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General Category => Discover Seattle! => Topic started by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 07:46

Title: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 07:46
I've noticed on the CTV News, there is a reporter named St. John Alexander (I think it's Alexander)

Anyway, they call him Sin Jin (that's my interpretation of how you'd spell it).  I thought it was curious, but interesting (ish)

  But tonight there was a news story about some fellow also named St. John Something, and they pronounced HIS name Sin Jin also.

  Can anyone shed some light on this ?  This is the only place I have ever heard this version of the name St. John, and it's got me curious now.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: kitten on Jan 04 07 07:48
It is common in England to pronounce it in that fashion.  And before you ask, I haven't the faintest idea why, it just is.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: purelife on Jan 04 07 07:50
It's the British accent that makes it sound like "Sin Jin."  I think that I've heard of this before.  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 07:54
Thanks purelife.  But the people who are calling him Sin Jin, aren't British.  Does this make a difference ?  It's on CTV 9....Pamela Martin and Bill Good.  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: kitten on Jan 04 07 08:21
It's probably how he pronounces it, so they are copying him.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 08:23
That's what I thought too, Kitten.  What sent that notion out the window, was when they were doing a news story tonight about 'John Doe'  whose name happened to be St. John, they called HIM that TOO.  That's when I became curious about it.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: kingy on Jan 04 07 08:53
they were probably so used to saying sinjin instead of st john and misread the teleprompter?
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 09:00
kingy.....I thought if anyone was going to have the right answer to this, it would by YOU.  You could certainly be right, (I don't have the luxury of a 'ready answer') but I'm not 100% sold on that one.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on Jan 04 07 09:43
This was all I could come up with on a google search.

I guess it follows in the same vein as 'An historical' .

   What about those with names St. John pronounced Sinjun or St. Clair pronounced Sinclair?
Oliver Crispin, London
I don't speak Old English or Old Scots. Neither does anybody else. It's pretentious upper-class twaddle.
Neil Hoskins, Aylesbury, UK


Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Jay Wrich on May 13 07 11:33
From what I've been told, it's an old British name.  Spelled "St John" but pronounced "Sinjin".   It's not common in the UK, but they've heard of it.

  After I heard it on the news, the first time in my life, I kept hearing it again!

  I saw it in a Bond film, 007 was undercover and when his name was read aloud they mis-prounounced it Saint John.  He then corrected them in his sultry way, Smithe, 'Sinjin' Smithe.

  It was the same name the new priest had such a hard time pronouncing in Four Weddings and a Funeral.  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 14 07 08:20
I've noticed SinJin too.

Who would name their kid "Saint"? Or Saint John?

C'mon, That kid would have less trouble in school if his parents had named him Gilligan.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Orca on May 14 07 09:59
Hi P.C.

I am a Mac (hehehee) ...

  If it is a first name, I would think that it is Sinjin, as St. John is usually lastname.

For example: Sinjin Smith the famous Beach Volleyball player.

  or it could be the name like James Bond character (Roger Moore) in View to a Kill, he posed as a person named James St. John Smythe, the St. John there is pronounced as 'sin-jin'
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Gopher on May 14 07 11:21
Two surname peculiarities:

  Featherstonehaugh pronounced Fanshaw

  Cholmondeley pronounced Chumly
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: kitten on May 14 07 11:23
Also Worcestershire Sauce was pronounced Woostershire when I was a child.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Sportsdude on May 14 07 11:24
I grew up around germans, we've got funny last names.  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Gopher on May 14 07 11:30
Yes, I know. Some of them are incredible when you translate them into English, Herr Tischbein (Mr Table-leg)
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Orca on May 14 07 11:36
Since this is DiscoverSeattle, can you guys pronounce Puyallup??
[A href="vny!://www.cityofpuyallup.org/"]vny!://www.cityofpuyallup.org/[/A]
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: kitten on May 14 07 11:38
I think it's "poo-YALL-up", but I'm not sure.
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Gopher on May 14 07 12:07
Some more weirdies:

  Cockburn (Coburn)

Beauchamp (Beecham)

Menzies (Mingis)

and - best of all -

Woolfhardisworthy (Woolsery)  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on May 14 07 01:41
There's another one.  This person used to always phone and book a t-time, and I spelled their name wrong forever.  I finally got it.  

