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03/20/2012 06:07AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
When you say "That was a really tough portage"

Does that last word there rhyme with "luggage" or does it rhyme with "garage."

Or some other way?

I've always been a rhymes with luggage person. but recent conversation makes me wonder whether that is my Southern Illinois (closer to Memphis than Chicago) accent coming through.

What do most people say. The dictionary is of no help. Says both are correct.
 
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03/20/2012 06:30AM  
Garage if I'm feeling Anglo-French. Otherwise I stick with the more common luggage version.
 
ozarkpaddler
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03/20/2012 06:35AM  
PORT-ugge since I was born south of the border. If I were Canadian, I guess it would we PORT-aahj.
 
03/20/2012 06:40AM  
I feel pretentious if I say por-taj'. I suppose it comes from the Ely Outfitter folks who always say por'-tage.
 
Jackfish
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03/20/2012 06:40AM  
Yep
 
03/20/2012 06:46AM  
Depends if I've listened to Kevin Callan lately or not.

Usually it's port-uj for me.
 
03/20/2012 06:58AM  
luggage..unless there's canadians around, they say it the other way.
i've even heard eastern canadians just say PORT.
 
03/20/2012 07:26AM  
It really seems to be the difference between Canadians and Americans.

When I'm in Canada and everyone says por - tahj' and I make fun of them.

When in the US and I say port' - age, all the Canadians make fun of me.

A portage by any other pronunciation is still carrying a boat on your shoulders for too long of a time.
 
wetcanoedog
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03/20/2012 08:29AM  
being from Our East and doing my canoeing in Canada i use the "por-taj"
if i was in Up State NY i would say i was using "the carry".when the East Coast Buddys come out we say lets take that Carry to Kawnipi because the other Carry comes out to far East--or something like that.
when folks from Minnesota talk about the path to the next lake i think they are talking about the oat meal breakfast.
 
schweady
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03/20/2012 08:41AM  
Po-TAY-to, pa-TAH-to... I still like carrying stuff between lakes.
 
bapabear
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03/20/2012 08:52AM  
It's always interesting for me to hear someone say it "por-taaaj" because I hear the word constantly living about 15 miles from Portage, WI. This is where the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers have about a 1 mile distance (shortest walk) between them and it was the logical place for indians and early travelers to unload and carry their gear. Naturally a town began there and there was a canal dug between the two rivers. Around my neck of the woods someone is being goofy to call the place "por-taaaj". Commonly it's "portij" in this part of the state.
 
JoeWilderness
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03/20/2012 09:00AM  
JW = luggage
Mrs. JW = garage
 
03/20/2012 09:22AM  
When in Canada (where I guided canoe trips during my college summers) I always use the "por-taaj" pronounciation. The vast majority of the canoe country is in Canada, and that is the proper way to say it.

In the BWCA I use the American pronunciation just to avoid funny looks.
 
tonyyarusso
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03/20/2012 02:53PM  
Depends on which side of the border I'm on. Luggage in the US, garage in Canada. When in Rome...
 
03/20/2012 03:04PM  
quote BWPaddler: "Depends if I've listened to Kevin Callan lately or not.


Usually it's port-uj for me."


I talked to Kevin at Quiet Water Symposium a couple weeks back. I commented that Canadians said por-TAHJ while in the States we say PORTage. He said that by the time he got home after Canoecopia he would be pronouncing it our way and it would take him a week to get back to saying it right.

I really enjoyed talking to him. He's really friendly and outgoing. Enjoyed both of his presentations to.
 
Savage Voyageur
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03/20/2012 03:17PM  
I pronounce it like it rhymes with luggage, even though I spell my name Voyageur and not Voyager.
 
OBX2Kayak
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03/20/2012 03:51PM  
I grew up as a luggage guy in Minnesota. Now I live amongst a bunch a garage folks. I still cannot get used to it.
 
serenityseeker
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03/20/2012 04:20PM  
I'm almost 100% french canadian descent, you would think I would say por-TAAJ, but mostly its just PORT-age or something worse.
 
03/20/2012 04:31PM  
I think what I say is closer to prtj. Sometimes it's ##*@$$ of a &*&% !
 
03/20/2012 05:51PM  
PORT-age ...That's what Bill Rom called them, and that's good enough for me. :-)
 
03/21/2012 05:02AM  
Luggage guy.
 
mpeebles
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03/21/2012 05:28AM  
Portage, Wisconsin is pronounced Port-ig. If you go into a bar and call it Por-'taahg you'll probably get a few stares not to mention beat up. I prefer the French/Canadian pronounciation as the French language seems very sexy to me. Try changing your vehicle's GPS unit to French and you'll see what I mean. "Turn left in one mile" takes on a whole different meaning!
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/21/2012 06:22AM  
The normal human says: PORT'edge.
A Wilderness Snob would say: Por TAHJ'
These same people also take out the: GAR' bahj :)
 
pswith5
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03/21/2012 07:26AM  
sometimes when I am feeling silly my garage becomes Garej-hard j almost rhymes with luggage I noticed the candians at copia always said port(aaaah)ge
 
Chicken
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03/21/2012 07:29AM  
Learned from the Candians on my first trips so I have always been a por-taaj, or garage guy. Living in the Midwest has nothing to with my pronunciation. (Being from Wisconsin Portage, WI has always rhymed with luggage, so go figure)
 
Canoe42
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03/21/2012 07:37AM  
quote Chicken: "Learned from the Candians on my first trips so I have always been a por-taaj, or garage guy. Living in the Midwest has nothing to with my pronunciation. (Being from Wisconsin Portage, WI has always rhymed with luggage, so go figure)"


Same here. We firtst started tripping out of Atikokan, so we have a little French Canadian twist to our pronunciation.
 
