Cities in Maryland that non-natives can't pronounce correctly (people, local)

[bande1102]

Odenton. Not Odington. And Bowie, as in boo-eee. Not Bow (rhymes with cow)-eee.

[SuTaihei]

In Hagerstown, if you weren't born here, you can't say Conococheague to save your life. Also many of the Williamsport locals call it "Weemsport," so you can always tell an out-of-towner because they actually pronounce it correctly.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

The correct way to pronounce a city's name is grammatical, not what some locals insist it on being. I have lived all over the U.S. and am tired of people from the East Coast/Northeast insisting that the proper pronounciacion is this or that, in particular when that pronouncian is based on a local dialect/accent with the one and only exception being those from Maine and Massachusetts....seeing as how they were here first (aside from the natives, of course).

You are incorrect. A place is what its people call it.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

You are incorrect. A place is what its people call it.

For better or worse, that is reality. Language is spoken first, attempted to be transcribed with letters second. The oral not only trumps the written in this respect, but continues to develop and evolve as written transcription remains static, thus creating many of the "disconnects" that we are discussing.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

You are incorrect. A place is what its people call it.

I agree to the extent that it should also be acceptable to understand that others from away more-than-likely will attempt to pronounce theses towns as they are spelled. Should they be faulted for that? No. I know that some of these towns retain their English pronounciation, such as with Worcester, and that is fine. My issue is with those who insist that I am wrong when I am merely ignorant to local dialect. To politely correct someone is one thing. To insist they are not only absolutely wrong but also irritating is another: it reeks of provincialism; of us against them; of you don't belong.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I agree to the extent that it should also be acceptable to understand that others from away more-than-likely will attempt to pronounce theses towns as they are spelled. Should they be faulted for that? No. I know that some of these towns retain their English pronounciation, such as with Worcester, and that is fine. My issue is with those who insist that I am wrong when I am merely ignorant to local dialect. To politely correct someone is one thing. To insist they are not only absolutely wrong but also irritating is another: it reeks of provincialism; of us against them; of you don't belong.

This is a decidedly different message from your previous post. I can get with it. But, re: the bolded: The same could be said for the diction snob who enters a diner in Havre de Grace and says,
"all you geezers are doing it wrong. It's (however the heck one pronounces HdG in French)."

In general, it's incredibly rude to be anything but helpful to newcomers. But the newcomer must "meet folks where they are" if they wish to be accepted.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

This is a decidedly different message from your previous post. I can get with it. But, re: the bolded: The same could be said for the diction snob who enters a diner in Havre de Grace and says,
"all you geezers are doing it wrong. It's (however the heck one pronounces HdG in French)."

In general, it's incredibly rude to be anything but helpful to newcomers. But the newcomer must "meet folks where they are" if they wish to be accepted.

Give me local flavor over forced one-size-fits-all society anyday. Variety is the spice of life, ya know.

[G-Burg Native]

I have been hearing Gaithersburg getting pronounced as Gatersburg, like there's no h in Gaither. Winds me up when I hear the automated messages at CVS and the like pronouncing Gaithersburg wrong. Clearly I need to get a life.

[cpterp]

By far the most common pronunciation/spelling offense I've encountered is referring to "Silver Spring" as "Silver Springs" (even by businesses located in Silver Spring!).

It's reeeaaallllyy annoying since it's a really easy name to pronounce. People are just too lazy to read it/say it properly so they add an extra letter.

[P47P47]

Originally Posted by bande1102

I have a street---in Annapolis, Rowe Blvd is pronounced like it rhymes with ow (as in you hurt yourself) not Rowe with a long O.

Both of my parents retired from working at the Naval Academy. My father worked with a guy whose surname was Rowe, and was a member of the long-time Annapolis family that Rowe Blvd. is named for. He said the the correct pronounciation of his name, and the name of the thoroughfare, was with the long "o", to rhyme with "know", not with "now".