Why don't Americans have field marshals? (1 Viewer)

[Marianne]

Oops

 

[Dave Hahn]

The spelling (and we can assume, pronunciation) was Temese or Tamesis in the middle ages. This, by an obvious route, became 'tems' in pronunciation . . .

Thanks for clearing that one up Andrew!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Actually, "Worcester" is pronounced "Wooster" here in the states too. Worcester, Mass is pronounced "Wooster" (actually, it's "Woostah" ), not "Worchester".

 

[Holadem]

I've always heard (and said) "New Han-sure".

--
H

 

[Dave Hahn]

I've always heard (and said) "New Han-sure".

From my experience, New Hampshire natives, (hard to find these days with the influx of state-income-tax-fleeing Bay-Staters), pronounce it "New-hampsha", the 'r' being lost somewhere deep in the back woods . . .

Here in Connecticut, the city of Greenwich is pronounced "Gren-ich" nothing green about it. Elsewhere in the state, the Thames River, in New London is pronounced Thames, no 'tems' about it.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That's interesting; what region of the country do you live in? I've definitely heard that pronunciation before, but everyone I've known living in the Mid-Atlantic states and now New England pronounces the "p".
Merriam-Webster's entry supports my pronunciation: nü 'hamp-sh

r.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I thought Massachusetts people only went as far north as Nashua to eat turkey at that "turkey farm" restaurant.

What do you call a person from Massachusetts? A Massachusite?

 

[Marianne]

I was just referring to the sauce, which is "WorcesterSHIRE" pronounced "Wooster" (without the "shire").

 

[andrew markworthy]

I was just referring to the sauce, which is "WorcesterSHIRE" pronounced "Wooster" (without the "shire").

Same in the UK. I lived in Worcester (where they really do make the sauce) and I never heard anyone call it 'Worcestershire Sauce' even though that's what it says on the bottle. A propos - if you ever get the chance to try the limited edition vintage Worcester Sauce from Lee and Perrins, I can strongly recommend it.

 

[Marianne]

Americans generally do pronounce it "Worcestershire" (Wor-ces-ter-shire) when referring to the sauce.

The English pronunciation of Worcestershire (the county) is "Woostershur", as you know!

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Not in my part of the US. We know that "Worcester" is "Wooster" and "Worcestershire" is "Woostershur" (although sometimes you hear "Woostersheer")..

 

[Michael Harris]

When I arrived in London to begin what became a four year tour of duty with the Navy, the passport inspector at Heathrow asked me where I'll be working. I told him Grosvenor Square and pronounced it the way it was spelled. The inspector chuckled and told me it was "grove-ner". I thanked him and never made that mistake. During my time on London I found myself referring to the sidewalk as the pavement, the trunk as the boot (but never the hood as the bonnet), etc.

 

[Dave Hahn]

What do you call a person from Massachusetts? A Massachusite?

Well, the friends and family I have in New Hampshire usually call them, um, Massholes, usually on the road, usually preceded or followed by $*%$ Boston drivers.

 

[JeremyErwin]

Eisenhower's Fifth Star

After The Great War, Pershing was promoted to the rank of General of the Armies. During World War II, Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Bradley, and Arnold were promoted to the five star rank,General of the Army. Since Army is the singular of Armies, it was thought that Pershing's rank might be six stars, even though he wore no more than four.
Similarly, Leahy, King, Halsey, and Nimitz held the rank of Fleet Admiral, also a five star rank.

Officially, George Washington holds the highest rank-- General of the Armies of the United States. More stars will be added as needed to preserve this precedence... But, since he was a mere general, the grades "Field Marshal" and "Grand Marshal" (not to mention "Generalissimo") would be putting on airs.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

When I was working at Lockheed in the mid 1980's I supervised a subcontract performed by Norden in Nashua, so I was there a lot. There were lots of unmarked MA cop cars in the parking lots of all of the "state line" tax-free discount liquor stores. They would follow cars with MA plates back across the border and bust them for bootlegging.

I did buy a lot of shoes at the Dexter outlet store north of Nashua though. Lots of really good deals bach then.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

They would follow cars with MA plates back across the border and bust them for bootlegging.

That's actually considered bootlegging? People here in GA drive to TN and SC all the time to buy fireworks since they're illegal here but I've never heard of anyone getting busted for it.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Not in my part of the US. We know that "Worcester" is "Wooster" and "Worcestershire" is "Woostershur" (although sometimes you hear "Woostersheer")..

I think this must be a New England phenomenon. Growing up in upstate New York, it was always Wor-ces-ter-sure Sauce. However, we did have a vague inkling of Whoo-ster Poly. From my Boston vantage point Worchester, MA is invariably "Woosta" and so is the sauce.

EDIT: I see New Hampshire natives share New York's sentiments.

 

[Yee-Ming]

My guess would either be 'title inflation', since "admiral' somewhere in the title sounds more impressive than a mere "commodore", or consistency with the Army ranks was sought in that all flag officers in the Army are "generals" of one sort or another. I think the Singapore Navy used the "Commodore" rank until fairly recently, until a commodore switched to politics and became a minister about 10-15 years ago, when he suddenly became a rear-admiral instead, hence my suspicion of title inflation.

(One other oddity of the Singapore Navy's ranks is that below flag rank, they use the same ranks as the Army. Presumably so that our local idiots don't get confused as to why an Army captain is no big deal, but a Navy captain is.)

Another pronunciation oddity: Birmingham in Alabama would to the Americans be "burr-ming-ham", like in ham and eggs, but to the Brits the city in the UK Midlands is "burr-ming-em".

 

[Jeff Gatie]

That's not a Brit/American thing. Right on Cape Cod, within a 1/2 hour drive from each other, are the towns of Eastham and Chatham, pronounced "East-Ham" (accent on the 'Ham') and "Chat-um" (accent on the 'Chat'). There's also Dedham (Ded-um) and Wareham (Wear-Ham), Needham (Need-um) and Waltham (Wal-Tham) and most curious of all Stoneham (pronounced both 'Stone-um' and 'Stone-Ham' depending on how old you are and what part of town you hail from).

 

[Marianne]

And, of course, Glostah, Mass.