Call... coll... coliape?  Cool!

Todd Augsburger mentioned the "coliape" item listed on eBay.  I checked
the offering page.  That's not the only word maimed in the seller's
eBay information.  Strange, since he had the information right in front
of him.  At least we could hope that the record sleeve contained
correct spellings?  Maybe not.

With two pronunciations of calliope in vogue for years, perhaps we
should commend the seller for introducing a new alternative?  This
is how language "grows".

Years ago, Harvey Roehl had a fine display of books and records at
an MBSI meeting.  In it was a record which I had and still have in
my collection, boldly mistitled "NOSTAGLIA IN HI-FI".  Read that
carefully!

I asked Harvey if this was a rare Italian instrument.  He laughed, and
told me, "You know, Lee, I think you and I are the only two people who
ever noticed that!"  Gentle, erudite Harvey and this writer agreed not
to inform the rest of the world, lest the revelation jar everyone's
equilibrium.

At one time I owned an antique 1909 model Autocar truck, and also a
1931 Ford Model AA truck.  We used them in many parades, topped either
with my 1920s Tangley Calliope, or a Wurlitzer Military Band.

There in New Jersey, one may purchase special personalized "vanity"
license plates.  For the Ford, I applied for "Model A", figuring there
was no chance that it hadn't been issued long before.

Much to my surprise, I got it, except that the plates arrived as MODELA
instead of MODEL A.  The motor vehicle people eventually replaced it
with a plate correctly stamped.  Since it actually spelled the same,
they felt it was the same registration simply misspelled.  But for a
time I used MODELA.  I kid you not: every few weeks someone would ask
something like, "Is this a rare Italian antique vehicle?"

More often with the Autocar truck, people would also ask, "Is this a
real, genuine old fire engine," so accustomed people are to fire
equipment in parades.  Mine was not, but it is rebuilt now as a bus,
on display in an antique vehicle museum in Iowa.

The most memorable mispronunciation related to our rigs came at one
Independence Day parade in Brookside, a tiny rural town in New Jersey.
There was a parade official regaling the crowd with descriptions of
each parade unit, as one by one they approached the viewing stand.
We represented Yesteryear Museum, with our Tangley Calliope.  The
official proudly announced our entry as "Here comes Yesterday, with its
Kaleidoscope".  We beamed and smiled and laughed all the way through
the viewing area.  But I thought I discerned the slightest hiccough
from the Calliaphone, just as it passed by the hapless announcer.

All the best to you all, from retired calliopist !

Lee Munsick in Appomattox County, Virginia, USA