Fun_People Archive
27 Sep
Ay-rab or Air-ab? You may have heard this, but...

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Fri, 27 Sep 96 00:14:15 -0700
To: Fun_People
Subject: Ay-rab or Air-ab?  You may have heard this, but...

Forwarded-by: Jef Jaisun <eljefe@halcyon.com>

Two new assistant professors in linguistics at Auburn University were
traveling across the state to a meeting. As they passed a road sign, the
passenger read out the sign: Arab - 25 miles. [He pronounced it AY-rab.]
The driver corrected him: "No, not even in Alabama.  It's got to be
pronounced AIR-ab." "No," repeated the passenger, "I'm sure it's AY-rab!"

"AIR-ab!"
"AY-rab!"
"AIR-ab!"
"AY-rab!"

And so the argument continued. They bet $10 and agreed to stop and ask. When
they got to Arab, they pulled into the first hamburger joint, and the driver
went up to the window.

The lady slid up the glass and in her flat local accent asked, "Kin I he'p
yew?" "Yes," answered the professor. "My friend and I have a bet about the
correct way to pronounce the name of this place. Would you, very slowly and
very clearly, pronounce it for me?" "Well, aw-right. It's day.......
ree......... QUEEN!"

© 1996 Peter Langston