Bloopers! Homos, aryans, and hi-undies...

[JeffM]

Now that RD is up and running again (HURRAY!) I thought I'd like to share some clunkers I heard while you good folks were away.

The local CBS station's new hi-tech (yeah right) automation often triggers late or early, causing "Wally Ballou" transitions between sources. Some CBS newscasts included a commercial for a mortgage-refinance outfit; the first line was something like "Are you a home-owner drowning in debt?" One Sunday afternoon, a story on World AIDS Day was followed by what sounded like "Are you a home-o?" [click] (local weather sounder)!


An announcer at another station cluster apparently unfamiliar with the brand "Ariens Snow Blowers" (pronounced Aaron's) recorded his commercial copy pronouncing it as "Aryan Snow Blowers!" It apparently passed continuity and ran for a couple days until the Ariens dealer ordered it fixed. (Except maybe on the right-wing talk stations?)


Finally, one of those used-car dealers who just insists on doing his own commercials has a unique pronunciation of Hyundai. "We got Fords! We got Toyotas! We got Chevys! We got HI-UNDIES!!" Well, he does sound like somebody just gave him a wedgie...

 

[hm insulators]

Not on the radio, but just today on The Weather Channel, they were talking about the forecasts in New York City and Philadelphia and she clearly blooped, "Philly and New York Silly, your weather..."

Years ago, I was driving near Sedona, Arizona and listening to the local sports-talk show on an AM station there and somehow, the two hosts got their headphone cords tangled and for about a minute, you could hear them trying to unsnarl themselves: "Okay, let's try this...Now go over here..." or something like that, and at one point, there was a very loud SCREECH of feedback and one says, "HEL-llooo!" in response.

Many years ago, I was living in Hawaii and I was listening to a University of Hawaii (then called the Rainbows; they're now the Warriors) football game on the radio--KKUA in Honolulu was the flagship station but the game was simulcast on other stations across the islands. The Rainbows played poorly during the first half--interceptions, fumbles, dropped passes, you name it and were lucky to be down by only three touchdowns at that point. At the end of the half, a sideline announcer asked the head coach, "After a performance like that, what are you going to tell the team?" The coach's response, heard in all eight Hawaiian Islands: "WE WEREN'T WORTH A SH&T!!!"

 

[LKellerIII]

Now that RD is up and running again (HURRAY!) I thought I'd like to share some clunkers I heard while you good folks were away.



Finally, one of those used-car dealers who just insists on doing his own commercials has a unique pronunciation of Hyundai. "We got Fords! We got Toyotas! We got Chevys! We got HI-UNDIES!!" Well, he does sound like somebody just gave him a wedgie...

Don't know who that car dealer is, but I do recall that in the 60s or early 70s, the late exalted Cal Worthingon, who had a Dodge dealership at the time, would mispronounce the Dodge Monaco as "Mon-AH-co." I recall that Cal also referred to Chevys as "Chivvies."

When Hyundais first came to this country, the manufacturer wanted the name to be pronounced "Hi-oon-die," kind of like its spelled. The "Hun-day" pronunciation came along later.

 

[JeffM]

When Hyundais first came to this country, the manufacturer wanted the name to be pronounced "Hi-oon-die," kind of like its spelled. The "Hun-day" pronunciation came along later.

Not really too surprising that foreign-language brands change pronunciation (or spelling) when they cross the ocean; the French founder of the Bic ballpoint pen was Marcel Bich! Same happens to US brands; I remember hearing a Spanish-language commercial for Colgate Dental Cream toothpaste; the product name was pronounced "Col-GAH-tay!" Glad you enjoyed the bloopers; that's one thing radio will never run out of.

 

[LKellerIII]

Don't know who that car dealer is, but I do recall that in the 60s or early 70s, the late exalted Cal Worthingon, who had a Dodge dealership at the time, would mispronounce the Dodge Monaco as "Mon-AH-co." I recall that Cal also referred to Chevys as "Chivvies."

When Hyundais first came to this country, the manufacturer wanted the name to be pronounced "Hi-oon-die," kind of like its spelled. The "Hun-day" pronunciation came along later.

