A few years ago when and I was returning from the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, I came upon the small town of Umpqua. I went into the general store to purchase some snacks. Before leaving, I had the clerk to tell me the proper way to pronounce the town's name. He said, "Oh, just think of the sound that you would make if somebody punched you in the gut.... Ump-kwa." Fortunately I made it out of the store before bursting into laughter. Luckily I don't have any personal experience with being punched in the gut, but if I did, I really doubt that I would yell Ump-kwa!
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There are now Umpqua Banks in my area and I laugh each time I see one, but for some strange reason, I always feel as if I just had the wind knocked out of me. :-)
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