How do you say Pete Buttigieg?
Not sure how to pronounce the millennial candidate's last name? Fear not! We've got you covered.
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Your support makes all the difference.There are a number of challenges Pete Buttigieg may face during his bid for the White House, from convincing voters to elect the nation’s first openly gay president, to reminding folks that 38-years-old is, in fact, old enough to serve as the commander-in-chief.
But there is perhaps one roadblock that could prove more difficult for him to overcome than anything else: getting voters to correctly pronounce his last name.
Despite spending an entire year on the campaign trail, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana — who was relatively unknown throughout the country before joining the presidential race — has been entirely unsuccessful in getting the masses to learn the accurate pronunciation.
“Boot-uh-egg”, some newscasters say with puzzled looks.
“Boo-da-jug”, others mumble, their faces red with embarrassment.
“Booty-judge”, my friend once said at a dinner party, which was admittedly very funny.
But none of these are anywhere near accurate.
No, the Democratic presidential hopeful’s useful name-pronunciation stickers have not helped much. Much like how a catchy tune has not inspired voters to practice saying “Buttigieg” in the mirror for a solid 20 minutes.
Not even the mayor’s own explanations of how to say his name correctly were working by the time he nearly won Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus.
“It’s Boot-edge-edge,” the former mayor attempts to helpfully explain during media appearances and fundraising events.
The candidate has also told crowds: “My name is Pete Buttigieg, and where I come from, they just call me Mayor Pete.”
But even that explanation doesn’t quite do the former mayor’s last name justice. That’s right: sorry, Mr Buttigieg, but not even you are saying you’re own last name correctly when you pronounce it “Boot-edge-edge”.
The most technically accurate way to pronounce “Buttigieg” would be to say something most similar to “Buddha-judge”.
Hopefully this helps voters — and the mayor himself — as they continue paying close attention to the electoral process.
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