Just to muddy the waters further - I heard the CEO of Hyundai speak once. Though I don't understand a word of Korean, nor he English apparently (his speech was in Korean), I could pick out the word "Hyundai" numerous times. in Korean, it's pronounced "Chun-day."

Of course this is even true among English speaking countries. I know from watching Top Gear on BBC America, that the British pronounce Nissan "NISS-un," not "Nee-SAHN" as Americans do. And of course, there's Jaguar - "JAG-uah" (British), and Jag-WAHR" (American). We could go on like this for hours.

For some reason, I hadn't noticed until recently that the English pronounce controversy as "con-TRA-versy."

 

[JeffM]

Right again; what was it someone said about British and Americans; "two people separated by the same language?" I bet you'd get a kick out of the public-radio series "A Way With Words." And of course, Nissan autos used to be called Datsun; which brought about the politically incorrect but very funny joke about a Japanese car maker who hired a Swedish ad man to name his new auto; he said, "I need a name for my car by tomorrow!", to which the Swede replied, "Dot soon?" (Hey, I'm half a Swede myself and I think it's hilarious, so sue me!)

 

[anotherguyTN]

A former pastor of the church I grew up in used to breed daschund puppies, and he would advertise them on the local swap and shop radio show. One time he got a call from someone wanting to know what year model that Daschund was, thinking he meant the car.

 

[LKellerIII]

A former pastor of the church I grew up in used to breed daschund puppies, and he would advertise them on the local swap and shop radio show. One time he got a call from someone wanting to know what year model that Daschund was, thinking he meant the car.

Yes - many years ago, I owned a Daschund 510.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Since they were brought up in another thread, when the group Mocedades had their hit record in the US, a local DJ in my area kept calling them the MOKE-DADES, like in Dade County, FL.

Another local DJ had read a news report about when Elvis's doctor was on trial, and the report said that he claimed he gave Elvis placebos, which he pronounced as PLACE-BOS.

 

[firepoint525]

Hey, anotherguy, you had to know that I would weigh in! Down in west Tennessee where I am from, and where you apparently still live, we have the oft-mispronounced town names of Medina (oft-mispronounced like the Tone Loc '80s hit), and Milan, probably named for the Italian city of the same name, but with an Americanized pronunciation. And then there is the county that I came from Obion, often mispronounced as "oh-beyond," without the "d" of course. Although if the county name were "Orion," I have a feeling that no one would mispronounce it. Just substitute the "b" for the "r" and you have it. If we had kept the French-Irish (and possibly even native American) spelling of "O'Bion," almost no one would have any problem with it.

Just across the river, we have New Madrid over in the show-me state, often mistaken for its Spanish counterpart, but with the accent Americanized to the first syllable.

Here in the midstate, we have our own mispronounced names. "Celina" often gets the same type of mispronunciation as "Medina," and then there is "Murfreesboro." Don't know why, but outsiders want to emphasize the "freeze" in the middle syllable. (I used to live on Murfreesboro Road, so I had plenty of experience with that one!) Even those who know how to pronounce it usually call it "Murphysboro," like the town in southern Illinois. (They just miss the second "r" in the name.) "Lafayette" also often gets mispronounced here, usually like the Lafayettes in other states. And then there is "Demonbreun"...

 

[firepoint525]

A former pastor of the church I grew up in used to breed daschund puppies, and he would advertise them on the local swap and shop radio show. One time he got a call from someone wanting to know what year model that Daschund was, thinking he meant the car.

Apparently the announcer on your swap-shop station (would this be Dyersburg, by any chance?) pronounced it correctly. The announcers on the UC station usually called them "dash-hounds" (huh?), so apparently no mistaking the dog for the car there!

I remember cringing when someone advertised "shih-tzu" pups for sale on the swap-shop program on the station where I worked (Martin), because I knew how to pronounce them correctly (and did so!) but never heard any negative feedback from it (unlike some stupid story that I had to read (for the FM station) about Michael Jackson's crotch-grabbing--housewives were up in arms over that one!). But at least I (unlike the GM of that station, as I would later find out!) knew what an "armoire" is, and how to pronounce it! I also heard a story from a guy at another station, who asked a caller, "what the hell is a 'bush-hog'?" Yeah, I know what a bush-hog is, too!

