🗳️ Trump & Harris (& Musk?) zero in on Philly

🎙️ Musk Paying Likely Trump Voters $47 … and Other Philly Election News

The Philly region has been crawling with political candidates and surrogates like Elon Musk as campaigns enter their final push to win over voters in our electorally crucial swing state. We talk campaign signs, voting trends, and Trump’s upcoming McDonald’s visit. [City Cast Philly 🎧]

‘Taney Street’ ➡️ ‘LeCount Street’?

After four years of advocacy, three City Council members introduced a bill yesterday to rename Taney Street — the road that shares a name with the Supreme Court justice who wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision. Its new name would be LeCount Street, after local civil rights activist Caroline LeCount. [Inquirer 🔒]

🎬 South Philly Is Getting a Movie Theater (Again!)

A 17-screen Apple Cinemas theater is coming to the former Regal movie theater on Columbus Boulevard. Poised to be the largest movie theater in Philly, it’s expected to open in a year. [Business Journal 🔒]

🚢 Should the Delaware Be Dredged?

PhilaPort wants to deepen the Delaware River by five feet to allow larger shipping vessels to access Philly’s ports, but environmental advocates worry the plan could pollute the watershed and threaten some of the area’s aquatic life. [WHYY]

Last week, I was talking with my boyfriend about how Pennsylvanians (including me) often just say “PA” instead of our commonwealth’s full name. “It’s probably because it has so many syllables,” he suggested. “Pen-sil-vay-nyuh,” he sounded out. “Oh wait … or is it Pen-sil-vay-nee-uh?” I did not know. (Cue my minor existential crisis.)

So earlier this week, I asked Hey Philly readers how many syllables you think are in “Pennsylvania,” and several of you popped into my inbox to weigh in on this very important matter.

The verdict was split.

“I say it’s the 5 syllables,” wrote reader Kris Klufas. “That's more to the way I say it and how it sounds when others I know do too. But I guess it does differ.”

Janice S. wrote: “I thought it was 4 syllables…but now I’m 2nd guessing. Lol.”

When it came down to it, though, four syllables won our informal poll. Looking to other sources …

• Google says it sounds like “pen·suhl·vay·nyuh” (four syllables).
• Wikipedia spells it out as “PEN-sil-VAY-nee-ə” (5 syllables?), but the pronouncer sounds like four.
• Merriam-Webster says it’s pronounced with “a terminal \-nyə\ or \-nē-ə\ (as in the ending of mania).” That means it could be four or five.
• Oxford English Dictionary lists it as having five syllables in British English (pen-suhl-VAY-nee-uh), but four in U.S. English (pen-suhl-VAY-nyuh).

So really … it seems like there may not be a super clear right or wrong answer. (If there are any linguists reading this who disagree and think I’m severely misunderstanding this situation, please send us an email with your take!)

Personally, I’m going to have to side with Team Four Syllables — I’ll probably just stick to saying “PA,” though.