54 replies to this topic

[BrooklynIRT]

Years ago when I knew almost nothing about Brooklyn and knew practically nobody from Brooklyn I thought the pronunciation for Nostrand was NAH-strand.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To all of the transit linguists out here I'll give you two subway stations in Brooklyn and leave it up to you to give the correct pronuciations. Schermerhorn and Kosciusko. I'll just say that different ethnic backgrounds and neighborhoods have put their own spin on these names in my 60+ years as a Brooklynite. Sort of a " Houston" Street thing or how a "real" New Yorker never calls Sixth Avenue the" Avenue of the Americas".I await your responses as I think VG8 probably knows the "correctt" pronunciations vs the Brooklyn ones. Dutch and Polish visitors to Brooklyn probably shake their heads when we Brooklynites speak these names.

Growing up as a kid in Brooklyn these two streets I had trouble with, mainly because I guess the words were long, but also because oddly enough, I grew up with a speech impediment, so I had problems saying certain words in English. Growing up speaking Spanish & Italian actually helped me to perfect my English. Eventually through speech therapy I perfected my English to the point that I have no problem with any words. Basically, Schermerhorn is prounced "Skermerhorn". I believe some folks say Skimmerhorn though. lol As for the Kosciusko... Here you go...

http://www.howjsay.c...o&submit=Submit

See for Schermerhorn, it's easy for me because in Italian the "Che" for us is pronounced as a "k" like the Spanish "¿Qué?"

I learned how to pronounce Spuyten Duyvil from the announcements on an M7. Probably never would have figured it out otherwise lol.

Note that the pronunciation of Spuyten Duyvil can vary though. The lazy way is Spy-tin Die-vil, but a neighbor of mine who works on my floor in my building used it the other day and he said it the way the Dutch would say it. I was surprised that he could though because Dutch is a rough language. For me it isn't a problem either because I speak some German which is similar to Dutch, in terms of sounds and the level of roughness.

Edited by Via Garibaldi 8, 09 May 2012 - 08:59 PM.

[B35 via Church]

Paerdegat Ave

I know some people who pronouce it "Patergat", but I'd pronounce it "Per-de-gat"

the 1st 'e' sounds like an 'h' and the 1st 'a' is stressed a little.... so, pahh-de-git....

it's not "per", and it aint "pie-err"/"pie-air" (I laugh when ppl. say it like that)

[Joe]

the 1st 'e' sounds like an 'h' and the 1st 'a' is stressed a little.... so, pahh-de-git....

it's not "per", and it aint "pie-err"/"pie-air" (I laugh when ppl. say it like that)

Hah, I knew you'd respond. I get a kick out of all the ways that one is pronounced.

[lilbluefoxie]

what about Copley Square, I hear that theres like the Boston way to pronounce it, and liek the non boston way

[553 Bridgeton]

Dont forget Houston Street. Most New Yorkers pronce it (House-Ton)Street and not the same way as that famous city in Texas.

I pronounced that wrong for years! I member years back some lady asked me where House-ton st was an im like you mean Houston st. Lol long story short someone else jumped in an corrected me.

[VWM]

See for Schermerhorn, it's easy for me because in Italian the "Che" for us is pronounced as a "k" like the Spanish "¿Qué?"

I never really had a problem with that street, because there's a duplicate in Merrick.

[checkmatechamp13]

Alright, I got a couple:

* Brabant Street (is it Bray-bant or Brah-bant?)

* Simonson Avenue (Sim-on-son or Simon-son like the name?)

* Walloon Street (I'm pretty sure it's Wah-loon, but could it be Way-loon)

How about this one: Fteley Avenue in The Bronx

[Lance]

How about this one: Fteley Avenue in The Bronx

Fuh-tell-ay?

[B35 via Church]

Alright, I got a couple:

* Brabant Street (is it Bray-bant or Brah-bant?)

* Simonson Avenue (Sim-on-son or Simon-son like the name?)

* Walloon Street (I'm pretty sure it's Wah-loon, but could it be Way-loon)

How about this one: Fteley Avenue in The Bronx

lemme do it this way, instead of bolding the answer in the quote...