 

[firepoint525]

Since they were brought up in another thread, when the group Mocedades had their hit record in the US, a local DJ in my area kept calling them the MOKE-DADES, like in Dade County, FL.

We want to move to the Pensacola area (at least part-time), so I will not only need to learn my way around the town (relatively easy), but how to pronounce the name of the county in which it is located, Escambia County. It has a short "a," like in "camp," but to me, it looks like it should have a long "a," like in "Cambridge." It also borders an Escambia County in Alabama.

And my adopted hometown here in the volunteer state (Pegram) is also often mispronounced. Including by me until I moved here. And the name of the road at the main exit to Pegram (McCrory Lane) is also often mangled.

 

[landtuna]

There is still nothing funnier than "this is the Canadian Broadcorping Castration".

 

[anotherguyTN]

Firepoint,
Yes, the radio bloopers were from Dyersburg. The Daschund call from my ex-pastor was on WTRO's Party Line, which is still on to this day. The Mocedades blooper was on WTRO as well, and the placebos blooper was on WDSG when it was still on the air.

On mispronounced towns you missed Hayti, MO (pronounced HAY-TIE), but most people from other places pronounce it like the Carribean island. I probably pronounce Murfreesboro like the Illinois town as well without thinking, and I have a niece who lives there. And there are streets in Jackson named Lafayette (pronounced LA-FAYE-ETTE, like Fayette County, TN) and Demonbreun. (I'm really not sure how to pronounce that one still! )

My brother went to Union University in Jackson in the 80's and they had a joke about calling it Onion University. I think it also extended to other places with Union in the name. We lived in Unionville, a small community outside Dyersburg, so it became Onionville. Union Planters Bank (now part of Regions) became Onion Planters Bank. I don't know if the joke reached into Onion (Union) City where you lived or not!

 

[JeffM]

We have some French and Native place names that trip up newbies from other markets, as well as out-of-town voices doing agency spots. The biggest culprit is Cloquet. Rhymes with "okay," but gets muffed as "cloak" or "cloquette." (You know, like chicken cloquettes?) Then there's Nebagamon (na-BAG-a-mun) and Kabetogama (cab-a-TOGA-ma.) One that doesn't fit these categories yet still gets flubbed regularly is Ely. It's pronounced E-lee, but often comes out "Eli" as in Wallach. The big blooper for Minneapolis-St. Paul is the city of Wayzata, pronounced "why-ZETta." (Don't ask me why zetta's pronounced that way, it just is! )

 

[firepoint525]

Firepoint,
Yes, the radio bloopers were from Dyersburg. The Daschund call from my ex-pastor was on WTRO's Party Line, which is still on to this day. The Mocedades blooper was on WTRO as well, and the placebos blooper was on WDSG when it was still on the air.

All of that is hilarious! I have heard some horror stories about life at WDSG. I read them here on this board!

And I have always hated call-in swap-n-shop programs. I much preferred to read off the items live myself. That is how I got "armoire" right. Good thing that I did. We have one now! (Although it is mainly for the wife's use.) You can also call them "wardrobes," which we sometimes do.

One that we both missed was the last name "Revell." I am sure that you remember Bill Revell, who was mayor of Dyersburg something like, forever? Anyway, his name was pronounced "ruh-VELL," meanwhile in Obion County, I went to school with kids also named "Revell," only their name was pronounced like "rebel," only with a "v" in place of the "b." Apparently, they liked to revel in the pronunciation of their name.

On mispronounced towns you missed Hayti, MO (pronounced HAY-TIE), but most people from other places pronounce it like the Carribean island. I probably pronounce Murfreesboro like the Illinois town as well without thinking, and I have a niece who lives there. And there are streets in Jackson named Lafayette (pronounced LA-FAYE-ETTE, like Fayette County, TN) and Demonbreun. (I'm really not sure how to pronounce that one still! )

I am wondering if all of the various "Fayettes" in Tennessee (LaFayette, Fayetteville, Fayette County) all have the same namesake. If they do, it would explain the similarity in pronunciation of all of them.

