Date:  Mon, 4 Dec 1995 09:35:48 -0500

From:  "Dennis R. Preston" <preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU>

Subject: Re: -head



While we are on Wisconsin (sorry about the -son spellings), have other

forced residents of the state noticed a funny syllable division there? My

divisions are very clearly 'wis-con-sin,' but I could swear to the fact

that nearly every Wisconsinite (there, Larry!) I've met divides it as

'wi-scon-sin.' The phonological motivation for this seems weak, but I

wonder if there is not some generalization lurking under it.



Dennis (not so clearly a nonPackerbacker) Preston

<preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot,msu.edu>



>Dennis, obviously no great Packer-backer himself, writes,

>

>

>>I saw the Green Bay Packers play today and heard their fans, them, and

>>Wisconsonites (Wisconsonians?) in general referred to as 'cheeseheads.'

>>One of the fans in the stands had a hat shaped like a big wedge of cheese

>>(apparently a Swiss).

>

>           Green Bay Packer fans have been proudly wearing those

>cheeseheads (yes, it refers to the large yellow object itself as well to the

>wearers, and may well encompass all Wisconsinites--not Wisconsonians or

>Wisconsonites--but I think the team itself is not known by that moniker) for

>some years now, but it was only last week when the cheesehead performed its

>first life-saving mission. A fan was returning home from the game in a

>private plane which began losing power, and he propped his cheesehead between

>himself and whichever hard object he was to encounter on his speedy way down.

>I forget the details, but he swears he'll never leave home without one now.

>

>Larry (wondering if that was really how they invented head cheese)