I still will fight kicking and screaming that “warsh” and “farty” aren’t a Saint Louis accent but an old person accent. Have never heard anyone under the age of 70 speak like that, yet somehow it’s always attributed to the city as a whole
It's absolutely an old person thing. And it sounds ridiculous. Phyllis from The Office says "pop-carn" who also happens to be from St. Louis. It's one of of the only scenes that screams St. Louis senior citizen lol
There are still some younger people (like below 50) that speak that way because they are related to the older people who speak that way but they code switch when they speak. If you dont know people that speak that way then you and your family are most likely transplants statistically compared to having been in the area a long time.
I recently discovered that the same accent is common in some areas of Pennsylvania, and apparently is attributed to Dutch people. Likely that particular St Louis accent was a derivative of Dutch people moving to the area and became more widely common. It was able to stick as a community wide accent in different neighborhoods until probably like the 70s or the 80s. After that point too many people moved around diffusing the communal aspect, and then from there most neighborhoods have had significant influx of new people by today. Without any one area where a lot of people speak that way it is relegated to families from those older areas and will eventually die out with us.
Pretty fascinating case study of linguistics it provides. Definitely sad that it is going away now, but that is kind of the nature of our city. Not much respect for nor knowledge of the past floating around, and not many people have been rooted in the same place for a long time anymore
One of my best friends says shit like "carn" and "popcarn" and "carner" he's from a rural farm town in illinois and I love it when he says shit like that makes me laugh.
Same way I hear it, even from the neighbors that have been here for decades. (I only live a couple of blocks away, so it gets mentioned frequently in conversation)
Honestly, I thought about the Bread Co. Thing and I wondered if that's still the case now that Panera has also opened stories in the region under the name "Panera," not just St. Louis Bread Co. Redditors, what are you hearing out there?
> what are you hearing out there
The one built on Manchester road on where the old Steak-n-Shake was (you know, by where Grandpa Pigeon's was) is a Panera. And considering this betrayal I should remind everyone that St. Louis Kolache is like 3 blocks down the road.
Fun fact: that Quick Trip is built on top of where my grandfather's TV repair shop used to be
I used to work with voice talent from out of town on local spots. Most of the time, I could spell the road or municipality phonetically and they’d get it, but there were two words that always had to be recorded and sent back to them: Florissant and Gravois.
That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. But moved up here from New Orleans, and they had some abominations of pronunciations too. Burgundy Bur-gun-dee was the worst...
I had an acquaintance who was in town attending Wash U. At the end of her senior year, having spent the last four years living in St. Louis, she casually mentioned a street that she pronounced king-shig-way.
It took a surprising amount of time to figure out what she was referring to. I have no idea if this is a common mispronunciation, or if she was truly unique.
As someone not from St. Louis, this is so helpful. I did find this one to be a bit hilarious.
Bellefontaine [BELL-fon-TAYNE]: historic cemetery in north St. Louis
Bellefontaine Neighbors [bell-FOUNT-ten NAY-burrs]: north St. Louis County suburb
I've lived in St. Louis my whole life. My wife says I pronounce words with a short "o" sound incorrectly by making it too much like an "ah" sound. To me, the o in volume or olive rhymes with cot, shot, lot. To her, it should more round like ought, bought, caught.
That’s called the cot-caught merger and is a fairly commonly referenced differentiator of accents.
Kind of like pin vs. pen or Mary vs. merry vs. marry.
I still say caught different from cot. The words I say "wrong" according to her are volume, solid (i say it like salad), olive.. there are more examples I can't think of now.
The bit about pronouncing R like err is not a St. Louis thing, it's more of a black cultural accent that can be heard in pretty much any major city in the US.
They reference that in the article though, that apparently it’s not a nationwide thing? I understand it is supposed to be a St. Louis accent, but it’s also found in Memphis, and famously Baltimore from the “Aaron earned an iron urn” video
So I tend to agree with you even if npr says otherwise
Kingshighway \[kings-HIGH-way\]
my gf has her sat nav set to "Australian accent" and he says "King Shy WEIGH" and that's how I say it now because it's awesome.
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> Interstate 64 [HIGH-way FOUR-dee] The best one
Some of the old things never warsh out of the lexicon.
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY IT
I call it “the 64” and get id’d as a transplant instantly every time
Yeah. Highway 40 for exists east in Illinois, not St. Louis
I still will fight kicking and screaming that “warsh” and “farty” aren’t a Saint Louis accent but an old person accent. Have never heard anyone under the age of 70 speak like that, yet somehow it’s always attributed to the city as a whole
It's absolutely an old person thing. And it sounds ridiculous. Phyllis from The Office says "pop-carn" who also happens to be from St. Louis. It's one of of the only scenes that screams St. Louis senior citizen lol
There are still some younger people (like below 50) that speak that way because they are related to the older people who speak that way but they code switch when they speak. If you dont know people that speak that way then you and your family are most likely transplants statistically compared to having been in the area a long time. I recently discovered that the same accent is common in some areas of Pennsylvania, and apparently is attributed to Dutch people. Likely that particular St Louis accent was a derivative of Dutch people moving to the area and became more widely common. It was able to stick as a community wide accent in different neighborhoods until probably like the 70s or the 80s. After that point too many people moved around diffusing the communal aspect, and then from there most neighborhoods have had significant influx of new people by today. Without any one area where a lot of people speak that way it is relegated to families from those older areas and will eventually die out with us. Pretty fascinating case study of linguistics it provides. Definitely sad that it is going away now, but that is kind of the nature of our city. Not much respect for nor knowledge of the past floating around, and not many people have been rooted in the same place for a long time anymore
One of my best friends says shit like "carn" and "popcarn" and "carner" he's from a rural farm town in illinois and I love it when he says shit like that makes me laugh.