1) neither... it's "brabbint".

2) depends which one you're talking about....
simonson pl in SI is simmon-son.... simonson st in queens is simon-son...

3) Walloon rhymes with balloon, so your first one is right....

4) fuddalay/fuhdalay (say it like it's one word, don't stress the syllables)

Edited by B35 via Church, 13 May 2012 - 04:27 PM.

[checkmatechamp13]

lemme do it this way, instead of bolding the answer in the quote...

1) neither... it's "brabbint".

2) depends which one you're talking about....
simonson pl in SI is simmon-son.... simonson st in queens is simon-son...

3) Walloon rhymes with balloon, so your first one is right....

4) fuddalay/fuhdalay (say it like it's one word, don't stress the syllables)

1) I've never heard it said that way before, but I guess...

2) I was actually thinking of Simonson Avenue in Mariners' Harbor. Simonson Place is in Port Richmond. When the B/O on the S46 announced it, he pronounced it like the Queens one.

3) Gotcha.

4) Makes sense.

[MHV9218]

"Foch Blvd"... is it pronounced "foke" or "fotch"?
"Vesey st"... is it "vess-see" or "vay-z"

Neither! Friend of mine lived on it for years, locals always called vee-zee.

Basically, Schermerhorn is prounced "Skermerhorn." I believe some folks say Skimmerhorn though.

Lol, that street still makes me chuckle. Thanfully I say "sker-mer-horn" now, but my mispronunciations over the years...Shmemhorn street, Skermeehun street, etc. etc. I must have gotten some odd looks. As for the Kosciuszko, the best I can do is Koz-key-oos-koh, that's it. Wrong, but I can't do it.

Here's one, Loisaida Avenue. For me it's always been Loh-ees-ai-dah Avenue, but then I hear people saying Lou-ees-ee-ai-da and it messes me up...it's loh-ees-ai-dah, right?

[B35 via Church]

Neither! Friend of mine lived on it for years, locals always called vee-zee.

ok, so how is Foch Blvd pronounced ?

Here's one, Loisaida Avenue. For me it's always been Loh-ees-ai-dah Avenue, but then I hear people saying Lou-ees-ee-ai-da and it messes me up...it's loh-ees-ai-dah, right?

not sure, but I tend to hear ppl. go "low-sidah"....

Edited by B35 via Church, 13 May 2012 - 07:49 PM.

[MHV9218]

ok, so how is Foch Blvd pronounced ?

not sure, but I tend to hear ppl. go "low-sidah"....

My bad, only meant to quote the second. I've never figured out which it was myself, went with Foke though. Yeah, low-sidah is another one I hear.

[checkmatechamp13]

Lol, that street still makes me chuckle. Thanfully I say "sker-mer-horn" now, but my mispronunciations over the years...Shmemhorn street, Skermeehun street, etc. etc. I must have gotten some odd looks. As for the Kosciuszko, the best I can do is Koz-key-oos-koh, that's it. Wrong, but I can't do it.

Here's one, Loisaida Avenue. For me it's always been Loh-ees-ai-dah Avenue, but then I hear people saying Lou-ees-ee-ai-da and it messes me up...it's loh-ees-ai-dah, right?

When I was a little kid, I never even bothered pronouncing it. Then I heard my dad say it, and I realized it was fairly easy to say.

In any case, I would pronounce it Low-iss-eye-da Avenue.

[BZGuy]

what about Copley Square, I hear that theres like the Boston way to pronounce it, and liek the non boston way

Boston Way: Cope-Lee Square

Non Boston Way: Cop-Lee Square

[B35 via Church]

since I was out in suffolk yesterday...


* speonk - spee-onk
* quogue - kwogg (rhymes with fog)
* quiogue - kwee-ogg
* aquebogue - a-kwee-uh-bogg
* hauppauge - hopp-ogg
* cutchogue - cutch-ogg
* patchogue - patch-ogg
* napeague - nappy-ogg (lol)

ok, enough of the "ogg's"....

