This is so immature…
But after a client recently refused to see a house on “Gooch Avenue,” it started a game in my office called, “What is the worst Toronto street name?”
In order to play, you have to check your integrity at the door, use your imagination, and pretend you’re an 8-year-old boy, who thinks everything sounds dirty…
Darren
at 9:44 am
Hands down the worst name in this city is Strachan. Why the hell do people call it ‘strawn’?
I absolutely refuse to pronounce it that way. How are tourists supposed to find it? I have friends with that last name is they say it they way it is spelt.
AndrewB
at 12:04 pm
Sort of like Queen Quay. For the longest time I pronounced it ‘kway”.
Strachan, as I’ve always known it and other have, is ‘strawn’.
Jonathan C
at 9:57 am
Darren, learn your history! John Strachan was the first Anglican bishop of Toronto and founded the University of Toronto (then called King’s College). When U of T became a secular university he then lead the push to create the original Trinity College, located where Trinity-Bellwoods is today. Strachan is named after him because it ends at the gates of Trinity-Bellwoods – the gates are all that remains of old Trinity.
http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/08/what_trinity_bellwoods_park_used_to_look_like/
Darren
at 11:02 am
What’s your point Jonathan?
What leads us to believe the idiotic pronunciation is correct?
The Strachan family I know is from Scotland, same as the Bishop.
Why would they pronounce it differently?
Gorgonzola's Choda
at 11:48 am
I wish we could just napalm all the hipsters in Trini-Bell.
I;d even pay for it.
Jonathan C
at 12:08 pm
If they pronounce it “Stra-chan” like the guy on CBC, that is just wrong and basic research would confirm that. The Gaelic pronunciation is “Strawn” and the Scots (language) pronunciation is “Straw-kh-an” which in English is closer to “Strawn” than anything else since we don’t have that gutteral “kh” sound.
My point is that it’s a good street name that honours one of the founding fathers of Toronto.
Darren
at 12:18 pm
I’m English and whenever I tell visitors that people here pronounce it strawn they are mystified. I lived here 15 years before I was able to figure out where the hell is this strawn street I keep hearing about? I have always said strakan and nobody has not understood where I mean.
Your point about the historical relevance is correct. My issue with the name is purely on the way is pronounced.
Bob
at 12:09 pm
Today’s generation of netspeakers and texters no longer care about history nor what’s proper. they only care about what’s easy and effortless. lol.
jeff316
at 2:14 pm
This was legitimately clever. Well done!
FritoBandito
at 11:41 am
Best name is Milky Way! I wish I lived there.
Virgin Place is another interesting one…no one lives there, not surprisingly.
Kyle
at 11:44 am
Definitely some odd sounding ones in this city:Garbutt Cres, Frolick Cres, Mould Ave, Koos Rd, Bastedo Ave, Fishleigh Dr…
But still wouldn’t trade them for: 1st Ave, 2nd Ave, 3rd Ave, 4th Ave, 5th Ave….
Jonathan C
at 12:27 pm
Gooch is probably the worst – check the Urban Dictionary entry for that one.
I hate the ones where they use a person’s full name – Dan Leckie Way, Esther Shiner Blvd, etc. Could you imagine trying to explain to someone that the Eaton Centre was “at the corner of Sir George Yonge Street & Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville Street”? Sheesh.
There are some really embarrassing ones out in the distant suburbs. I wouldn’t want to live on Swan Lake Road in Markham, Sun King Crescent in Barrie, or Big Moe Crescent in Brampton just to get started. There are hundreds of bad street names out there.
Graham
at 9:13 am
Like Mike Myers Dr? Shagadelic baby, yeah!
moonbeam!
at 9:27 am
Well some streets named after famous people are actually kinda suitable:; Morton Shulman Avenue is where the new Coroner’s building is located …(he was the former crusading Chief Coroner of Toronto)
Gorgonzola's Choda
at 3:11 pm
Gooch is Choda’s cousin.
Geoff
at 1:43 pm
Ice.
Boat.
Terrace.
There’s no ice. There’s no boat. And there’s no terrace, you city hall jackasses!
Joanne
at 6:02 pm
Yellow Brick Road in Brampton. I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore Dorothy!
SprinklesVonFeather
at 6:25 pm
I can never pronouce Tecumseth right!
Frances
at 3:49 pm
Then there’s Spadina. I’ve always pronounced the i as the i in “mine” but my boss, a long time ago pronounced the i as ee. I understand that Spadina House (just north of Casa Loma) is also pronounced as ee.
bugeyedbrit
at 11:11 pm
Near me we have Macdonell Avenue, it should be Mac – donell, but I heard it as Mac-don-ell from a realtor (why are Scottish names so hard?) I think Strachan is pronounced Stra-ken, ever heard a footballer called Gordon Strachan ? He seemed happy with the Stra-ken pronunciation….!!
Rob Fjord
at 2:38 pm
Joel Swirsky blvd. in northyork
come the foch on!!!
bendeciro
at 2:29 pm
Yonge St, Yonge Blvd= pronounced YOUNG !!!
Cara
at 1:30 am
Stonedale Placeway! Meadow Larkway!
Bleccccch!!!