  Toews - pronounced Taves  (???)
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Orca on May 15 07 07:39
Puyallup = pew (as in church pew) - all - up

    Clendinneng = Clen-de-ning

Nenad = Na-ned

  (* scooby-doo voice: huh? *)
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: P.C. on May 15 07 08:00
Puyallup......I prefer to pronounce this as Pooy-a-loop [img style="CURSOR: pointer" onclick=url(this.src); src="vny!://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/smilie/frech/c025.gif" border=0]
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 15 07 10:15
P.C. wrote:
There's another one.  This person used to always phone and book a t-time, and I spelled their name wrong forever.  I finally got it.  



Toews - pronounced Taves  (???)

  This name is known (don't wanna say common) in Winnipeg and Manitoba because of the Conservative MP Vic Toews.

It's Mennonite, (German).
 
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: weird al on May 15 07 10:22
So then that 'V' sound makes perfect sense, as does the "A" sound of 'oe'.

Always wondered about that name, like how are you really supposed to pronounce it. Now I know. Thank god for the internet!
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 15 07 10:23
Anyone else reminded of this Monty Python sketch?

   
[TBODY]
[TR vAlign=top] [TD][FONT color=#0000bf]Spetgwpdt :[/FONT][/TD] [TD][FONT id=John]Ah! Mr Luxury Yacht. Do sit down, please.[/FONT] [/TD][/TR] [TR vAlign=top] [TD][FONT color=#800000]Mr Luxury Yacht :[/FONT][/TD] [TD][FONT id=Graham]Ah, no, no. My name is spelt 'Luxury Yacht' but it's pronounced 'Throatwobbler Mangrove'.[/FONT] [/TD][/TR] [TR vAlign=top] [TD][FONT color=#0000bf]Spetgwpdt :[/FONT][/TD] [TD][FONT id=John]Well, do sit down then Mr Throatwobbler Mangrove.[/FONT] [/TD][/TR] [TR vAlign=top] [TD][FONT color=#800000]Mr Luxury Yacht :[/FONT][/TD] [TD][FONT id=Graham]Thank you.[/FONT] [/TD][/TR][/TBODY][/TABLE]  
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 15 07 12:58
[img id=img style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: black 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1px solid" alt="TinyPic image" src="vny!://i17.tinypic.com/66el8xt.jpg" border=0].
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: tenkani on May 15 07 01:45
LOLz. Amazing how Python stands the test of time.

  *insert funny pic here*
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 15 07 02:03
[img id=fullSizedImage alt=arguing2.gif src="vny!://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d149/lookslikecrap/arguing2.gif?t=1179262907" _extended="true"].
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: tenkani on May 15 07 03:19
*squintz*
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Schadenfreude on May 15 07 03:22
tenkani wrote:
*squintz*  

 *wince*

 [img id=fullSizedImage alt=DominatrixKickNuts.gif src="vny!://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d149/lookslikecrap/DominatrixKickNuts.gif?t=1179267657" _extended="true"]

 
Title: Re: Pronunciation dilemma
Post by: Gopher on May 17 07 11:26
 Some years after the death of her beloved Albert, the well-weeded widow Victoria was at last successfully persuaded to hold a banquet at the palace.
 
A magnificent assemblage of the great and good of the land waited patiently outside the nble edifice in horse-drawn carriages until protocol dictated that the occupants of each should make their entrances and their presence be announced to the Queen.
 
No unjustifiably somewhat overawed by the occasion, each couple stepped nervously into the Imperial Presence where they were loudly announced by Candlestick At The Ready who relished this duty far more than his nightly ceremonial standing outside the Royal Bedchamber, golden candlestick in hand, until a discreet cough from the other side of the door signified his presence to be no longer required.
 
"The Cockburns, Your Majesty," he boomed, carefully articulating each syllable, as he announced the arrival of a newly wedded pair from the highlands.
 
The Queen was not amused.
 
And from that day the name was pronounced Coburn.