* babylon - bab-ba-lon (not baby-lon.. lmao)
* copiague - co-paygg
* islandia - eye-lan-dee-uh
* islip - ice-lip (some lady on the train yesterday said "central iss-lip".... then a man that was helping her out w/ directions [and everyone else in the area about to disembark @ jamaica - myself included] corrected the incorrect pronunciation of this one).....
* commack - co-mack (rhymes with throw back).... (not cum-mack or comm-ack)
* wyandanch - wiine-danch (2 syllables, not 3.... saying it like wy-ann-danch might make you a target out there by the riff raff)
* centereach - cenn-a-reach (the "ter" is not stressed)
* ronkonkoma - ron-conn-kuh-muh (not ron-conn-coma)
* moriches - muh-rich-iss

connetquot (not a town/city, but I'll include this one anyway) - conn-uh-quo ("quo", as in, status quo)

[Astoria Line]

Neither! Friend of mine lived on it for years, locals always called vee-zee.



Lol, that street still makes me chuckle. Thanfully I say "sker-mer-horn" now, but my mispronunciations over the years...Shmemhorn street, Skermeehun street, etc. etc. I must have gotten some odd looks. As for the Kosciuszko, the best I can do is Koz-key-oos-koh, that's it. Wrong, but I can't do it.

Here's one, Loisaida Avenue. For me it's always been Loh-ees-ai-dah Avenue, but then I hear people saying Lou-ees-ee-ai-da and it messes me up...it's loh-ees-ai-dah, right?

I lived in LES for 16 years and always pronounced it as loh-es-ay-duh, but i've heard low-sidah and low-es-ah-da. I think it is loh-es-ay-duh tho.

[yardlet6]

My bad, only meant to quote the second. I've never figured out which it was myself, went with Foke though. Yeah, low-sidah is another one I hear.

Foch rhymes with watch. I live in there.

[Joel Up Front]

since I was out in suffolk yesterday...


* speonk - spee-onk
* quogue - kwogg (rhymes with fog)
* quiogue - kwee-ogg
* aquebogue - a-kwee-uh-bogg
* hauppauge - hopp-ogg
* cutchogue - cutch-ogg
* patchogue - patch-ogg
* napeague - nappy-ogg (lol)

ok, enough of the "ogg's"....

* babylon - bab-ba-lon (not baby-lon.. lmao)
* copiague - co-paygg
* islandia - eye-lan-dee-uh
* islip - ice-lip (some lady on the train yesterday said "central iss-lip".... then a man that was helping her out w/ directions [and everyone else in the area about to disembark @ jamaica - myself included] corrected the incorrect pronunciation of this one).....
* commack - co-mack (rhymes with throw back).... (not cum-mack or comm-ack)
* wyandanch - wiine-danch (2 syllables, not 3.... saying it like wy-ann-danch might make you a target out there by the riff raff)
* centereach - cenn-a-reach (the "ter" is not stressed)
* ronkonkoma - ron-conn-kuh-muh (not ron-conn-coma)
* moriches - muh-rich-iss

connetquot (not a town/city, but I'll include this one anyway) - conn-uh-quo ("quo", as in, status quo)

I'm from Long ****ing Island and I just WTFed at the -ogue places. I still put my own spin on pronunciations ("Mo-rich-ess," CenTEReach to name a few...) I invite those bros to come at me if they're going to get mad at how I pronounce their city...

"Copiague" is closer to "koh-pee-yaig" but that's just me. I don't live in Suffolk so I wouldn't know.

"Houston Street" is.. well, it's obvious to any New Yorker but until I was 16 I thought it was pronounced like the Texas city.

"Van Wyck" is "Wick." I don't care if the guy was Dutch or whatever, half the city was named after something Dutch and look at how we fooked up their names. What's one more mispronunciation?

As for "Brooklyn," it's "Brook-lyn." I've had plenty of Brooklynite instructors throughout my school career and they all pronounce it the same way... never heard the (more closer to the original) "Bruke-len," but where the hell do people get "Bruck-len" from?