an OS map which had a Bushy Bottom on it
There is Beacons Bottom near Stockenchurch, Bucks
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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beauchief in Sheffield pronounced bee-chiff
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Working with Americans, I occasionally have to remind them that although Alabama has a BirmingHAM, the one in England is Burmingum. The Melbourne in Australia is known as Melbun.
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I'm surprised Mark hasn't contributed with Bicester (pronounced Bister) yet.
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>>I'm surprised Mark hasn't contributed with Bicester (pronounced Bister) yet.
Mark was at the Millenium last night watching the Lions embarass themselves and the rest of us. A little too much liquid comfort before, during and after has meant that I was not quite as up to date on the Backroom as normal.
>>and Cirencester,Glos pronounced "Sissitter".
?? Not when I lived there. Am I missing something ?
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>>?? Not when I lived there.
Not missing anything Mark just not old enough. Same applies to Blue Fish from Telford (should be Madeley)
Pronunciations of the mid and late 30's
Am I starting to feel Old??...
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Believe it or not, Stiffkey in Norfolk rhymes with Newquay.
You have to be very posh and old-fashioned to say Sisiter for Cirencester - the locals say Zoirenzester. I think locals pronounce Marlborough as it's written, whereas Londoners say Mawlborough. The school is always Mawlborough.
I've never heard Uttoxeter pronounced Utchitter - I wonder if that one is local or from outside. As spelt it sounds like a glorious insult, perhaps a way of calling someone poisonous: "Uttoxeter....U absolute toxeter".
There was once a splendid newspaper columnist called Paul Jennings who invented meanings for place names - I can only remember a few, e.g.
wembley a bleary state (I feel a little wembley this morning)
stevenage and rickmansworth mediaeval taxes on corn
manningtree a gallows
and best of all
thirsk a craving for vodka
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Restronguet on the Fal estuary in Cornwall is not pronounced as in the French pronunciation, that is used by many emmetts, but simply Re stron get.
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Zouch (Leicestershire) pronounced zotch
Ashby de la Zouch (Leicestershire) pronounced zoosh
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Avoch in Ross-shire, pronounced "och" (needless to say, to rhyme with loch)
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Allerton in Bradford is pronounced - 'Ol'lerton
Chapel Allerton and Allerton Bywater both near Leeds are prounounced 'Al'lerton - i.e short name for Alan followed by erton!
Don't get me going about Welsh names - the wife is a native speaker and has great fun in putting me right whenever we visit!
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Another meaning I rather like:
Kettering: the state of mind when you walk into a room and can't remember what you came in there for.
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There was once a splendid newspaper columnist called Paul Jennings who invented meanings for place names - I can only remember a few, e.g.
Splendid he may have been, but I think he stole that particular idea from Douglas Adams.
See 'The Meaning of Liff'
TINCLETON (n.)
A man who amuses himself in your lavatory by pulling the chain in midpee and then seeing if he can finish before the flush does.
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That's my trick!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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uuhhh, guys...............motoring maybe ? Place names are pushing it in the first place, but this is seriously wandering.
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How about Mousehole in Cornwall then?
I believe it's pronounced "Massal" but, if I'm wrong, I'm sure a local who's on here will correct me!
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Dagenham is pronounced in several different ways by the inhabitants, depending on their social aspirations. Normally for the unpretentious, Dagnem by those who think baseball caps are the height of cool and Dawjenhaam for the upwardly mobile.
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Dragging this back to Notoring, have you noticed how sat nav makers *always* avoid place names into speach output?
Its always "your destination"
I can never find "your destination" on the map.
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because they only have to record and store "your destination" once.
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I have had a good laugh at this thread and hope the Mods are feeling generous about no motoring links .. anyway I thought I'd chuck in one from Sarf London -
Thornton Heath = Forntn eef
How many remember the old Forntn eef pond on the A23 on their motoring (link) trips from London to Brighton , no longer there - just another roundabout in dreary suburbia at the end of the Purley Way.
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because they only have to record and store "your destination" once.
NO, Lord above! I would never have thought.
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How about Mousehole in Cornwall then? I believe it's pronounced "Massal" but, if I'm wrong, I'm sure a local who's on here will correct me!
Not a local, but I have heard several people pronounce it 'mowzell'.
