Arieh Kovler @ariehkovler.com

British place names: A guide for confused Americans If a town has "cester" in its name, that bit is just prounounced "ster" Worcester = Wooster (with a short 'oo') Leicester = Lester Gloucester = Glosster Frocester = Froster Alcester = Allster Bicester = Bisster Towcester = Toaster (yes, really)

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Snarky Robot @snarkyrobot.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 07:13 UTC

Woostaahhhh

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Cwnidog 🍉🇵🇸 @cwnidog.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 10:21 UTC

Well here in Massachusetts, we use “stah”, e.g. “Worcester” => Wusstsah, “Leicester” => Lestah, etc.

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Catherine Hill @ctjhill.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 09:18 UTC

As someone from Worcestershire, I understand it's confusing to outsiders (like a lot of stuff I guess). I recently realised that the clue to saying the 'ce' is at the end of 'sauce'. It works for the other places too, but they don't have a famous sauce.

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Stephen Perrin @steperrin.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 09:39 UTC

I have to pronounce Alcester as it's written else people think I mean Ulster.

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Abigail @abigail.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 20, 2024 at 21:01 UTC

Not just Americans! I'm northern Irish and the first time I saw Worcester on a sign I thought it was a town I'd never heard of. In my defense Tayto crisps, the main crisp brand here, have "Wuster" sauce crisps. 😆

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Brian, plain, simple Brian @kerrick.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 13:08 UTC

The “er” isn’t quite pronounced “er” either. My spouse kept hearing about “Vista Village” and was shocked to find out that it’s actually “Bicester Village.”

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Phil Porter @philipporter.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 08:30 UTC

Also: Streatham = Saint Reatham Clapham = Klarm Always happy to help our American cousins out

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Terence Trent Reznor @razerwolf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 13:59 UTC

Yep. Which is why this absolutely superlative pun works.

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Ian Silvester @iansilvester.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 17:09 UTC

My favourite is Uttoxeter. Nope, not you-tox-ettr but (if you're from there) utch-ettr.

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Rep. Eric Gallager (no "h"!) @egall.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 13:41 UTC

so does that mean I can call myself a "pocester" then?

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Derek @dmrma413.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 17:44 UTC

We have Leicester and Worcester right here in Massachusetts

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