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sporqster
sporqster Reader
7/26/13 9:54 a.m.

I've got an old air-cooled Porsh 911. That's a real Porsh - you know, before they had cup holders and radiators like those soccer mom friendly grocery getters they sell today- what a Porsh should be. What? You say I'm saying it wrong? You say my pronunciation is an abomination and you should smack me in the face for blaspheming the sacred order of Ferry Porsh? Funny. No one corrected me when I referred to your truck as a Chevy.

Nathan JansenvanDoorn
Nathan JansenvanDoorn Dork
7/26/13 9:55 a.m.

I say it the way you say it. And I have one too...

turboswede
turboswede GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
7/26/13 9:57 a.m.

Mostly because Porsh typically refers to the ignorant masses that bought them without a clue as to why they are such good cars.

Also there may be some sense of precision that Porsche is known for in the correct pronunciation of the name.

Sort of like Beemers for BMW folks.

Chevy folks don't mind since they can't hear you over their mullets ;)

chandlerGTi
chandlerGTi Dork
7/26/13 10:00 a.m.

I've had a couple(water cooled) and don't understand the pronunciation discrimination.

"In Germany it's pronounced Por-sha"

"In America; you're an idiot."

People get bent out of shape about the wrong things.

Datsun310Guy
Datsun310Guy PowerDork
7/26/13 10:00 a.m.

I remember being sternly corrected on this back in the late 1970's by some dude.

My favorite is TIE-Yota.

oldtin
oldtin UltraDork
7/26/13 10:01 a.m.

Could be that it's a family name and that's how they pronounce it. I like it when people give it a go at pronouncing Fuchs wheels.

poopshovel
poopshovel MegaDork
7/26/13 10:05 a.m.

If you mispronounced my last name, I suppose I might correct you. I don't really care if you mispronounce Ferdinand Porsche's last name, but I pronounce it correctly in the interest of being polite and sounding like I have some clue what I'm talking about (even though I don't.)

sporqster
sporqster Reader
7/26/13 10:08 a.m.

Ferdinand Porsche designed the Porsh. ;-)

Joe Gearin
Joe Gearin Associate Publisher
7/26/13 10:11 a.m.

It may have something to do with porcupines........

as does the Bimmer -- Beemer debate which I've been guilty of

sporqster
sporqster Reader
7/26/13 10:12 a.m.

Bimmer vs Beemer: which is the correct mispronunciation?

Cone_Junky
Cone_Junky Dork
7/26/13 10:16 a.m.
sporqster wrote: Bimmer vs Beemer: which is the correct mispronunciation?

Both

Beemer=BMW motorcycle

Bimmer=BMW automobile

Cuz it really matters

pres589
pres589 SuperDork
7/26/13 10:19 a.m.

Why do anything right?

p.s. GM uses the term "Chevy" in their own ads. Doubt anyone can correct you out of using it at that point.

The_Jed
The_Jed SuperDork
7/26/13 10:22 a.m.

I say Porsche.

But apparently I mispronounce Flah-rida.

bravenrace
bravenrace UltimaDork
7/26/13 10:24 a.m.

Why wouldn't anyone pronounce anything other than the correct way?

stuart in mn
stuart in mn PowerDork
7/26/13 10:27 a.m.
bravenrace wrote: Why wouldn't anyone pronounce anything other than the correct way?

I agree...why is this a problem?

HiTempguy
HiTempguy UltraDork
7/26/13 10:31 a.m.

I say Porch. Those who get it I usually want to be friends with. Those who don't typically need a smack upside the head with the 'chill the berkeley out' stick

Tom_Spangler
Tom_Spangler GRM+ Memberand Dork
7/26/13 10:35 a.m.

I called my 944 a Porsh. And when I win the lottery and buy an E-type, I'll call it a Jag-war. Just to piss off the purists.

chandlerGTi
chandlerGTi Dork
7/26/13 10:35 a.m.
pres589 wrote: Why do anything right? p.s. GM uses the term "Chevy" in their own ads. Doubt anyone can correct you out of using it at that point.

Ive only seen one TV ad for Porshe and found it funny that it was pronounced porsh. If this is really an issue than we can make fun of everyone for not saying jag-U-er.

DoctorBlade
DoctorBlade UltraDork
7/26/13 10:35 a.m.

Is this the same as New York Mayoral Candidate A. Weiner's last name being mispronounced in America? I heard the real pronounciation is "WY-ner"?

http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d730/Anthony_D_Weiner

TRoglodyte
TRoglodyte Dork
7/26/13 10:37 a.m.

Janis Joplin called em Porshees but still wanted a Mercedes Benzzzzz.

octavious
octavious Reader
7/26/13 10:39 a.m.

Let me preface with I don't care either way, and would never correct someone for however they wanted to pronounce it.

I've always said Porsch-a because it was the guys last name and that's how it's said. And you sit on a porch not drive them...

Took my kid to the mom and pop hardware store in the 911 and as we pulled in there is a guy in a Boxster. We get out and make small talk about cars. I told him the porcupine/prick joke only to be greeted with a blank face. I guess not all Porsche drivers get it.

Chris_V
Chris_V UltraDork
7/26/13 10:39 a.m.
turboswede wrote: Mostly because Porsh typically refers to the ignorant masses that bought them without a clue as to why they are such good cars.

This. Why would anyone WANT to be perceived as willfully ignorant? This is part of the problem with society today, holding dumbass opinions for the sake of holding them has gotten to be more important than knowing what you are talking about. Why sound like you're on the set of Idiocracy? Is it some sort of reverse elitist thing where you want to say things wrong just to piss of people who do know what they are talking about?

Might as well say Alpha Romero (and there's a guy around her with a GTV6 that has that on the side of his car in big vinyl letters. Jesus, it's printed correctly on the back, why can't you get it right?)

racerdave600
racerdave600 Dork
7/26/13 10:40 a.m.

Personally I don't care how someone pronounces it, but my German friends did. It seemed like a personal mission sometimes to lead the world in correct pronunciations. I am however pretty critical on incorrect tense usages, so what do I know. But then again I can't spell either, so hopefully no one notices that!

We all have something, if it's just the pronunciation of a car, that's not too bad. I think I'm gonna start pronouncing Ford as Fo though...I wonder if that will catch on?

sporqster
sporqster Reader
7/26/13 10:41 a.m.
bravenrace wrote: Why wouldn't anyone pronounce anything other than the correct way?

Lots of reasons - for one, what is the "correct" way, anyway? Language is ever evolving, and the point, IMO, is to be understood as efficiently as possible, not to lord linguistic superiority over your dumbass friends who talk funny.

City couple hours down the road in north central Kentucky - Lou-uh-vull? Louey-ville, Lou-is-ville (that is most certainly wrong).

Keep traveling and you'll get to ver-sails (Versailles). Try explaining to a local that the name of the town they've live their whole life in is actually pronounced "ver-sigh"

Porsh has one syllable less than Porsche and identifies the make of car just as clearly. Win, IMO.

Chevy has two syllables, again one less and clearly identifies what you're talking about.

Now where did I park the Nissen 300 zed ex?

bravenrace
bravenrace UltimaDork
7/26/13 10:44 a.m.

In reply to Chris_V:

Exactly. I don't really care that much about it. People call my Bimmer a Beemer all the time and I ignore it. But I have a friend who is very knowledgeable about cars who pronounces it Porsh. I can't help but think a little less of him every time he does it. He knows the correct pronunciation, but still says it wrong. It's not a big deal, but why say it wrong when you know how to say it right? In certain circumstances it just makes you look bad, and in others you may be influencing others to pronounce it incorrectly.

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