Correct pronounciation of your state? (Houston, Summit: farmers, radio, best)

[Okey Dokie]

I heard an clip on the radio of Cindy Hyde-Smith, and she pronounces the state “Missy Sippy”. Now, I’m from Missouri, and I’ve always said “Miss Uh Sippy.” What do the rest of you say?

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

I heard an clip on the radio of Cindy Hyde-Smith, and she pronounces the state “Missy Sippy”. Now, I’m from Missouri, and I’ve always said “Miss Uh Sippy.” What do the rest of you say?

Mis-sippy. Three syllables.

[viverlibre]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

“Miss Uh Sippy.”

Above is correct.

Now that I think about it, you do sometimes hear it ran together like CHS pronounced it.

[GrandviewGloria]

Middle and Upper Class Mississippians are Chameleons, for the most part, varying our speech, the way a Chameleon changes his color - to blend-in and fit the occasion and the listener. I was recently told that my accent, and even my voice quality, changed between a meeting in Des Moines, and one in Omaha. "And Gloria, you DO, know, don't you, that you have one accent you use in Great Neck, Dallas, and Beverly Hills, another one you use in Malibu and Aspen, and another one you use in Lake Oswego, in Houston, on the Upper East Side (of Manhattan) and in Southampton."

Here's Cindy at a 'Row Crop Summit', or some-such. Farmers are a highly educated group, in Mississippi (it's a tough business, where only the smart survive), and here, for that group of farmers and scientists, she pronounces the state's name in the standard way, with the textbook-perfect 'I-in-it' sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLU_mibSjZo Notice, also, that she makes sure to pronounce the heck out of the 'ing' suffix (growing), and 'I', in the way of upwardly-mobile Baptists.

Most of us pronounce 'Mississippi' in a variety of ways - depending on our mood, our intent, and those to whom we're speaking. We'll say it one way, if we're being sarcastic, another way, if we're in self-parody, and yet another way, if we're parodying (or outright-MOCKING) others (and depending on WHO it is we're mocking). We don't particularly like each other, and so there's a lot of parody and mockery.

Too, there are ways we'd say 'Mississippi', if we were fearfully cringing, and ways we'd say it, if we were condescendingly seeking to ingratiate ourselves with people we consider a bit pitiful. My guess is that what you heard, was that last thing.

[Listener2307]

The best pronunciation I ever heard came from a black lady.
She pronounced it slowly, "Miss-a-syup'-i". She laughed at my Harvard sweatshirt and reckoned that I had never even been out of Mississippi.

You almost have to be Southern to manage that twisted "yu" sound. I've heard it worked into the pronunciation of Memphis. As in, Myum'-fis

[jhadorn]

Originally Posted by GrandviewGloria

Middle and Upper Class Mississippians are Chameleons, for the most part, varying our speech, the way a Chameleon changes his color - to blend-in and fit the occasion and the listener. I was recently told that my accent, and even my voice quality, changed between a meeting in Des Moines, and one in Omaha. "And Gloria, you DO, know, don't you, that you have one accent you use in Great Neck, Dallas, and Beverly Hills, another one you use in Malibu and Aspen, and another one you use in Lake Oswego, in Houston, on the Upper East Side (of Manhattan) and in Southampton."

Accurate. I was a professionally trained radio announcer in my younger years so I can eliminate my Southern accent when needed, but I can drop back in it at any time. My accent has never been that strong though.

[turkeydance]

Myumfis for the win.
if you can do that you can do
Missasyupi. it is a mad skill.