Place name pronunciations

[chez]

Bicester in off junction 9 of the M40 is pronounced bister for some reason. No wonder no one understood me when I said Im in By cester.

 

[enigma]

The Geordies cant pronounce anything. It took me ages when I went up on the train to tell me whether I was being directed to Coach A or E.

 

[Trufflehound]

The Geordies cant pronounce anything.

A lady walks into a hirdressers in Newcastle Upon Tyne and says, "Can I have a perm please?"

"Aye lass, nae bother."
Clears his throat,
"Ah wondered lernly as a clood..."

 

[Curious Orange]

There is a village called Leigh in Surrey which always confuses northerners who think it is pronounced "Lee".

I used to live in North Holmwood, the "Holm" bit is pronounced "Home".

 

[fatbadger]

Lincolnshire's full of oddly pronounced place names:

Aslackby - pronounced azle-bee
Scredington - pronounced skrekington
Great Hale - prounced grettle
Billinghay - pronounced Bollunga

You get the idea.

Of course - and it's probably the same elsewhere - it's the pronunciation that is 'right', and the spelling which is wrong (e.g. Scredington's name was spelt in Skrekington until the 19th century)

 

[perseus]

Hunstanton (alternative Hunston) and Shrewsbury have two different pronounciations.

In the latter both pronounciations were used in the football commentary.

How is Wisbech pronounced?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

A lady walks into a hirdressers in Newcastle Upon Tyne and says, "Can I have a perm please?"

"Aye lass, nae bother."
Clears his throat,
"Ah wondered lernly as a clood..."

Bicester being pronounced Bister sounds strange
but only because you're not used to the name.

Imagine being French or German and coming here, having to ask for directions to Leicester, or Worcester, or Gloucester.

You don't think anything of it if you're used to hearing them, but foreigners must puzzle over them for hours

 

[Titanic]

Slough... to rhyme with plough or rough or trough or dough ?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Slough... to rhyme with plough or rough or trough or dough ?

...or through?

 

[sully]

Imagine being French or German and coming here, having to ask for directions to Leicester, or Worcester, or Gloucester.

You don't think anything of it if you're used to hearing them, but foreigners must puzzle over them for hours

When I used to wander around railway stations more (I worked for BR), I have been asked which train goes to Hazla-Mary (Haslemere) and Bal-Cum-Bay (Balcombe)

 

[Curious Orange]

My step-father often recounts the tale of when a Yank came into his shop and asked for directions to Seven-Oh-Acks, took several minutes to work out he was after Sevenoaks..., although knowing my stepfather he probably clocked that the fella was after Sevenoaks straight off and spent the next ten minutes winding the poor chap up!!

 

[On the Left Wing]

Lincolnshire's full of oddly pronounced place names:

Aslackby - pronounced azle-bee
Scredington - pronounced skrekington
Great Hale - prounced grettle
Billinghay - pronounced Bollunga

You get the idea.

Of course - and it's probably the same elsewhere - it's the pronunciation that is 'right', and the spelling which is wrong (e.g. Scredington's name was spelt in Skrekington until the 19th century)

But of course in Jockland they have names like
Lesmahagow
Cairndow
Croabh Haven
and Glesga!

 

[perseus]

I had a problem buying a train ticket to Machynelleth in Wales. Ended up in Aberystwyth.

 

[On the Left Wing]

I had a problem buying a train ticket to Machynelleth in Wales.

Pronounced MaCunkleth or something similar ... we used to go on holiday there many years ago ... and close by is Dollgellau promounced something like Dolgethlee ... I knew someone would confuse things by bringing the Welsh Scrabble language into this!!!

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

On a train going to Mansfield once, an Aussie asked me how long to Loogaborooga, took a while to work out he meant Loughborough.

Now, what is the correct pronunciation of:

Llanfairpwylllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwilliantysiliogogogoch?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

[BImagine being French or German and coming here, having to ask for directions to Leicester, or Worcester, or Gloucester. [/B]

Ever had a conversation with a French speaker about Sootormton?

It's a place on the South Coast with a team that may well be playing us in the Championship next season.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Non locals often pronounce Adur (as in the river or for those watching the enquiry, District council) as 'Adder' rather than 'Ay-der'.

 

[Yorkie]

Yanks refer to Arundel as A RUN DL

They say A-run-del Gate in Sheffield too. There is quite a bit of Sheffield City centre which is owned by the Duke of Norfolk so you have Arundel and Shoreham streets etc.


Part of Huddersfield called Slaithwaite.
In Dewsbury(7 miles away) the road going there is Slay thwaite Rd
but when you get there it is called Slowit.

 

[John Boy]

In one of the Adrian Mole books, a lady asks him the way to Turkey, so he directs her to the next train to Torquey

 

[The Large One]

There are radio news presenters who have pronounced 'Lewes' as 'Loos', and 'Steyning' as 'Stayning'.