FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[matblake]

Wheaties is kind of annoying, but what I hate is when people, especially students pronounce it Wheat-ennnnnnnnnnnn.

[79jaybird]

Thank you MidwestFB--  Yes, I started drinking a "different" beverage.  

Nice article today in the Chicago Tribune on the Wheaton/Northwestern Game.  Looks as though Wheaton had a chance to win the game.  My question is this:  Is Wheaton THAT good, or is Northwestern THAT bad?
What a story that would have been if Wheaton was able to beat a Big-10 school!  That would be like Northwestern not making the Ladies Tee in Golf!  How embarrasing!

[79jaybird]

As far as the nicknames...  I don't pay too much attention to them.  I have heard Wheaties (which I don't really care for), The Greenie Weenies (also, it's "there"), Elmworst (which I really don't like), "The Park" (which I feel reminds me of a train conductor on the el), etc.  These names are out there, and I just don't pay much attention to them.
Similar to Green Bay-Cheeseheads  Chicago- Flatlanders  no big deal.

[Gregory Sager]

I think we've had active participation from 7 out of the 8 conference schools (can't recall a regular Millikin contributor)

Blue Balls and Ditka were a couple of regular contributors for awhile who supported Jimmy Millikin, and there might've been another one or two whose names elude me, but we haven't heard from either in quite some time.

I also read that Mugsy doesn't like the term Wheaties. I always thought that was degrading to a fine breakfast product, but I'll have to start using it.

In the past I've seen NPU students wear Wheaties t-shirts that they'd bought from General Mills and altered by painting the red-slash-and-circle "no" symbol over the logo. And during my student days, the North Park pep band used to eat bowls of Wheaties during Wheaton @ NPC basketball games.

Wheaties is kind of annoying, but what I hate is when people, especially students pronounce it Wheat-ennnnnnnnnnnn.

I think that that glottal-stop pronunciation of "Wheaton" is pretty natural for midwesterners. I've long been amused that Wheaton students always fully enunciate the second syllable of their school's name when they do cheers: "Whee-TUNN!" It gives their cheers a vaguely military-boot-camp vibe.

Likewise, I know people affiliated with NPU who get annoyed when someone puts the emphasis on "North" rather than on "Park", since almost everybody stresses the "Park". And Titan Q still scratches his head as to why I pronounce "Wesleyan" with a 'z' sound rather than an 's' sound. There's gotta be some sort of dialect divergence at work there.

"The Park" (which I feel reminds me of a train conductor on the el), etc.

The el doesn't have conductors. But at NPU either "Park" or "the Park" is fine as a nickname. Nobody gets particularly worked up about the definite article.

[matblake]

Wheaties is kind of annoying, but what I hate is when people, especially students pronounce it Wheat-ennnnnnnnnnnn.

I think that that glottal-stop pronunciation of "Wheaton" is pretty natural for midwesterners. I've long been amused that Wheaton students always fully enunciate the second syllable of their school's name when they do cheers: "Whee-TUNN!" It gives their cheers a vaguely military-boot-camp vibe.

I have noticed that when cheering people do tend to crescendo when saying Wheaton. 

Likewise, I know people affiliated with NPU who get annoyed when someone puts the emphasis on "North" rather than on "Park", since almost everybody stresses the "Park". And Titan Q still scratches his head as to why I pronounce "Wesleyan" with a 'z' sound rather than an 's' sound. There's gotta be some sort of dialect divergence at work there.

I didn't even go to North Park and I hate when people say North Park rather than North Park.  Just doesn't seem right.  I do say We"z"leyan though.

[formerd3db]

Thank you MidwestFB--  Yes, I started drinking a "different" beverage.  

Nice article today in the Chicago Tribune on the Wheaton/Northwestern Game.  Looks as though Wheaton had a chance to win the game.  My question is this:  Is Wheaton THAT good, or is Northwestern THAT bad?
What a story that would have been if Wheaton was able to beat a Big-10 school!  That would be like Northwestern not making the Ladies Tee in Golf!  How embarrasing!

I think it is great that Wheaton was able to play Northwestern (or rather that the Big Ten team scheduled a game with them).  However, I have a question - how was that possible i.e. to have it as a game rather than an "exhibition" game (unless it was officially listed as an "exhibition game" - I'm not sure as haven't checked on that)?  I thought that according to the new DI rules, that DI teams were allowed to schedule lower division schools as exhibition games only, or is that left up to the actual choice of the school itself?  For example, Michigan, Michigan State play DII schools - i.e. Northern MI, Michigan Tech, Grand Valley - at the beginning each year and these are listed as exhibitions, although a couple of years ago, Albion played Eastern Michigan in a regular game.  Just curious.

[ncc58]

I didn't even go to North Park and I hate when people say North Park rather than North Park.  Just doesn't seem right.  I do say We"z"leyan though.

So we're going to spend the offseason discussing linguistics.

I always pronounced the W in IWU as "Wezleyan." After pondering on this for a few minutes, the only people I know who say "Wesleyan" either went there or have relatives who went there. Must be part of the IWU orientation ...

