PROnunciations for Pros

This is a good place to drop general and weird news, entertainment, and general show prep material that might be interesting to air talent or producers. Hot dog threads ALWAYS welcome.

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Greg Goodfellow
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PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Greg Goodfellow »

In a report on WTOV, Channel 9 in Steubenville, Ohio Sunday night, a young reporter stated that actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died in a GREENWITCH apartment instead of GRENNICH for the pronunciation of Grenwich (hopefully I spelled it correctly-the 'puter seems to okay it). Do young anchors ever get any coaching from more seasoned anchors on certain words, MAKING SURE that all parts of a copy are pronounced correctly, or is it assumed that young adults can pronounce such words, thus producing a Ron Burgundy moment? I remember as a part-timer at 93R that, when we received sheets listing song titles and artists, that names of singers such as Sade were written phonetically. I know we've discussed some words that are problematic for some, and you know what assuming will get you.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by David Paleg »

Years ago, I was a part-timer at WTIP/WTIO in Charleston. I remember a regular listener called me the day after another part-time board operator read the news and said "YO-seh-mite" instead of "yo-SEH-mitt-tee".
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by EZ103.3FM »

I've mentioned this before....

When I was at my college station in central Ohio (WDUB-FM, Denison University in Granville) those of us from in or near the southern part of the state told the rest of the news staff how to pronounce Gallipolis, Scioto, etc. Those from around the Cleveland area did the same for Ashtabula, Geauga, etc.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Scott Reppert »

In all seriousness, I have always wondered: how do you pronounce SCIOTO? Really. Please spell it out for me phonically because I have always wanted to know.

Secondly, all I can remember is one station that I worked for would lay down this law: "You plan your ROUTE (rowt) over a ROUTE (root) because ROOTS are in the ground". In other words, if you said "Alasky's on ROWT 250 North", you would not be around long...
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Jay Nunley »

Sigh Oh Toe.


Holler.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by The Interpreter »

Really?

I was taught and have always heard:

Sigh Oh Tuh.

NEVER, EVER Sigh Oh Toe.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by amayo »

Jay is correct. The actual pronunciation is the one he claimed. HOWEVER, growing up in central Ohio, I can tell you the long O is always dropped, even though it's not proper.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by The Interpreter »

Which takes us to the argument of standards vs. usage. If usage universally is a certain way, that becomes the standard--de facto or de jure.

Again, I've never heard anyone pronounce it Sigh Oh Toe, and I was reared 30 miles from Scioto County.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by genlock »

Holler?

Sometimes it is Holluh.

As in Chauncey Holluh.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by genlock »

Wimson.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by genlock »

Here in Wayne County, People Named Napier are called Nape-yer if they live in Kenova or thereabouts.
Somewhere to the south, An unmarked line exists beyond which people named Napier are called Napper.
That line may stretch around the earth as far as I know. This fact is not spoken of much.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Jay Nunley »

Ha. See, I've been pronouncing Scioto wrong for years.

Unless there is a need or reason for a certain level of formality you should say it the way people say it.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Dave Allen »

When I worked in Gallipolis we were instructed to pronounce the town "Gal-uh-po-leece" even though 99.9% of the town pronounced it "Gal-uh-poe-lis". People called the station to complain about the way we pronounced it in fact. As for route vs. route I was always told if it has a number it is a "root" as in Route 10, but if it is a path to somewhere it is a "rout".

So there.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Greg Goodfellow »

We're really confused up here: People tend to say either ROOT or ROWT for 2, but ROWT for both 18 and 180. Go figure.
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Hoosier Daddy »

Scioto County: CY yota (Columbus media version), CY yoto is an approved local alternative.

Lancaster Ohio: LANK us ter. Out-of-towners ALWAYS pronounce it "LAN caster".
Sort of like LOU a vul in Kentucky.
LAN caster is in Pennsylvania.

Ironton: Media version is IRON ton
Lawrence County locals say "ARN tun".
'My car ... is on far ... in Arntun.'

The Wayne County/Eastern Kentucky pronunciation of "like", "nice", and "right" may require a translator.

8)
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by The Interpreter »

Then there's Lew e Z (Louisa).

I knees. (Inez)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned what I heard Chet Huntley pronounce as Can uh Wah years ago (Kanawha).

Locals oft say Hunningtun. (In Dc, the VA version is pronounced Huntingtown).

In Kentucky, again, there's Yos might (Yosemite). And A thins (Athens).

Then there's the always incorrectly said by outsiders Wooster in Ohio. I've even heard it pronounced as Worchester!
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Greg Goodfellow »

"I'm surprised no one has mentioned what I heard Chet Huntley pronounce as Can uh Wah years ago (Kanawha)."

I had heard that Tom Brokaw did that as well, but it may have been exclusively Chet Huntley. If it were Brokaw, allegedly his version was "KEN uh wuh".
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Re: PROnunciations for Pros

Post by Hoosier Daddy »

Lets not forget the immortal "PORCH muth", a favorite of illiterate southeastern Ohioans everywhere.

:lol:
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