How do you pronounce "roof"?

Ailin · Post by **Ailin** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 7:10 pm

Rewf
Rochester, NY

Ruff is something my golf ball goes into.

Ailin

happyturkeyman · Post by **happyturkeyman** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:00 pm

Ruff like woof. (the dog).

Edit: I have never met one person who could define/impersonate the oregon/washington accent. I still say it doesn't exist.

Darwin · Post by **Darwin** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:19 pm

rewf -- Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Texas

For a while, I said "idear" and "warter" for "idea" and "water", but my mother corrected me, so I obviously didn't learn those at home. I must have picked them up from some of the other kids. Living in oil camps, we had folks from all over the South, all mixed together.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:51 pm

Darwin wrote:rewf -- Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Texas

For a while, I said "idear" and "warter" for "idea" and "water", but my mother corrected me, so I obviously didn't learn those at home. I must have picked them up from some of the other kids. Living in oil camps, we had folks from all over the South, all mixed together.

I've heard warter for water among the locals in southwestern Missouri. Actually, it sounded more like worter.

Seems that Vermont folks say idear. My father, who was born and raised in this county thinks that's funny. He, meanwhile, insists on pronouncing it ideal. I originally pronounced idea as ideal too. Not only that, I knew no distinction between tire and tar, or between steer and stir.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:13 pm

Walden wrote:
Darwin wrote:rewf -- Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, Texas

For a while, I said "idear" and "warter" for "idea" and "water", but my mother corrected me, so I obviously didn't learn those at home. I must have picked them up from some of the other kids. Living in oil camps, we had folks from all over the South, all mixed together.
I've heard warter for water among the locals in southwestern Missouri. Actually, it sounded more like worter.

Seems that Vermont folks say idear. My father, who was born and raised in this county thinks that's funny. He, meanwhile, insists on pronouncing it ideal.

"rewf" is how this sounds here in southwest Virginia(the heart of Appalachia)

actually you must realize this word has two syllabyls(sp?) roo-wf
most all words in my end of the world have at least two syllabyls.

Many around here also say"warsh", although I say "worsh" for wash.
Likewise,some around hear say idear or ideal for idea, but lots say i-de(emphasis on the "i") for that too. A very few say "a-ern" for iron. Most say "arn".

"Hit's weird,hain't it? How differnt folks tawlk dependin on wher they's frum.

Lark,

How would that "out and about in a boat " sound? Anything like the flatlanders we have in south central VA? "oot and aboot"?

(here that would be "a-ot 'n' uh-bay-ot")

ErikT · Post by **ErikT** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:45 pm

Nanohedron wrote:Is "ruff" supposed to sound like "rough"? I pronounce it two ways (don't ask. I don't know why, myself): "rewf", and "roohf" (same pronunciation as "foot", or "good"...at least in my region, that is).

Location: see avatar

I'm the same way... depends upon the context.

I'm a Midwest/California mutt.

Cyfiawnder · Post by **Cyfiawnder** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 11:05 pm

burnsbyrne wrote:Contrary to the way most people around northeast Ohio pronounce it, I say roof, like truef, or rūf.
Another big question is do you say wash or warsh? My grandmother who was from SW Ontario said warsh.
Mike

I say Wah-sh my fiance' from just accross the River says Warsh... I make fun of her all the time

Canbarelywhistle · Post by **Canbarelywhistle** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 12:12 am

I pronounce it two ways. I cant really explain when I use either or why. It seems that when the roof is the object of my sentence I pronounce it "rewf", but when the roof is the noun recieving the action I pronounce it "ruff" where the vowel sound it is in the word "push".

There is someone on the "ruff"

The rewf is leaking.

I live in Wisconsin.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:09 am

Dooo meyaat, thas aal knoowas it's pronowunced roowuff.

skh · Post by **skh** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:23 am

Rewf. Generic international english learned as third language, accent eclectically borrowed from english native speakers from all over the world. The most lovely english I hear is the one spoken in BBC (radio) news, though, which clouds my judgement (and pronounciation).

Sonja

Marko · Post by **Marko** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:56 am

rewf.
co. sligo

so do you pronounce it Scone, to rhyme with stone, or Scone, to rhyme with Don (as in Don Corleone)

you know that song that goes "you say potato, i say potato, you say tomato, i say tomata"
does anyone really say potato as its pronounced in the song?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 4:58 am

I grew up in suburban NY, and pronounce it rewf. I know this to be the correct pronounciation, since I worked for a roofing company for many years...

This reminds me of a very old joke, which I only remember part of.

A man walks into a bar with his dog. The bartender says "You can't bring your dog in here" and the man replies "But this is a talking dog, and he can answer questions". The bartender says to the dog "OK, what is up on top of this building?". The dog replies "RRRRRROOF !" Then the bartender asks "Who is the greatest baseball player of all time?" and the dog replies "RRRRRUTH!".
With that the bartender kicks them out, and as they sit on the curb, the dog asks his master "Should I have said DiMaggio?".
(the joke originally included several other questions by the bartender, all of which the dog answers with single words that also sound like barks)

Note also that even the dog knows the correct pronounciation of "roof"...

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:03 am

Rewf.

As in gawd strewf! Not to be confused with Gordon Bennett, which has pretty much the same meaning but sound's different. Not to be confused with Gordon's Gin, which has a totally different meaning, sounds different, but often makes me say "gawd strewf!" or "Gordon Bennett!" when someone hands me one of those instead of the vodka and tonic I asked for.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:56 am

Marko wrote:you know that song that goes "you say potato, i say potato, you say tomato, i say tomata"
does anyone really say potato as its pronounced in the song?

I reckon so. And people definitely say orstures.

Lark · Post by **Lark** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:45 am

cowtime wrote:

Lark,

How would that "out and about in a boat " sound? Anything like the flatlanders we have in south central VA? "oot and aboot"?

(here that would be "a-ot 'n' uh-bay-ot")

I’ve been told that it sounds like “oot and aboot in a boot” (The “O” sound in boat, unlike the other words, being like “oh”), however I believe that everyone else is simply over pronouncing certain “a” sounds

.

I’ve also been told that telling the difference between Couch and Coach is hard because the “U” and “A” sounds are very subtle.

And some people here, instead of potato, sat b-day-do (“B” not making the “bee” sound, and the “O” sounding like “oh” again)

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