Warsh?

[Bailey]

Absolutely not. He thinks he's always right as it is!

but that's the nature of the beast.

mark

[april61]

I posted earlier that I grew up in Iowa (in the land of little Germany, as my husband calls it) and generations have pronounced it "worsh".

I think it may have somethin' to do with German ancestry... I've always wondered why my mom said "warsh." I think my dad's dad might have said it, too. Both were from German immigrants.

Grampa on dad's side also said, "crick." And probly a host of other localisms that I'm not remembering.

This is a fun board!

In grace,
april

[april61]

No, wait! My mom doesn't say "worsh." She says "woish," with the vowel as in joy. My kids reminded me of this slight variation, which invariably causes them to snicker.

My dh agrees--he knows lots of people who say "worsh" around here. I wonder if instead of an ethnic peculiarity, it could be a generational thing. Was there some tv or radio program mid-twentieth century that used the word? Lyrics in a musical, perhaps?

Oh well, time to woish some dishes.

april

[gleedgirl]

Well, I grew up in central Warshington, way back when. There is an 'r' there. People there still use it. Those around Seattle (Puget Sound) use the Wahshington. Sort of like they are from the other coast?

[skinem]

Hey, gleedgirl, I was a Selah boy during the mid 70s (Medical Lake before that) , and we figured if we heard someone say "Warshington" they were from somewhere else!
...and you're right! I caught your "local" joke! Seattle is like from the other coast!

[j.kipper]

Here in Missouri there seem to a whole lot of people (including many of my relatives) that pronounce it "warsh" somewhere between "war" and "wore". I have always pronounced it wash, probably from not living all over the country and outside as well. When I lived in Middletown, Maryland, I never heard anyone other than those from West Virginia pronounce it as warsh.

By the way, I end Missouri with the "ah" when it precedes a consonant and "e" when it precedes a vowell. My wife insists it should NEVER have the "ah" at the end.

[sluggo]

Here in Missouri there seem to a whole lot of people (including many of my relatives) that pronounce it "warsh" somewhere between "war" and "wore". I have always pronounced it wash, probably from not living all over the country and outside as well. When I lived in Middletown, Maryland, I never heard anyone other than those from West Virginia pronounce it as warsh.

By the way, I end Missouri with the "ah" when it precedes a consonant and "e" when it precedes a vowell. My wife insists it should NEVER have the "ah" at the end.

J, I'm with your wife. (Phonetically I mean!)

It's another of the fascinating facets of language that we can apply such variations to different circumstances without conscious analysis- reminds me of how some (e.g. NYC and UK) can insert an "R" between words that end/begin in vowels.

[Perry]

J, I'm with your wife. (Phonetically I mean!)

Good thing you clarified that point.

[txmusicgirl]

Where I come from in SouthTexas a significant number of the older peopel pronouncee the word "wash" with a long o and an r as "worsh".

Thats how I say it
I spent all mornin worsh'n clothes.

[kibbles]

Hi, new here. I have been a truck driver for some time and can often pick out dialects. Warsh for the most part shows up in people that were raised or influenced by those raised in the Ohio River Valley.

I'm new too, and just HAD to join to post on this pronounciation.
I think Maygen has a good point. Here in Ohio some of the older people, especially in the Southern part of the state, say "worsh" and "Worshington". Rhyming with "porch". I always thought it sounded weird, but then my parents were from the Dakotas...where they say "aunt" as "awwwnt".
Accents are so funny.

[kadoodle76]

my mommas friend (who is from philly) always warshes with wooter. I dont get it. My mom used to get mad when her husband called her Linder (linda) she insist he show her where the 'R" is in her name. He's a new yorker

[Perry]

my mommas friend (who is from philly) always warshes with wooter. I dont get it. My mom used to get mad when her husband called her Linder (linda) she insist he show her where the 'R" is in her name. He's a new yorker

Well then, obviously you can take the New Yorker out of New York, but you cannot take the R out of New York.

[sluggo]

my mommas friend (who is from philly) always warshes with wooter. I dont get it. My mom used to get mad when her husband called her Linder (linda) she insist he show her where the 'R" is in her name. He's a new yorker

Wooter (or maybe wudder is closer) is just what we're made of in Southeast Pennsylvania, errybody knows 'at. But warsh is from off to the west, you know, that other state- Pittsburgh.