"Demonbreun" is pronounced "da-MUNN-bre-un." Again, if they had kept the original spelling (deMonbreun), it probably would have been more helpful in assisting with pronunciation. I have seen several spelling variations of it, including "DeMontbreun," who was apparently one of the early settlers here in the Nashville area. One local band capitalized on this mispronunciation by calling themselves the "Demon-brewins" or something like that.

My brother went to Union University in Jackson in the 80's and they had a joke about calling it Onion University. I think it also extended to other places with Union in the name. We lived in Unionville, a small community outside Dyersburg, so it became Onionville. Union Planters Bank (now part of Regions) became Onion Planters Bank. I don't know if the joke reached into Onion (Union) City where you lived or not!

I seem to recall having referred to UC as Onion City a time or two, and I am sure that it wasn't just me. Meanwhile, my mother's side of the family was the Runions, and that rhymes with "onion," so make your own jokes. (My mother is originally from Dyer Co., so you may know some of them.)

 

[firepoint525]

We have some French and Native place names that trip up newbies from other markets, as well as out-of-town voices doing agency spots. The biggest culprit is Cloquet. Rhymes with "okay," but gets muffed as "cloak" or "cloquette." (You know, like chicken cloquettes?) Then there's Nebagamon (na-BAG-a-mun) and Kabetogama (cab-a-TOGA-ma.) One that doesn't fit these categories yet still gets flubbed regularly is Ely. It's pronounced E-lee, but often comes out "Eli" as in Wallach. The big blooper for Minneapolis-St. Paul is the city of Wayzata, pronounced "why-ZETta." (Don't ask me why zetta's pronounced that way, it just is! )

We played jazz music at my college radio station. One of the performers that we played was Earl Klugh. I didn't have a "clue" how to pronounce his name!

 

[onairb]

Now that RD is up and running again (HURRAY!) I thought I'd like to share some clunkers I heard while you good folks were away.

The local CBS station's new hi-tech (yeah right) automation often triggers late or early, causing "Wally Ballou" transitions between sources. Some CBS newscasts included a commercial for a mortgage-refinance outfit; the first line was something like "Are you a home-owner drowning in debt?" One Sunday afternoon, a story on World AIDS Day was followed by what sounded like "Are you a home-o?" [click] (local weather sounder)!




An announcer at another station cluster apparently unfamiliar with the brand "Ariens Snow Blowers" (pronounced Aaron's) recorded his commercial copy pronouncing it as "Aryan Snow Blowers!" It apparently passed continuity and ran for a couple days until the Ariens dealer ordered it fixed. (Except maybe on the right-wing talk stations?)


Finally, one of those used-car dealers who just insists on doing his own commercials has a unique pronunciation of Hyundai. "We got Fords! We got Toyotas! We got Chevys! We got HI-UNDIES!!" Well, he does sound like somebody just gave him a wedgie...

I remember a guy doing an ad intended for "homeowners". I heard it as '**** nerds'.
As for 'Hyundai', it took years for people to stop pronouncing the first syllable as 'HON', which made a certain Japanese rival somewhat uncomfortable.

 

[JeffM]

I remember cringing when someone advertised "shih-tzu" pups for sale on the swap-shop program on the station where I worked (Martin), because I knew how to pronounce them correctly (and did so!)

I sure hope nobody ever crosses a bulldog with a Shih-Tzu... ("I don't care WHAT it's called, you can't say THAT on radio!!")

 

[firepoint525]

Got a couple more examples. In 1993, I remember playing Shania Twain over WDXN radio in Clarksville, TN. Only thing is, she was still relatively unknown at that time, so I referred to her as "shuh-NEE-uh." I didn't know any differently, and neither did any listeners at the time, so no one called to correct me.

Now one from the other extreme, and this one made me feel old! A dj at a local radio station played "Kyrie" by Mr. Mister, only he referred to the title as "KY-ree." Evidently, he wasn't born yet at the time it was a hit, or at least he was not old enough to remember it! I still remember the title lyric misinterpreted as "carry a lazer."