.*******
Assuming the filter hasn't got at it.
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Frostbite - as a local I can confirm your version is totally correct.
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Well, Blue Haddock, it's ages since I have heard anyone state that Cirencester can be pronounced something like "Sissister". And I am also surprosed that nobody has mentioned Slough (of the old car sticker fame, Happiness is Slough in my rear view mirror, and is is from before the time of David Brent !!). What about that lovely Welsh place Abercynon? It is "Aber-cannon", "Aber-sigh-non", "Aber-sin-on" ? Still not worked it out after over 20 years, can anyone put me right ?
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As an anglo who lived in Wales for 5 years, I beleive it's Aber-Cunnun. (pronounced as in under).
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Quite a few near me here in the north east corner of NI, like Aghadowey, Macosquin, Bellaghy etc., but my favourite is Ahoghill. Pay attention now ...
Emphasis lies on the second syllable, which is broadened slightly to almost rhyme with the "au" in "auditor.
The "gh" part is pronounced in Irish/Scots Gaelic fashion, like the "ch" in loch. (when pronouncing this, one may risk spitting on people - this is still better form than making "loch" rhyme with "lock").
Finally, the "-ill" part is flat, similar to the way of pronouncing "that'll", "it'll", etc.
Best I can do for phonetic spelling is this - ahAUch'll.
--
andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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Well High Wycombe can confuse some folks, its pronounced 'High Wickam' but you can have the odd American saying 'High Wi-com-bee'
Beaconsfield is often called 'Bee-cons-field' wen its actually 'Beckunsfield'
Bicester is often mis pronounced as 'Bik-ester'
Isnt Tavistock in Cornwall pronounced by locals as 'Tavistoe'? the 'ck' becomes silent? Like the guy on 'teachers' whos name was 'Mr Treblecock'!!!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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How about a nice short simple example?
Esher...pronounced Eesher.
do not forget the Isle of Wigit.
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But what about cars?
?koda is actually pronounced "Shkoda", not Skoda.
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And Hyundai have made efforts to change our pronunciation from rhyming with "High-and-dry" to "He-un-day"
I can never work out why a Nissan becomes a Neesonn and Datsun becomes a Dotsun to an American. Don't get me started on Jag-u-ars becoming Jag-worrs. What are we supposed to do with SsongYang? Is the second S pronounced separately? I shouldn't worry, I'll never buy one.
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Or Nearby Hersham = ershum
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Tavistock is pronounced exactly as you would expect with the `tock` rhyming with clock and definitely not Tavistoe.
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Whenever I've been in Honiton and surrounds the locals I've spoken to have pronounced it "ontun".
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Theydon Bois?
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Theydon Bois?
or Huish Episcopi
or Nempnett Thrubwell
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Theydon Bois?
By all those who live around it its called "faydun boys"
By those who live in it its called "They don bwa"
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Watch it.
I went out with a girl from there.
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Ah yes, but did you marry her?
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Most of the tricky place names I know are north of the border - "Kingussie" was one of my personal favourites.
I used to pronounce it phonetically until someone told me it was "ka-nu-see".
Also you get wonderful place names such as "Findo Gask" and "Tully Belton" (not very tricky though, admittedly).
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This has probably been done to a dark brown finish by now, but here's my two pennyworth:
A very grand lady (well, she thought she was) whom we used to know would say that she lived near St Neets (St Neots), but then she put petROLL into her car (or had someone do it for her). She would complain about the lurries (lorries) on the road, too.
While I'm on, how about Mildenhall, pronounces as written in Suffolk, but Mynall in Wiltshire. And why ISN'T Godmanchester pronounced Gumster?
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In deepest Cheshire there is not only a place called Upper Peover, but also Lower Peover. Pronounced "peever" according to locals, who don't like it when you pronounce it phonetically.
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Wymondham, deepest Norfolk, pronounced Windam.
Derby, pronounced dump.
O
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Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
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Heard an American lady refer to Harrogate as Harrogatty...
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believe Hunstanton in Norfolk is pronounced "Hunston", at least by locals
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delightful, sounds like a new orange drink - hey, but isn't anywhere near The Wash always got a chilly breeze coming in?