[formerd3db]

I didn't even go to North Park and I hate when people say North Park rather than North Park.  Just doesn't seem right.  I do say We"z"leyan though.

So we're going to spend the offseason discussing linguistics.

I always pronounced the W in IWU as "Wezleyan." After pondering on this for a few minutes, the only people I know who say "Wesleyan" either went there or have relatives who went there. Must be part of the IWU orientation ...

I'll throw my "two cents" in as well, if I may!

Yes, a variety of topics are always discussed during the off-season and...besides, what else is there to do?!   With regard to the IWU pronunciation, I would think most people would pronounce it with the "s" accent, because, it is my understanding from a historical standpoint that is how John and Charles Wesley did it.

As far as North Park, I guess I am guilty of pronouncing it with the wrong emphasis i.e. on the "North", with no disrepect intended, of course.  Most "outsiders", from what I have heard do as well; although I can indeed understand North Park supporters, alumni, current students and staff desirig the proper accent emphasis since the "North" can be applied to any location with that name, and the "Park" or "The Park" relating to a specific place and more prestegious.  At any rate, I will make sure to concentrate and pronounce it like North Park supports desire!

[Gregory Sager]

Yes, a variety of topics are always discussed during the off-season and...besides, what else is there to do?!   With regard to the IWU pronunciation, I would think most people would pronounce it with the "s" accent, because, it is my understanding from a historical standpoint that is how John and Charles Wesley did it.

Are you sure about that? Don't be quick to make assumptions about bygone pronunciation styles, especially in a country like England that had, and has, such a hodgepodge of dialects.

How many of you think that Halley's Comet is pronounced "Hay-ley"? Probably most of you, right? Well, the people who have that surname in Sir Edmond Halley's hometown of London pronounce it "Holly", like the Christmas wreath, so odds are good that he pronounced it that way as well.

As far as North Park, I guess I am guilty of pronouncing it with the wrong emphasis i.e. on the "North", with no disrepect intended, of course.  Most "outsiders", from what I have heard do as well; although I can indeed understand North Park supporters, alumni, current students and staff desirig the proper accent emphasis since the "North" can be applied to any location with that name, and the "Park" or "The Park" relating to a specific place and more prestegious.  At any rate, I will make sure to concentrate and pronounce it like North Park supports desire!

Don't worry -- we won't boil you in oil or anything if you say "NORTH Park" rather than "North PARK". Or, at least, I won't. 

My experience has been the opposite as to how people not connected to the school pronounce it. Most people I've met have called it "North PARK". As you and MB have said, people seem intuitively aware that the base noun "Park" should be stressed rather than its directional qualifier.

As I said, it's not something that really bothers me one way or the other. I bring it up mostly because when most NPU folks hear the "NORTH Park" pronunciation they interpret it as indicating that the speaker really isn't familiar with the school.

[formerd3db]

Sager:
Thanks for the informative follow-up (and also for not wanting to "boil" me! I never liked oil anyway!!!;D))

As far as the Wesley's,  I was raised with a Methodist background and as far back as I can remember, that was the pronunciation.  However, your comments regarding the various dialect over in the actual country of England are good points.  In that regard, a couple of other similar examples are that of 1) Alma vs. "All..ma" (i.e. "hard a" vs. soft) and 2) vegtables vs. "veeg...tables" .   Now that I've related those, I'm sure I'll get "boiled" by some here for not sticking to football talk!

Nonetheless, your points are well taken.  Again, thanks.

[formerd3db]

Sager:

BTW,  do you have any info regarding my question in my post #9750?  Also, what ever happened to Blue Balls and Ditka?  They have abandoned this board completely it appears.?

[formerd3db]

Sager:
Disregard the first part of my last post - you kindly answered it over on the basketball board.  Thanks.

[Gregory Sager]

In that regard, a couple of other similar examples are that of 1) Alma vs. "All..ma" (i.e. "hard a" vs. soft)

Another good D3 example is Buena Vista of the IIAC. Most people pronounce it "Boo-way-nuh Vista", but the people who are affiliated with the school insist that it's pronounced "Be-yoo-nuh Vista".

[washdupcard]

In that regard, a couple of other similar examples are that of 1) Alma vs. "All..ma" (i.e. "hard a" vs. soft)

Another good D3 example is Buena Vista of the IIAC. Most people pronounce it "Boo-way-nuh Vista", but the people who are affiliated with the school insist that it's pronounced "Be-yoo-nuh Vista".

How about DEL BOCA VISTA?  I hear its a wonderful place.

[79jaybird]

Speaking of pronunciations here is a good one.   When I stayed in Michigan prior to the Elmhurst/Olivet game this year,  I stayed in the town of Charlotte, MI
Now, if you didn't know any better (like I did at the time  )  you would pronunce it Char-Lit   like the major city in North Carolina.  Well- that is wrong and I received many looks like "You aren't from around here are ya?"  hehe
Charlotte, MI is pronounced Char- LOT  which emphasis on the second syllable.  That is the county Seat of the County that Olivet College is in.  See you learn more than just football on this board.