Boise (City)

[mrpablue]

Boise or Boise City? I've seen both on maps, and I've heard people say both. It seems that the city's name is simply Boise, but the metro area as defined by the Census people refers to it as Boise City. What happened, and which do you prefer? Which is correct?

[Scott5114]

Boise City is in Oklahoma.

[Flint1979]

I've only heard people call it Boise but I have seen Boise City—Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.

[Max Rockatansky]

Boise

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Boise ID and Boise City OK. Although I've seen the one in ID as Boise City.

[Brandon]

And they're pronounced differently.
Boise, Idaho: boy-see
Boise City, Oklahoma: boys city

[US 89]

I've never heard anyone say Boise City, ID. Even though the census MSA uses "Boise City" , I'm pretty sure that's wrong. The city's own website identifies itself as "City of Boise" , not "Boise City"  or "City of Boise City" .

Also, Boise ID is frequently mispronounced boy-zee instead of boy-see. Pronouncing it with the Z sound identifies you as a tourist.

[corco]

Boise, though for whatever reason Google identified it as "Boise City" for a few years, which still lingers on some maps. Boise City is only used to clarify that it isn't Boise County, which is also in southwestern Idaho (though does not contain Boise).

[DTComposer]

I've seen it as Boise City on a number of 19th century maps (such as https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~30590~1140117:Mont-,-Ida-,-Wyo- ) so I assumed it was "official"  at some point and subsequently dropped.

[doorknob60]

I've seen it as Boise City on a number of 19th century maps (such as https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~30590~1140117:Mont-,-Ida-,-Wyo- ) so I assumed it was "official"  at some point and subsequently dropped.

That's what I thought I read somewhere, but I can't find any sources on that now. 

[Scott5114]

I've seen it as Boise City on a number of 19th century maps (such as https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~30590~1140117:Mont-,-Ida-,-Wyo- ) so I assumed it was "official"  at some point and subsequently dropped.

A similar thing happened with Pryor Creek and New Cordell in Oklahoma. That's their official names, and they show up as such in Census data and other things derived from it. Yet in the real world, nobody (not even ODOT) refers to them as anything other than Pryor and Cordell, respectively.

[hotdogPi]

The database also refers to certain locations in Massachusetts as Methuen Town, Amesbury Town, and others (generally the ones that are officially cities but are thought of as towns). I have seen this format in several places.

[Henry]

Something similar exists with Phoenix, AZ and Phenix City, AL; although the two places are pronounced the exact same way, they aren't spelled the same. I've always wondered why the AL city chose its name, perhaps to distinguish itself from the AZ city?

Same thing with Milwaukee, WI and Milwaukie, OR.

[hotdogPi]

Something similar exists with Phoenix, AZ and Phenix City, AL; although the two places are pronounced the exact same way, they aren't spelled the same. I've always wondered why the AL city chose its name, perhaps to distinguish itself from the AZ city?

Same thing with Milwaukee, WI and Milwaukie, OR.

Reading, PA, MA, and others, and Redding, CA.
Worcester, MA and Wooster, OH (local dialect changes it a bit, but it should be identical if spoken by someone who doesn't live near either).

Conclusion: Places outside the Northeast simplify spellings of British city/town names so that people won't mispronounce them.

[texaskdog]

I’ve never heard anyone say Boise City, ID. Even though the census MSA uses “Boise City”, I’m pretty sure that’s wrong. The city’s own website identifies itself as “City of Boise”, not “Boise City” or “City of Boise City”.

Also, Boise ID is frequently mispronounced boy-zee instead of boy-see. Pronouncing it with the Z sound identifies you as a tourist.

If they wanted it pronounced that way they should have made it Boisee

[busman_49]

Worcester, MA and Wooster, OH (local dialect changes it a bit, but it should be identical if spoken by someone who doesn't live near either).

Conclusion: Places outside the Northeast simplify spellings of British city/town names so that people won't mispronounce them.

Funny you say that, because although Wooster is pronounced "WUSS-ter," it is often mispronounced as "WOO-ster."  Wooster does NOT rhyme with rooster.

[webny99]

Worcester, MA and Wooster, OH (local dialect changes it a bit, but it should be identical if spoken by someone who doesn't live near either).

Conclusion: Places outside the Northeast simplify spellings of British city/town names so that people won't mispronounce them.

Funny you say that, because although Wooster is pronounced "WUSS-ter," it is often mispronounced as "WOO-ster."  Wooster does NOT rhyme with rooster.

I, for one, always rhymed it with rooster. Didn't notice how the Ohio natives said it though.

I also have always said "reed-ing" for Reading. But that's a result of seeing it on paper, but not hearing it spoken. In fairness, the verb "reading" [a book] is pronounced "reed", so it's intuitive to assume the place has the same pronunciation.

[Scott5114]

Also, Boise ID is frequently mispronounced boy-zee instead of boy-see. Pronouncing it with the Z sound identifies you as a tourist.

Boise has tourists? *ducks*