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Dept. of Useless Information -
Hunstanton (indeed pronounced Hunston) is the only town on the East Coast which faces due west out to sea.
I know this through holidays there as a child, as my father's family came from Long Sutton, over the border in Lincolnshire, which he told me was 8 feet below sea level.
I think we can get away with this thread as motoring-related: I've driven to many of the places named. Anyway it's been fun reading it.
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I live in Devon and have always pronounced Honiton exactly the way it's written. Nothing there anyway but antique shops and a nice little airfield in nearby Dunkeswell.
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Bending the thread slightly, and remembering about the m40 jam last night.
Dibley, as in "Vicar of"?
Placed called Turville, couple of miles off the M40 at Stokencurch, realy pretty village, excelent pub called the bull and something, also where they filmed chitty chitty bang bang (motoring link)
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Norfolk is indeed teh world leader in this. I thinik it is a conspiracy agasint outsiders. Either that, or it is a result of teh lazy Norfolk accent! in addition to the ones stated, how about:
Neatishead "Neatsted"
Wymondham "Windum"
Bungay "bunghee"
"Norwich" "Narrrch"
Garboldisham "Garbolsham"
Cley "Clie" (as in lie)
Deopham "Deppam"
There are loads more. I have lived here for 16 years and I still get caught out regularly.
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>Placed called Turville, couple of miles off the M40 at Stokencurch, realy pretty village, excelent pub called the bull and something, also where they filmed chitty chitty bang bang (motoring link)
Yes RF you're right!! Vicar of Dibley was filmed in Turvile near the Oxfordshire border. The pub you're talking about is the 'Bull & Butcher' During the intro of the program, you fly over the M40 section looking northbound towards Oxfordshire between Junc 5&6, its quite a steep bit of hill is that!!!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Is there a motorway with steeper bit of hill than the M40 6-5 southbound chiltern climb?
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M6 over Shap perhaps?
M5 in Somerset runs it close in places.
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Is there a motorway with steeper bit of hill than the M40 6-5 southbound chiltern climb?
Parts of the long M62 eastbound ascent to Scammonden is pretty steep.
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I was born in Emel Empstead Erts.
pronounced Hemel Hempstead Herts (",)
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>pronounced Hemel Hempstead Herts
Many locals i think just say 'Hemel'
Or if you're a kid, its 'Hemel Hamster'
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Johnny - what's your problem with Slowit?
My father always used to refer to Sisseter.
Shrowsbury or Shreeewsbury?
I had a friend who lived in Powys for a while - a remarkably English part of Wales, and used to be amazed at the Anglicisation of place names. The English locals (who were legion) seemed to have given up on any pretence at attempting Welsh.
.*********
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Shrowsbury or Shreeewsbury?
Shrewsbury.
Can you remember the Shakespeare play "The taming of the Shrow"? No? exactly - case closed.
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>>.*********
Errr, well, that was a list of Welsh place names. Sorry if the swear filter doesn't like Welsh.
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Correct Alfafan, Abercynon is pronounced Abercunnun.
I don't know if its been posted, but isn't Frome in Somerset pronounced Frume?
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I don't know if its been posted, but isn't Frome in Somerset pronounced Frume?
Froom
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I gather that Women's Institutes in Anytown are always called the Anytown Women's Institute, except that a special relaxation of the rule was accorded to the W.I. in Ugley (nr Bishop's Stortford).
They call themselves the W.I. of Ugley.
Oz (as was)
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I gather that Women's Institutes in Anytown are always called the Anytown Women's Institute, except that a special relaxation of the rule was accorded to the W.I. in Ugley (nr Bishop's Stortford). They call themselves the W.I. of Ugley. Oz (as was)
Reminds me of the Idle Working Men's Club (yes there is one).
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And why is "Greenwich" "Grinnidge"?
Where I live we have a nation-wide fastfood and pizza chain called Greenwich. Try telling a Filipino that he should be calling it "Grinnidge" and not "Green Witch" and you get one of those looks reserved for foreigners who've gone troppo.
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Perhaps the chain is not named after the place near London, but for one of their products, a sandwich that is, sad to say, not the freshest....
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The locals on Tyneside mispronounce the name of Newcastle as 'Nuke-assill' You'd have thought they'd know better!