03/21/2012 10:02AM  
Here's another question. If you're taking a stroll with a roll is that called a poop-tage or a poop-tahj?
 
03/21/2012 02:02PM  
Anyway except port-uh-jay
 
03/21/2012 07:07PM  
When I see it as "portage" in my head I think like garage but when I see it normally I think of it like I say it: rhymes with luggage. A portage is a "luggage," isn't it? Lol
 
VoyageurNorth
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03/21/2012 11:09PM  
Always have called it a port-ij. Don't mind if someone from Canada or the likes call it a port-ahj. But it does bug me some when you know someone is just saying it that way just because they seem to think they "need" too, to sound "kewl" :-)
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/22/2012 05:50AM  
With you, Lynn!
Ahh, Wilderness snobs and their trendy pronounciations!! :)
 
walleye_hunter
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03/22/2012 06:37AM  
I usually say port-ij, but sometimes I just call it a trail to get a rise out of TGO and his wilderness snob possy. If the trail is long and/or steep I'm with oldgentleman.
 
03/22/2012 07:50AM  
quote Savage Voyageur: "I pronounce it like it rhymes with luggage, even though I spell my name Voyageur and not Voyager. "

I say port-uj, as I am from the US.

-- HIJACK PORTION --
But SV, using the french spelling of voyageur, I believe, is appropriate because it signifies that you are referring to canoeing, and not genearlly wandering or going on the open seas. I think the distinction is generally accepted in the English speaking world.
-- END HIJACK PORTION --
(If anyone wants to chew on this usage question, let's start another thread.)
 
03/22/2012 07:57AM  
quote The Great Outdoors: "The normal human says: PORT'edge.
A Wilderness Snob would say: Por TAHJ'
These same people also take out the: GAR' bahj :)"

No, they don't...they have valets for that! :)
 
schweady
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03/22/2012 08:45AM  
quote jcavenagh: "
quote Savage Voyageur: "I pronounce it like it rhymes with luggage, even though I spell my name Voyageur and not Voyager. "

I say port-uj, as I am from the US.

-- HIJACK PORTION --
But SV, using the french spelling of voyageur, I believe, is appropriate because it signifies that you are referring to canoeing, and not genearlly wandering or going on the open seas. I think the distinction is generally accepted in the English speaking world.
-- END HIJACK PORTION --
(If anyone wants to chew on this usage question, let's start another thread.)"


Might it depend on the colour of your parcel?

Perhaps if you carry Louis Vitton, eh.
 
Rapid Runner
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03/22/2012 09:16AM  
port-ij kinda sounds like luggage.

where from southern illinois?
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/22/2012 10:20AM  
quote jcavenagh: "
quote The Great Outdoors: "The normal human says: PORT'edge.
A Wilderness Snob would say: Por TAHJ'
These same people also take out the: GAR' bahj :)"

No, they don't...they have valets for that! :)"

This is true!! :)
 
Arkansas Man
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03/22/2012 01:27PM  
Here in Arkansas we just have rocky places to carry stuff over... However when I am in Minnesota, I say it like TGO's normal person. A portage!

Bruce
 
VoyageurNorth
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03/22/2012 01:50PM  
TGO, wow it is a scary day when you & I agree! :-)
 
03/22/2012 02:45PM  
quote Rapid Runner: "port-ij kinda sounds like luggage.


where from southern illinois?"


Nashville.
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/22/2012 02:56PM  
quote VoyageurNorth: "TGO, wow it is a scary day when you & I agree! :-)"

Oh Man!!!!
Now I have to re-think my post!! :)
 
Rapid Runner
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03/22/2012 07:21PM  
quote Drab: "
quote Rapid Runner: "port-ij kinda sounds like luggage.



where from southern illinois?"



Nashville."


ill be going thru there tomorrow after work. how long have you lived there?
 
AdamXChicago
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03/22/2012 07:34PM  
POR-TIJ
 
burntsider
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03/23/2012 07:52PM  
I never have occasion to use the word. But if I did, I'd say POR tihj.
 
The Great Outdoors
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03/23/2012 10:11PM  
Never used the word portage, have another beer!
Remember that long, one mile thingy, we used to walk all the time when we were kids that went over to Crab Lake??
One of those, sheeeeeeeeeeesh!!!!!
 
03/23/2012 10:28PM  
quote Rapid Runner: "
quote Drab: "
quote Rapid Runner: "port-ij kinda sounds like luggage.



where from southern illinois?"




Nashville."



ill be going thru there tomorrow after work. how long have you lived there?"


I've lived here about 38 out of my 40 years.
 
03/23/2012 11:05PM  
pronounced..."nice walk"
 
outdooraddict
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03/23/2012 11:15PM  
I say guhrodge, and poortidge ;-)
 
ArrowheadPaddler
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03/24/2012 07:04AM  
luggage, unless we are fooling around, then its garage.
 
03/24/2012 02:25PM  
quote oldgentleman: "I think what I say is closer to prtj. Sometimes it's ##*@$$ of a &*&% !
"

LOL Have to agree. I have several portages that have my given names for them and they aren't pretty! There's the Big Misery and the Little Misery, back to back port-idges and that MF one up in Quetico! haha
 
HikingStick
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03/27/2012 09:28AM  
Any Italian paddlers out there? Portaggio?

A buddy and I often just call them "hops".

In Russian, it's ????? (volok - long "o" sound).
 
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