Current:Home > Contact-usLawmaker seeks official pronunciation of ‘Concord,’ New Hampshire’s capital city-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Lawmaker seeks official pronunciation of ‘Concord,’ New Hampshire’s capital city
View Date:2024-12-23 18:56:05
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — I came. I saw. I Concord.
A New Hampshire lawmaker wants to amend state law to include an official pronunciation of the capital city, one of many communities called Concord across the country. While North Carolinians pronounce the second syllable so it rhymes with “bored,” New Hampshire, Massachusetts and California are among those who favor something closer to — in the words of Julius Caesar — “conquered.”
Rep. Eric Gallager, a Democrat from Concord, also wants to include an official pronunciation of “New Hampshire” in state law to make it clear that “shire” rhymes with “fur” not “fire.” He proposes including the official pronunciations written out according to the international phonetic alphabet in a section of law that lists state symbols such as the official state sport (skiing), song (10 different tunes including “Old New Hampshire”), and spider ( daring jumping spider ).
“These are the symbols by which you are recognized, and branding is actually something that organizations take really seriously and spend a lot of money on,” Gallager told a House committee Tuesday.
Rep. Dianne Schuett, a Democrat from Pembroke, asked Gallager if he discussed his bill with “old Yankee folks” who pronounce the capital as “Con-kid, New Hamp-shah.”
“I’ll tell you, I’m fearful that some of them may be offended if we mandated a specific pronunciation that doesn’t jibe with their heritage,” she said.
Gallager said his bill would not be a mandate, just as the other state symbols are not universally embraced.
“Even though the state fruit is the pumpkin, you can still grow other fruits besides pumpkins, which I’m sure our apple growers appreciate,” he said.
And while he acknowledged the legislation may appear trivial, Gallager said he tries to “go for things that other people aren’t also legislating about.”
“With a lot of the other more important issues, the trenches are already dug and people have already made up their minds,” he said. “But with something more minor like this one, I think we can have a chance to bring people together and actually pass some legislation.”
veryGood! (25)
Related
- 2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
- WNBA's Caitlin Clark Celebrates Boyfriend Connor McCaffery's Career Milestone
- Takeaways from AP’s report on a new abortion clinic in rural southeast Kansas
- HISA equine welfare unit probe says University of Kentucky lab did not follow testing guidelines
- 'Red One' review: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans embark on a joyless search for Santa
- Tennessee is adding a 10% fee on football game tickets next season to pay players
- US Coast Guard says Russian naval vessels crossed into buffer zone off Alaska
- Bachelorette's Jenn Tran Clarifies Jonathan Johnson Relationship After Devin Strader Breakup
- Gun groups sue to overturn Maine’s new three-day waiting period to buy firearms
- Natasha Rothwell knows this one necessity is 'bizarre': 'It's a bit of an oral fixation'
Ranking
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- REO Speedwagon reveals band will stop touring in 2025 due to 'irreconcilable differences'
- Kentucky deputy killed in exchange of gunfire with suspect, sheriff says
- Nebraska man sentenced for impersonating 17-year-old high school student: Reports
- Rita Ora Says Liam Payne “Left Such a Mark on This World” in Emotional Tribute
- Harris to sit down with Black journalists for a rare interview
- Judge tosses Ken Paxton’s lawsuit targeting Texas county’s voter registration effort
- Mother of Colorado supermarket gunman says he is ‘sick’ and denies knowing about plan
Recommendation
-
Repair Hair Damage In Just 90 Seconds With This Hack from WNBA Star Kamilla Cardoso
-
Tennessee increases 2025 football ticket prices to help pay players
-
Ranchers Are Using Toxic Herbicides to Clear Forests in Brazil
-
If WNBA playoffs started now, who would Caitlin Clark and Fever face?
-
Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
-
Democrats run unopposed to fill 2 state House vacancies in Philadelphia
-
Target Circle Week is coming in October: Get a preview of holiday shopping deals, discounts
-
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ faces federal charges in New York, his lawyer says