It takes a native to understand proper pronunciation - Humor | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Locals always get a kick out of a non-native when they mispronounce places or people's names. Despite the fact that there is a whole system of symbols and codes to help the unlearned among us, many people continue to mispronounce words when only reading the words.

    This was reinforced recently when I watched Stan's Initial BCN post Clarion Call 1-1 As a non-native North Carolinian, I realized that I had been mispronouncing Beaufort County, North Carolina for the past year or two..

   It was reinforced again when I heard the news that Al Jarreau had passed. One of the Fox News anchors pronounced his name "JAREW." Do you think that could have been a fair and balanced pronunciation?

    In my own defense, I have friends who have a vacation home in Beaufort, South Carolina. The two locations, though spelled the same are pronounced quite differently. I will not try to delve into the proper symbols and nuance of pronouncing the word but clearly there is a difference of opinion.

    Do you think it is possible that an imaginary boundary line drawn over the years has morphed the word from into multiple tongue twisters? If that is true, we in Georgia also have some of those tongue twisters. I offer examples, click on the word for the proper or improper pronunciation, depending on your location relative to the border on the map. It is intentional that I did not include "YOU ALL" in the list, and I ain't kidding about that.

    Cairo, Georgia: We pronounce it KARO.
    Ponce De Leon: We pronounce it Ponce LEON (I think Leon used to live around there onest.)
    General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard: We pronounce it BO-regard. It would be easier to just change the spelling depending on the location. BO or BU would be much simpler. I could make a fortune just selling new street and road signs at the Stamp Store.
    Image the consternation of the Elite Washington press corps in 1976 when Jimmy Carter won and they had to learn how to pronounce his advisor Jordan Hamilton. I know that there is no 'Jerdan' in his name but that is the way we say it in South Georgia. It must be the peanuts.

    Some of you observant ones ( Alex J. Ortolano-aka Smartfella ) may have noticed the word corps in the previous paragraph. Even our highly educated former President of the United States had trouble with that one. Many civilians do as well.

   

    I can hardly blame him; I too had trouble with certain French words until I got edjudacated in South East Asia. Here is an example Beau Coupe. GI translation: A whole bunch. The BEAU seems to be a constant stumbling block for many. I wonder how it is pronounced in California. (See Arnold Schwarzenegger's take on that word.)

    Before I became an expert know it all I often mis-understood the correct pronunciation of hors d'oeuvre.

    In my own defense, it was not my fault, it was that damn Folk Group The Kingston Trio and Mason Williams. Below is a little diddy they recorded about that delicacy.Click on the white Arrow to see this short tribute. I have no excuse for the way I pronounce SALMON, (I have a relative named Sal) but I do love his patties.