How do you say it?

chumley · Post by **chumley** » May 24 2010 11:54 am

I'm sure there are a million examples of words that people pronounce differently. (Do you pronounce the 's' at the end of Illinois?, Missouree or Missourah, etc.)

But I'm gonna start with one that I wonder if I'm weird cause I hear people pronounce it one way and I think its just wrong:

Topo

While technically not a word, it is the name of a software package, and is frequently pronounced as an abbreviation.

I think its "top-oh" (rhymes with mop, flop, hop). I hear others pronounce it with a long-o: "tow-poh" (taupe-oh?). It drives me crazy.

Of course, I derive this from the original "topographic" which the initial o is pronounced "ah" versus "oh". (At least according to Dictionary.com)

Any thoughts on Topo, or other words that Dubya might have misunderpronuncicated?

BobP · Post by **BobP** » May 24 2010 12:02 pm

Ask Topo the Dog ;)

PLC92084 · Post by **PLC92084** » May 24 2010 12:07 pm

A

chumley wrote:Any thoughts on Topo, or other words that Dubya might have misunderpronuncicated?

You mean apart from nucular!?

Let's not go there...

See how Dictionary.com pronounces tomato(e)... English rules generally state a vowel followed with a single consonant and a vowel makes the vowel "long" (or something like that). How would one pronounce Hobo? or Robo?

I'm sure this will spark copious debate among the scholarly!

chumley · Post by **chumley** » May 24 2010 12:21 pm

rlrjamy wrote:Ask Topo the Dog ;)

its pronounced "woof"?

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » May 24 2010 12:43 pm

I admit I am a bit obsessive about grammar and spelling. However, I have always said "Toe poe" rather than "top oh." I can see the logic in saying "top oh" since it is simply a shortened form of "topographic." It is also logical to say "toe poe" because of the rules of English spelling, which Vista-with-numbers has pointed out.

So I don't have an opinion. Amazing, I know. Hate to disappoint.

But maybe there is no "right" way since it is bascially slang anyway.

Incidentally, do you prefer "KIL-oh-meter" or "kil AHM eter?" (I myself prefer "mile." MacE. probably goes with "click." ;) )

And while I have your attention, "it's" ALWAYS means "it is" and "its" is ALWAYS the possessive pronoun. And definitely is definitely spelled definitely, NOT definately. It's de finite answer in its true form.

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » May 24 2010 12:55 pm

I'll admit that I used to say "Top-oh" until I found myself working with NGIA-types and married to someone who makes and evaluates maps. Every time I said it I would get thrashed so I've adopted the seemingly more correct "Toh-Poh."

azbackpackr · Post by **azbackpackr** » May 24 2010 1:00 pm

So, do you say "clicks" as I suggested you might?

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » May 24 2010 1:12 pm

azbackpackr wrote:So, do you say "clicks" as I suggested you might?

Yes; that's a tough one to break...

hippiepunkpirate · Post by **hippiepunkpirate** » May 24 2010 1:13 pm

Honestly, I switch between the two

Al_HikesAZ · Post by **Al_HikesAZ** » May 24 2010 1:24 pm

It's just one crazy language.
I say Toe-poes for Top-agrafik maps.
I was an EEEcon major studying ehkanamics.
hellacopters become Heelos.
Depending on the neighborhood it's OOORAH, HOOAHH or HOOYAAHH ;) But OORAH is my native tongue.

kevinweitzel75 · Post by **kevinweitzel75** » May 24 2010 3:38 pm

Top-oh for me, but have heard it the other way also. Never really bothers me. Spent some time in Idaho and funny the different names for things.
Pick up trucks - Rigs
Glove compartment - Jocky box
Soda - Pop or soda pop
wash - worsh
yellow - yella
tomarrow - tomooorrow (spelling thing)
whisky - drink
sheep - dang smelly things (cowboys only)

berkforbes · Post by **berkforbes** » May 24 2010 8:36 pm

The best for me is when people turn creek into "crick" never figured out how that happened.. Oh, cant forget about those people out there trying to "axe" me questions, that hurts.. :stretch:

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » May 24 2010 8:41 pm

berkforbes wrote:The best for me is when people turn creek into "crick" never figured out how that happened.. Oh, cant forget about those people out there trying to "axe" me questions, that hurts.. :stretch:

Those same people always seem to be "Fixin'" to do something rather than ever actually doing it...

PLC92084 · Post by **PLC92084** » May 24 2010 9:02 pm

And for those who pronounce oil as oal... makes one wonder about aluminum "foal"... or would that be aluminium? What would you call a baby horse!?

joebartels · Post by **joebartels** » May 24 2010 9:04 pm

kevinweitzel75 wrote:Glove compartment - Jocky box

Mees 'bout to skin yella if yedon't callita a cubbyhole, kapeesh ;)

Q: if you're east of Bama, where are you?
A: ienjoyedya

Q: if you had a good time... ah nevermind

writelots · Post by **writelots** » May 25 2010 8:17 am

I'll weigh in, since I work with "toe-poe" in my professional life as well as in my recreational one... I've spoken with dozens of engineers, architects and ecologists that use the long "o" pronunciation, and never heard one that used the short. I think you might end up the butt of some jokes if you did that. Like a colleague of mine who used to say "oh-bly-ke" instead of "oblique"...

big_load · Post by **big_load** » May 25 2010 8:33 am

writelots wrote:I've spoken with dozens of engineers, architects and ecologists that use the long "o" pronunciation, and never heard one that used the short.

I'm one of them. At least I have an excuse.

Jeffshadows · Post by **Jeffshadows** » May 25 2010 8:44 am

PLC92084 wrote:And for those who pronounce oil as oal... makes one wonder about aluminum "foal"... or would that be aluminium? What would you call a baby horse!?

Better than the Brits: "Al-you-min-e-yum."

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » May 25 2010 10:19 am

top-oh-graf-ick
top-oh makes sense

teva, is tevva, not tee-vah
you say tomah-toe, i say #9$@ you

anyways, "wordrification and pronuncifyin' is my specialty." G.W. Bush

BobP · Post by **BobP** » May 25 2010 10:35 am

I just hope I never have to be saved by a "corpseman". Obama pronuncy.... I also liked his Massatoosits....I wonder how he pronuncies bah-stin.

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