How do YOU pronounce "Herreshoff"?

[landlocked sailor]

I visited the museum in Bristol, RI last week and asked this question of the friendly gentlemen staff. The best answer was "hair is off"! So there you have it. BTW, the museum is quite nice with some great old classics and LOTS of Herreshoff information & memorabilia. Definitely worth a visit. Rick

[Ed Harrow]

Geeze, all the way to Bristol and you didn't stop in! Maybe next time.

[landlocked sailor]

Yeah, we came from down in Pt. Judith. I shoulda called ahead Ed! Rick

[ACB]

My late father, who had briefly met both Nathaniel (in extreme old age) and LF (in his prime) pronounced it "Hershoff"; but then he pronounced "golf" as "goff" and "dinghy" as "punt"!

[landlocked sailor]

I had a nice chat with a retired surgeon in RI. He said that you do not pronounce your R's in Yankee speak except at the end of words like "idear". Rick

[Bob Cleek]

I'm with ACB. Shortly after LFH's death, I briefly made the acquaintance of Muriel Vaughn, LFH's life long secretary and executrix of his estate. Ms. Vaughn also pronounced it "Her-shoff" with perhaps only the slightest hesitation somewhere around the hyphen. Same for my good friend who introduced us, who also knew "The Skipper" fairly well.

[Ed Harrow]

I've been watchin this for a bit. Quite presumably "Herreshoff" is German. My German has deteriorated to the point of about a six-word vocabulary, but, and perhaps Martin may join in, the last syllable would be pronounced as "hawff" or something close to that.

My thinking is that likely, over the past 100 years, it seems quite likely that attempts were made, perhaps by the family, to step back from their German heritage.

[Thad]

The family in Bristol seems to cling strongly to the German pronunciation (heresoff, soft "o")while L. Francis here in Marblehead, perhaps inspired somewhat by his little spat with the family, insisted with the rest of the ignorant world that the "sh" was clearly present -- Herreshoff like the rest of us. I also think that the surgeon in RI was taking a classic Boston accent for all of New England for it is not present in much of RI and was never typical of Marblehead. It is a fine joke anyway.

[landlocked sailor]

Well, my RI born & raised parents-in law still don't pronounce their "R's" and they haven't lived there in 40+ years. Mom-in-law wanted to have a birthday "potty". My kids love that one. BTW, the man who pronounced "hair-is-off" is in fact BALD! Rick

[WILLIAM E. HARRIS]

On which syllable would one properly place the emphasis?

[sawcutmill]

Its too bad that all of the Herreshoff museum boats are inside collecting dust and mold,my beef is that it does nobody any good to look at waterlines and bottom paint, put those classics back in, the museum is living off its past accomplishments, mostly Capt Nats.How does one justify the fact that the Herreshoff name become so static, because the museum is not providing the quintessential proof that these boats actually sailed,it does not do anyone any good to see them like that,otherwise pictures will do,which they have plenty of, to prove that they once did sail!

[Don Olney]

What Thad said.

The only two boats I sail on other than the Ness Yawl are an H-28 and an S Boat. One of the owners is a Naval Architect while the other isn't. Both pronounce it "Heresoff".

Now, how many know how to pronounce "Ayn" as in Rand, the comic book writer?

[Art Read]

Ine as in "mine" ain't it? (as I shrug...)

[TomRobb]

I listened to a radio interview (by Terri Gross, I think) some time ago. Yes it's Ine as in mine. And she's was annoying to listen to as she is to read.

[kben]

We, also, went to the museum a few years ago, and built and live aboard a Herreshoff Nereia. I vaguely recall a plaque/sign in the museum that explained how to pronounce the name, and I'm 99% sure it's HAIR-es-off. Funny thing, tho, the other day I called the museum to order something and they answered the phone HERR-esh-off Marine Museum, so there ya are.

Cheers,
Kitty

[johnh94927]

R-O-L-A-I-D-S