Turns out we've been saying Uranus wrong all this time. Photo / Getty Images
It's long been the unfortunate subject of classroom giggles.
Learning about the solar system in primary school inevitably turns to what can be the teacher's most dreaded planet to discuss — Uranus.
That's because most Aussies pronounce the word 'your-anus'.
The icy planet has became the butt of schoolyard jokes, so to speak.
"Uranus is showing," if a kid bent over whose shorts were embarrassingly not staying up.
Or the less so obvious, "What planet are you from? Uranus?"
Hopefully schoolyard humour has come a long way since then, but turns out the rest of us who grew up in that generation are still saying the more embarrassing version of the word when we don't even need to.
Astronomer Associate Professor Alan Duffy spoke up about the incorrect pronunciation this week, quickly correcting an ABC News Breakfast presenter who said it out during an interview about new research.
But the ABC's guidelines say the standard Australian pronunciation is 'yooh-RAY-nuhs'.
The ABC then says, "When using reports and material from abroad (where it is sometimes pronounced YOOH-ruh-nuhs), match pronunciation with that used in the report".
So basically it should sound like 'You're a nuss'.
Prof Duffy says this is the correct way and he thinks the ABC should change its guidelines.
A clearer way to sound the word out is 'ur-unus', putting emphasis on the ur.
The ABC entry was added in 2006 and Prof Duffy this week tweeted it should be changed.
The ABC interview got off to an awkward start when Prof Duffy said, "that was unfortunate phrasing", and went on to say that fact one among new findings was how Uranus should be pronounced.
The research in fact showed why the ice giant is the coldest planet in the solar system and rotates on its side, but the segment of course ended with returning to the debate.
"That's the end of the many jokes," the presenters quipped.
Social media users then offered up their interpretations with the very Aussie, 'Ya-rainus'.
Speaking to news.com.au this week, Prof Duffy said astronomers pronounced it their way for obvious reasons.
"I would like the ABC to change that," he said.
"It's a fraught issue naming things. I'm pretty sure no one pronounced it that way (in Britain)."
Uranus was actually named after the Greek god of the sky. It was originally named Georges Star after King George III of England because its discoverer, amateur astronomer William Herschel wrongly thought it was a star.
He located it on March 13, 1781, but people may have seen Uranus as early as 128 B.C. because they mistakenly thought the same thing.
Emily Lakdawalla, of The Planetary Society, wrote about her solution to the problem teaching a Year 5 class.
"At the beginning of the solar system unit, I asked the kids to name planets and other things in the solar system, and (inevitably) the class clown shouted out 'your anus' to the amusement of all," she said.
"I also smiled and laughed, and pointed out that there was another pronunciation that was almost as bad, and then I got up and wrote the following in big letters on the board:
'You're a nuss!'.
"Then I instructed the class full of kids to turn to their neighbours, point, and accuse one other of being a 'nuss', which they enjoyed.
"A cop-out? Yes. But at least it got every kid in the room to say the name of the planet out loud, and to do it while thinking about a word that, if nonsensical, was at least not scatological."
She said the class was then able to move on and have a good time exploring the solar system without too much embarrassment.
If that doesn't work, we can all just start saying it the right way.
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