Coming back to Rifts

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Ulairi
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Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Ulairi »

In the last couple weeks I was feeling nostalgic for games that I really enjoyed back in the day and when I was in high school I loved playing Rifts. So, anyway, I picked up the Ultimate Edition, and I was reading it and I had a question after listening to the podcast Gateway to the Megaverse and it's on the pronunciation of Chi-Town. The host pronounces it "Qi-Town" but considering that Chi-Town in Rifts is in Illinois and it supposed to represent Chicago, and I've always pronounced it the way Chicagoan's pronounce Chi-Town. I don't know if it I'm pronouncing it correctly, I know it doesn't really matter, but it's a bug in my crawl and I was wondering if anyone knows the official way it's supposed to be pronounced.

Thanks!
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Killer Cyborg »

I pronounce it "Chai," as in "Chai Tea."
Chicagoans pronounce it "Shy Town," I think.
Some people pronounce it "Chee Town."

I don't know if anything official has been said on the topic.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Bill »

Shy-town.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Svartalf »

I say Chee town, but then I'm French...
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by 42dragon »

Shy-town
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Ulairi »

42dragon wrote:Shy-town



That's how I pronounce it as well.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Mack »

A few years ago this topic came up, and Maryann (KS's ex-wife) said they always pronounced it Shy-Town around the office.

EDIT: Try this topic: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=33216
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Wise_Owl »

I've always pronounced it like 'Chai' as in the hindi word for Tea, though 'Shy' makes alot of sense, given it's origins as 'Chicago'...

I suppose 'Chee' town would make sense if your were italian.. or well I suppose if you had gotten whatever weird Anglicization Wujik was doing in Ninja's and Superspies(in most systems in Chinese that would either be Qi or Ch'i. Chi would be pronounced 'Jee').
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Axelmania »

I thought 'chee' like in Ninjas and Superspies, then Chai because I thought I heard that somewhere, first hearing of Shy

the way you say Chicago maybe we should just pronounce it the way it looks?

City Chiks: Chi(k)town
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Tiree »

I always pronounced it as Shih Town, as if you were to say Chicago, without the cago and add town.

Some folks hear the T in the first half, and it's missing in the latter, or it's in both. But in grade school we thought it was hilarious, and well it's stuck
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Axelmania »

All this "sh" sound is making me remember this town
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by RockJock »

I always went with Shy-Town.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Library Ogre »

We always pronounced it Chai-Town.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by RockJock »

That is the PF side of you talking Mark.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Library Ogre »

Nope, that's the "Not from Chicago" side of me talking.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Soldier of Od »

I always used to pronounced 'Chee' town, because, being a foreigner, I had no idea Chicago was nicknamed 'Chi-town', but I had heard of 'Chi' - this being the spelling of Qi used in Ninjas & Superspies and other Palladium books. But since then I learned of the Chicago connection, and (as supported by the link above) this is how the author pronounces it.

Although it is wrong, I still mostly call it 'Chee' town now, just because I can't break the habit.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by Procopius »

You know, I was born in the suburbs and've worked in Chicago for the last thirteen years, and I've never heard anyone call it Chi-town. I always assumed it was pronounced "chai" as well.
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Re: Coming back to Rifts

Unread post by flatline »

Soldier of Od wrote:Although it is wrong, I still mostly call it 'Chee' town now, just because I can't break the habit.


That's how I say it. I think it sounds better than the "authentic" pronunciation.

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