Back when I was teaching our 7th grade was tested on science, and they focused on astronomy. Each classroom had a planet painted up over their door. I had little sympathy for the teacher who taught in the 7th classroom. Instead of going with the flow and rolling with the punches she always made a fuss. She just made it worse, every year.
When I was an undergrad I was an astronomy assistant and among other things had to run some public sessions. Pronouncing the name of the planet between Saturn and Neptune was always a problem, and produced questions I (as a teenager, aged 16-20)) had real trouble dealing with.Either of the two main contenders, all syllables about equal vs emphasis on “ran” with long “a”, provoked questions and titters.
The uproarious pronunciation of Uranus is in fact a mispronunciation. The Greek form was Οὐρανός which, Latinized in the usual way, would have given Ūranus with ă (“short a”) and tonic accent on the first syllable; Latin words are never accented on the final syllable (except of course in Latin class, when the tots chant aMO, aMAS, aMAT in a most unlatin way. Once the word is further modified according to letter values in English, the first syllable is /yuw/, like in Ulysses and ukelele.
If you don’t like saying the U word, simply call the planet by its original name, George. When Herschel discovered the planet in 1781, he named it George’s planet for his king, King George. It even appeared as George’s planet in the astronomical texts until the Astronomical society made him change it to fit the other planets Godly names. I winder if he chose Uranus out of spite?
Ratkin Premium Member about 2 months ago
Six of the planets have a U in them. I’d never thought about that before. Seven if you count Pluto. That’s unUsual.
ʲᔆ about 2 months ago
if he can’t recite the entire list at school – he’ll be receiving an “F” (wərd)
iggyman about 2 months ago
It is a funny word to a kid, we know where Hammie’s mind is at!
Macushlalondra about 2 months ago
A lot of people have made jokes about the name of that planet.
cracker65 about 2 months ago
Kid humor
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace about 2 months ago
Workarounds
conuly about 2 months ago
Uranus is the seventh planet, buddy.
jessebob42 about 2 months ago
They should change it’s name to end to this childish humor. Something like… Urectum! (Futurama paraphrase)
hariseldon59 about 2 months ago
When he gets older he might recite bawdy limericks about Venus.
Michael Jones about 2 months ago
oh to have that level of innocence again
Superhawk about 2 months ago
“Hammie! U are going to ‘time out’!”
rbrt6956 about 2 months ago
Actually it was the seventh planet.
Huckleberry Hiroshima about 2 months ago
It’s pronounced OO-Rah-Noos. Not your aynus. Well, unless you need to say that for some reason or other.
Free or Not? Premium Member about 2 months ago
Pluto Lives Matter and it will always be the 9th planet to me.
Rasslebear about 2 months ago
I will ALWAYS include Pluto!
DJohnny about 2 months ago
I wonder if there is a missing word?
“…can get past TO the eight…” ?
SquidGamerGal about 2 months ago
If you can’t control yourself, Hammie, we’ll blast you to Pluto! Yeah, that’s right! A DWARF planet!!
elbow macaroni about 2 months ago
Is this going to be a 1-joke week? OK, OK, we get it…
Zen-of-Zinfandel about 2 months ago
All this goofing around, no Mars bar for you!
serial232 about 2 months ago
I was using my telescope, last night, and I saw Uranus. It was beautiful.
ctolson about 2 months ago
Interesting that for Hammies’ age, he knows the correct name for that certain part of the body. For me at that age it was butt-hole.
Wren Fahel about 2 months ago
Pluto is a planet! Schoolhouse Rock says so!
Daltongang Premium Member about 2 months ago
Wait until Hammie realizes that Uranis has 27 MOONS.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] about 2 months ago
What is this RIPLEY BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Letters??
ngc1234 about 2 months ago
Uranus is the only planet that is scatological two ways — URINE-US and Your-ANUS!
c_sullivan about 2 months ago
Dad should be saying, “It was the only way he could get past the seventh planet”, or “to the eighth”.
1 Mercury, 2 Venus, 3 Earth, 4 Mars, 5 Jupiter, 7 Saturn. Uranus is the 7th planet out from the sun. Neptune is the 8th.
J-Yoshi64 about 2 months ago
Clearly it doesn’t work completely.
Jerry in Chelsea about 2 months ago
They must have intended to write “get past the seventh planet” or “get TO the eighth planet”.
John Jorgensen about 2 months ago
Debatable whether he did get past it, based on the spacing.
marktson about 2 months ago
Pluto counts in my world
jmorris9999 Premium Member about 2 months ago
Teach him the proper pronunciation. Course that kills a million jokes.
The-Great-Gildersleeve about 2 months ago
Is Hammie the new Beavis? What a “U” – Hat!
The Quiet One about 2 months ago
Seriously Hammie?
Ji535m about 2 months ago
That’s why many now pronounce it: ur in us.
Durak Premium Member about 2 months ago
Back when I was teaching our 7th grade was tested on science, and they focused on astronomy. Each classroom had a planet painted up over their door. I had little sympathy for the teacher who taught in the 7th classroom. Instead of going with the flow and rolling with the punches she always made a fuss. She just made it worse, every year.
Waffle™ about 2 months ago
Hammie is never going to pass
BW42 about 2 months ago
When I was an undergrad I was an astronomy assistant and among other things had to run some public sessions. Pronouncing the name of the planet between Saturn and Neptune was always a problem, and produced questions I (as a teenager, aged 16-20)) had real trouble dealing with.Either of the two main contenders, all syllables about equal vs emphasis on “ran” with long “a”, provoked questions and titters.
sokolow Premium Member about 2 months ago
uranus is the seventh planet
Strawberry King about 2 months ago
You know what he means, Wanda.
Brian Premium Member about 2 months ago
Sadly there only 8 planets now. RIP Pluto.
chief tommy about 2 months ago
And Pluto——-dont care what Tyson says
fritzoid Premium Member about 2 months ago
The brontosaurus has been back since 2015, so maybe Pluto will be a planet again someday.
AndrewSihler about 2 months ago
The uproarious pronunciation of Uranus is in fact a mispronunciation. The Greek form was Οὐρανός which, Latinized in the usual way, would have given Ūranus with ă (“short a”) and tonic accent on the first syllable; Latin words are never accented on the final syllable (except of course in Latin class, when the tots chant aMO, aMAS, aMAT in a most unlatin way. Once the word is further modified according to letter values in English, the first syllable is /yuw/, like in Ulysses and ukelele.
John Plzak about 2 months ago
If you don’t like saying the U word, simply call the planet by its original name, George. When Herschel discovered the planet in 1781, he named it George’s planet for his king, King George. It even appeared as George’s planet in the astronomical texts until the Astronomical society made him change it to fit the other planets Godly names. I winder if he chose Uranus out of spite?
zodismoon about 2 months ago
Just pronounce it differently. Your in us. :)