Apres_Londee

In Toronto we pronounce it "key" (ie Queens Quay = Queens Key)

How do you pronounce West India Quay?

LittleVicky

Go with India Key.

unclegus

I am not a Londoner ,but I would pronounce it KEY!

Apres_Londee

Thanks. I guess I could have just looked it up on wikipedia:

>>A quay, pronounced 'key', is a wharf or bank where ships and other vessels are loaded. A quay may be constructed parallel or perpendicular to the bank of a waterway. The word is commonly used in United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and in some of the former British colonies<<

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quay

English is so weird.

hetismij

It has the same roots as the French Quai and the Dutch Kaai, though they are pronounced differently.

Cholmondley_Warner

It's a common ending to names of seaside towns - Newquay, Torquay etc. It's said key.

Nikki

It really never occurred to me it was pronounced any way other than kay. OK, I've already learned my one new thing for the day, I can go back to bed.

yk

It's always been KEY for me. I'm surprised others would pronounce it differently.

PatrickLondon

It's always been "key" for me, but in the song "The Star of the County Down" it's pronounced Cay (to rhyme with Bantry Bay), so there are variations in these islands.

I live near West India Quay (and various other local quays) and I occasionally hear people pronouncing it Kway - but perhaps they've only heard of the pop singer a few years ago called Finlay Quaye (to set off at a wild tangent).

nytraveler

No - in the US Quay isn't common usage - and no one would suspect it would be pronounced "key". Just like most people say Green-which and Glou-cest-er. (People from the NE usually use the British pronunciations.) But lots of times I hear tourits asking for Green-which Village - instead of Gren-itch.

Robespierre

Glou-cest-er

Or, if you're Russian submariners whose boat has run aground, "Gloo-chest-er".

(TRaC, TRaC is one of the funniest movies of all time, IMO.)

PatrickLondon

Blimey, if they were trying to get a submarine to Gloucester, they would be aground.

Oh, Gloucester, Mass., I suppose....

bdjtbenson

In the US, we have keys. Florida Keys, Key West, Key Largo, same idea, same pronunciation, different spelling.

wombat7

Continuing the nautical theme - how about "buoy"?

nytraveler

Boo-ee.

hetismij

Buoy - we say boy, Americans and Canadians(?) sound the u, making it bu-ie.

hetismij

But then you say tomayto and we say tomahto. You say erb we say herb.

J_R_Hartley

I have a theory, that I believe is all mine.

OK....No one really knows where it comes from.

My theory: French: "Au Quai"

"Is the boat fine?"
"Yes it is au quai (ok)"

"Has the shipment arrived?"
"Yes it is all au quai (ok)"

jsmith

I love Newquay - pronounced nookey.

AnselmAdorne

"Buoy - we say boy, Americans and Canadians(?) sound the u, making it bu-ie."

hetismij, this Canadian says "boy", but the fellows I have sailed with in Nova Scotia all say "boo-ee". Not sure what other Can-a-juns say.

Anselm