Cheers, Sofa Spud
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I'm suprised no-body's mentioned Bedworth. Say "Bed'th" not "Bed-worth".
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Anyone heard of Verytenuouslinkenham?, perhaps Wosittodowivcarstown? ......
...... no nor have I.
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Anyone heard of Verytenuouslinkenham?, perhaps Wosittodowivcarstown?
I have especially when asking a local for directions when you want to drive there in your car and knowing how to pronounce it helps. Life ain't phonetic.
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Another beauty from Norfolk -
Costessy - pronounced Cossy.
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Looking at the Philippines road map today for planning next weekend's ride, I was reminded there is a town which goes by the splendid name of Sexmoan. (It's true and I'll send you a copy of the relative map area if you don't believe me).
However a local would not know what you were on about if you asked the way, not even snigger at you, using the literal pronunciation.
Alas, correctly pronounced it is Se-(silent "h")-mo-AN (emphasis on last syllable).
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Being Essex born and bred I should have known.....
Having asked a local for directions to a road in Colchester I was told to turn right by 'some bottles'; spent 20 minutes following the directions time and again but nowhere could I see some bottles, expecting to see a stack of crates or a bottle bank.
How was I supposed to know 'some bottles' is Colchesterese for St Botolph's!!
Cockle
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There's also examples such as Shrewsbury and Derby - Shrowsbury and Darby is the way I've always pronounce them (no doubt to the dismay of the locals) and Maghull, near Liverpool, which is often described on BBC road reports as Mag-hull rather than "Magull".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Had some very interesting pronounciations of "Beddgelert" and "Rhyd Ddu" when wroking on the buses.
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Brightonwellhoveactually
Ask anyone who lives in the area. "Where do you live"? The reply is nearly always "Brighton, well, Hove actually"
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I also like "Issley Wiggit" for Isle of Wight and "Higgy Wikkombee" for "High Wycombe"
Spoonerisms are also neat. Like Heathport Air Row, Gatport Airwick and Stanport Airsted.
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Whilst visiting friends in Lancaster I heard some foreign tourists trying to pronounce Morecambe. Their result was nearly the same as in Victoria Wood's comedy routine. Morrie-camby.
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My Other half's sister was in Italy on a train. Behind her in the next booth she heard a quartet of Americans discussing places in Europe they had been. One of them mentioned a place pronounced "loogah borooga". Apparently in England. She mused for a while, and after hearing where they went to from there, came to the conclusion it was Loughborough.
Priceless.
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The upmarket village of Poxwell, on the Wareham side of Weymouth in Dorset, is always pronounced Pokeswell by residents. Everyone else tells the truth! It really does have a well that cures you of the dreaded, so I'm told, but I've never needed to find out...yet.
In the dim and distant past I was born in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, which locals always called Wilscum.
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>>>> "Higgy Wikkombee" for "High Wycombe"
Thats usually pronounced by the yanks or anyone who hasnt got the grasp of advanced English.
Mind you Slough is a good one it rimes with 'plough' by the way not 'Sluff' or 'Slow'!
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Gatport Airwick has been called that for a long time now, In fact there was a famous case of a traffic report on Southern Counties radio " Long queues on the M23 due to accident, motorists traveling to Gatport Airwick should allow extra time"
Noone picked up on it for two days untill the letter from "Disgusted of Haywards Heath" hit the mat at Broadcasting house.
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Sitting not a million miles from said Airport I can confirm that Gatport Airwick is commonly used amongst the locals.
Not place names but one of my favourite spoonerisms true stories is of the BBC announcer who had to announce live on Radio 3 a recording which was by Rimsky Korsakov. He checked and practiced the pronunciation and said it perfectly on air - and then announced the name of the track as 'The bum of the flightle bee'.
Which leads me on to why I also habitually refer to the Sunbeam Talbot as the 'Bumseam' Talbot. ( I hope that just about qualifies this as motoring!)
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"Had some very interesting pronounciations of "Beddgelert" and "Rhyd Ddu" when wroking on the buses."
I am sitting in a house not a million miles from a little village
called Penisarwaen.....SWMBO (who now has a major grasp of the lingo) says its nothing rude.
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My sister lives in Penistone, Yorks.
They say 'Pennistone' up there of course...
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