The Tennessee "VOLES"??

#1
derekdoolander

derekdoolander

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2010
Messages
409
Likes
122
#1
I dont know about you, but it annoys the heck outta me when I have friends outside of the southeast ask me why I cheer for the Tennessee "voles"... I then have to teach an impromptu history lesson on the Mexican-American War that always concludes in me saying "you wouldn't say VOLE-unteer"....

Ignorant masses: this is not our mascot: Vole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even worse, maybe even our new staff has this problem... listen to Butch at 1:33. I'd like to think he's trying to get under the teams skin, butttttttttttt who knows. ORANGE TINTED GLASSES ON- Go Butch, Go VOLS!

Butch Jones Feature on College GameDay 9/14/13 - YouTube
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#3
#3
derekdoolander said:
I dont know about you, but it annoys the heck outta me when I have friends outside of the southeast ask me why I cheer for the Tennessee "voles"... I then have to teach an impromptu history lesson on the Mexican-American War that always concludes in me saying "you wouldn't say VOLE-unteer"....

Ignorant masses: this is not our mascot: Vole - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even worse, maybe even our new staff has this problem... listen to Butch at 1:33. I'd like to think he's trying to get under the teams skin, butttttttttttt who knows. ORANGE TINTED GLASSES ON- Go Butch, Go VOLS!

Butch Jones Feature on College GameDay 9/14/13 - YouTube
Click to expand...

He was calling out Drae BOWLES, so he wasn't saying VOLES in the video :salute:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people
#5
#5
I had an ex-girlfriend call them the Voles once.


She also hadn't seen Top Gun when we started dating either so there's that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people
#9
#9
I have a friend from Cali that never cared about football but always went out of his way to call them the "voles" just to get under my skin..never understood it..there is no way to mispronounce volunteers
 
#13
#13
jokerama said:
I have a friend from Cali that never cared about football but always went out of his way to call them the "voles" just to get under my skin..never understood it..there is no way to mispronounce volunteers
Click to expand...

Actually there us a way. First, most outside of the southern geographical region (SEC) folks are visually bombarded with the abbreviation of our team's name. They constantly see Vols instead of Volunteers. So many today, who are increasingly misusing the English language anyway, slip into this mispronunciation. Many actually think the team's name is Vols and that like most folks don't know what a Hokie is, they don't know what a Vol is except it's associated with University of Tennessee football. Added to this, most never heard a native pronounce the sound of "Vawls" so continue to utter the erroneous noise of "Voles" which they hear from others around them.

Rather than getting all snotty and haughty, we Vols should just smile sweetly, pat them on the hand and say, "It's 'Vawls' buddy, 'Vawls", short for Volunteers."
Educating makes more friends and Vols fans than hating the innocently ignorant.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#16
#16
sanglemangle said:
It's like calling a dog a Dug!
Click to expand...

Could be. Just keep in mind some folks can just as easily find cause to mock our Southern drawl way of pronouncing certain words as well. Regionalism is what it is, mainly one of many realities in life. It even shows up in the Bible: Judges 12:5-6
 
#18
#18
WoodsmanVol said:
Actually there us a way. First, most outside of the southern geographical region (SEC) folks are visually bombarded with the abbreviation of our team's name. They constantly see Vols instead of Volunteers. So many today, who are increasingly misusing the English language anyway, slip into this mispronunciation. Many actually think the team's name is Vols and that like most folks don't know what a Hokie is, they don't know what a Vol is except it's associated with University of Tennessee football. Added to this, most never heard a native pronounce the sound of "Vawls" so continue to utter the erroneous noise of "Voles" which they hear from others around them.

Rather than getting all snotty and haughty, we Vols should just smile sweetly, pat them on the hand and say, "It's 'Vawls' buddy, 'Vawls", short for Volunteers."
Educating makes more friends and Vols fans than hating the innocently ignorant.
Click to expand...

This is getting weird.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#19
#19
MG1968 said:
not nearly as dumb as calling the NFL team in Jacksonville, FL the "Jagwires"
Click to expand...

This! I was starting to think I was the only one who noticed that. John Fox was pretty bad about doing it a couple of week ago during the week prior to the Jaguars game.
 
#21
#21
I like saring a log up round NY.
Or I sar Big Dan play yesterday.
 
#22
#22
Wood Man said:
Some folks around E. Tennessee call a chimney a "chimley." Ever heard that one?
Click to expand...

Fortunately, no. That would anger me greatly.

I know this isn't quite the same as what was being discussed, but I hate to include it.

My all-time least favorite is when people try to say "Alzheimers". When I was in COLLEGE, I heard people in my class still saying "All-Timers" and "Old-Timers". I finally got sick of it one day and asked them how they could possibly think they were pronouncing it correctly.

Also, people who pronounce chipotle "Chi-pol-tay". That's definitely the most common mis-pronounced word I hear. I'm sure there are quite a few people reading this who are guilty of that.
 
Last edited:
#23
#23
Voles?
Bank_vole.jpg
 
#24
#24
Wood Man said:
Some folks around E. Tennessee call a chimney a "chimley." Ever heard that one?
Click to expand...

In the south a lot of things are pronounced differently. I moved to Tennessee from South Dakota in middle school..here is what I noticed right away:

Pen = pin
Wendy's = windy's
Fire = faar
Iron = i'urn

and the worst one of all..

Shopping cart = buggy
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top