Re: [CR]Pronunciation Help: PUCH

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

From: "John Everett" <jeverett3@earthlink.net>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 17:14:29 -0500
Subject: Re: [CR]Pronunciation Help: PUCH
In-reply-to: <c6.2c64a53a.2de11add@aol.com>
Content-description: Mail message body


On 22 May 2004 at 17:06, Mercurys43@aol.com wrote:
> I need pronunciation help....again. I have a 1982 Puch Force X-11 and I'm
> having difficulties with the correct way to say "PUCH". I keep wanting to say
> "POOCH" but I have heard "PUCK" (at least I think that's what they said) and
> a couple other choice pronunciations. Would somebody please stand up and be
> the champion of the correct PUCH pronunciation????

A chance to wax loquacious on an old cycling story. :-)

Many years ago (like in the early '90s) I was out riding one afternoon in South Jersey. I was south of Atco somewhere when I saw a rider cross my path. I thought it might be someone I knew, so I started sprinting, hoping to catch up. I finally caught him at a stoplight, but it wasn't one of my friends. We were sort of headed in the same direction, so we rode along together for a bit. He did look vaguely familiar, so I asked him if we'd ever ridden together. He said that was unlikely, since he was from California.

I pressed the issue somewhat and it turned out he was from San Diego and in New Jersey on business. I asked if he rode with the CycloVets, and he said yes; in fact he was wearing his CV jersey under his windbreaker. He was surprised to hear I had ridden with the CycloVets when I was living in SD. I'm not sure we did the same rides, but I'd probably seen him at the Kensington Library where the Saturday morning rides started.

At some point I said I was turning to head home, and he decided to ride along even though it was out of his way, so we probably rode together for fifteen miles or so.

So what does this have to do with the subject at hand? He was riding a Puch, which he pronounced POOK.

Of course this assumes he knew the correct pronunciation. We all have our idiosyncrasies. I pronounce the name of my Vitus "Vee- TOOSE". That's the way Othon Ochsner, one time Vitus importer, told me it was pronounced. :-)

John "Well-Traveled" Everett - Aurora, Illinois

jeverett3@earthlink.net (John V. Everett)