Comments on: Wheat among the chaff

By: Steve Skubinna

Steve Skubinna — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:29:50 +0000

Regarding Worcester, MA, when I lived back there I noted the locals pronounced it “Wuhstuh.”

By: Steve Skubinna

Steve Skubinna — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:51:24 +0000

There’s a line in one of Wodehouse’s books where Bertie Wooster explains his last name is pronounced as in “Worcestershire.”

There was another character whose last name, Mapledurham, was pronounced “Mum.” I don’t know if Wodehouse made that one up or not.

And then there was Lord Blicester.

By: Brian of London

Brian of London — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:17:51 +0000

I think syllables are dropped so that we British can easily spot foreigners who don’t know such things :-)

As an Australian once asked me, “Can you tell me the way to Lougaa-Barougaa?”

By: Meryl Yourish

Meryl Yourish — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 15:04:15 +0000

Wooster. With a short oo, not a long one. As in “woof.”

Why not pronounce it wor-cester-shire, though? What’s the point of spelling it that way if you’re going to ignore entire syllables?

By: Brian of London

Brian of London — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:31:35 +0000

Now could someone tell me how Worcester is pronounced in the US?

I know that you usually massacre Worcestershire sauce by saying Wor-Cester-Shire instead of just “Woster” (the Shire is silent).

So is it Wor-Cester or Woster?

And it is a great article.

Brian

By: cond0010

cond0010 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:05:04 +0000

Yep, Laurence, there is a distinct possibility that you are right. But I shouldn’t speak for Meryl, else I get put in the corner instead of you.

…and that knock at your door? Maybe you should ask what his name is – and if it is Muhammed or Mohammad or any other variation as such, I would suggest that you don’t open then door…

By: Laurence Simon

Laurence Simon — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:46:46 +0000

If you take a look at imao.us, you’re going to thank me for not asking to post that here… ;)

By: cond0010

cond0010 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:19:38 +0000

The implications of this denial is enormous, Meryl.

What other mass genocides have they denied also? The only ones that come to mind are the ones that have had Western people witness them. Like the Greek and Armenian Geoncide in the 1920’ss.

Maybe there is a reason why the vast majority of people in the middle east Muslim and not christian or Buddhist or… Jewish.