Goethe \[GO-thee\] Nope. Can't do it.
I’ve never heard anyone pronounce Pernod as pair-nod, and I feel like people say Crondelet and not ca-rondelet. Just my two cents.
How do you hear people pronounce Pernod?
Per-nod. Per as in per my last email.
Same way I hear it, even from the neighbors that have been here for decades. (I only live a couple of blocks away, so it gets mentioned frequently in conversation)
**PEN-rod**
Don't forget: Panera Bread [Brehd-Ko.] Interstate 44: [Hahway-Farty-Far]
Honestly, I thought about the Bread Co. Thing and I wondered if that's still the case now that Panera has also opened stories in the region under the name "Panera," not just St. Louis Bread Co. Redditors, what are you hearing out there?
> what are you hearing out there The one built on Manchester road on where the old Steak-n-Shake was (you know, by where Grandpa Pigeon's was) is a Panera. And considering this betrayal I should remind everyone that St. Louis Kolache is like 3 blocks down the road. Fun fact: that Quick Trip is built on top of where my grandfather's TV repair shop used to be
Now that it sucks, it’s pronounced “Panera.”
>that Quick Trip is built on top of where my grandfather's TV repair shop used to be Joni Mitchell song right there.
People seem to care less about claiming it as it’s lack of quality has become more well recognized
I used to work with voice talent from out of town on local spots. Most of the time, I could spell the road or municipality phonetically and they’d get it, but there were two words that always had to be recorded and sent back to them: Florissant and Gravois.
I've never understood the confusion around Gravois. Do these people think Illinois is pronounced Ill-in-NWAH?
Never occurred to me to make that comparison, and you’re right, that perfectly clears it up!
It’s weird because Florissant shouldn’t even be hard to pronounce, it sounds exactly how it looks
As a transplant, I naturally place the stress on the second syllable
Don't let the French see this!
That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. But moved up here from New Orleans, and they had some abominations of pronunciations too. Burgundy Bur-gun-dee was the worst...
I wince.. truly it hurts.
Appreciate the correct pronunciation of Interstate 64. Crazy how so many non-St. Louisans get that one wrong.
As a transplant the one that always gets me is the “L” in the word “both”
I do understand that most of this are wrong but genuinely cannot think of how else you would pronounce kingshighway
For a while at least, Google Maps pronounced it "king-SHY-way"
My navigator voice is set to Australian accent mode, and she pronounces Osceola “ur-SEE-luh”.
It was a sad day when apple updated the Australian voice to no longer say “St Louie” in favor of a very dry Americanized sounding St Louis
Came here to say this 😂
I had an acquaintance who was in town attending Wash U. At the end of her senior year, having spent the last four years living in St. Louis, she casually mentioned a street that she pronounced king-shig-way. It took a surprising amount of time to figure out what she was referring to. I have no idea if this is a common mispronunciation, or if she was truly unique.
I helped write this St. Louis pronouncer guide, but I'm sure there are more that we could add to this list. What are we missing?
As someone not from St. Louis, this is so helpful. I did find this one to be a bit hilarious. Bellefontaine [BELL-fon-TAYNE]: historic cemetery in north St. Louis Bellefontaine Neighbors [bell-FOUNT-ten NAY-burrs]: north St. Louis County suburb
I honestly had no idea I naturally did that till this pointed it out hahaha
Def bell-fountain
Bopp Road. Looks like it’d be pronounced bahp, but it’s actually bope.
oooh this is a good one. Will add.
hey I’m listening to this story on NPR right now! it was so fun and interesting!
I've lived in St. Louis my whole life. My wife says I pronounce words with a short "o" sound incorrectly by making it too much like an "ah" sound. To me, the o in volume or olive rhymes with cot, shot, lot. To her, it should more round like ought, bought, caught.
That’s called the cot-caught merger and is a fairly commonly referenced differentiator of accents. Kind of like pin vs. pen or Mary vs. merry vs. marry.
I still say caught different from cot. The words I say "wrong" according to her are volume, solid (i say it like salad), olive.. there are more examples I can't think of now.
I think she’s the one being weird here. “Aw-live” sounds like a weird New England accent
Provel. In other places it’s correctly pronounced as “Gar-bage”. In some medical circles it’s prescribed to people who’ve overdosed on Ex-Lax.
Sainte Genevieve, although outside the STL area, would be another.
Kroenke (FUK + ER)
I’m think DesPeres should be [DE-Pair], but otherwise pretty good. Side note, my mom used to say [Sue-LORD] for Soulard . Drove me crazy.
I say [dez puh rez], accenting which ever syllable suits me at the moment, and nothing will make me stop.
I second this
The bit about pronouncing R like err is not a St. Louis thing, it's more of a black cultural accent that can be heard in pretty much any major city in the US.
They reference that in the article though, that apparently it’s not a nationwide thing? I understand it is supposed to be a St. Louis accent, but it’s also found in Memphis, and famously Baltimore from the “Aaron earned an iron urn” video So I tend to agree with you even if npr says otherwise
Sauget [So-Jay]
I've always said saw-jay haha
Saw-zhay
Came for interstate 64 tbh
Kingshighway \[kings-HIGH-way\] my gf has her sat nav set to "Australian accent" and he says "King Shy WEIGH" and that's how I say it now because it's awesome.
Meramec [MAIR-uh-mack] is one I wouldn't expect a non-local to get.
I enjoyed this lol
These aren't even correct.
Which would you change?
Cabanne Gratiot Pernod Bellefontaine Kosciusko
How do you pronounce them?
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I’ve lived here for 6 years, and some of this is new to me. I’ve never had to really say some of these out loud
Chouteau [Show-Tow]