How do you pronounce Spuyten Duyvil?!?

R

Ralph

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Jun 18, 2002
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That must look like a very weird question to folks who aren't familiar with this often used location for classic New York Central photos, most notably NYC T-motors gliding through that great rock cut. The thing is, I have a number of books with pics of the NYC at Spuyten Duyvil but I have no idea how to pronounce it! I'm assuming its an old Dutch name from before the British took over NY as a colony. Anyone know and able to spell it phonentically? :)
Thanks!!!!
Ralph
 
Thank you Tuysun Ruyles! :)

Actually, thanks Wayne for the pronounciation. It bugged me not to be able to talk about those great photos taken at .........

Ralph
 
spitfire said:
Looks like "Spittin' Devil" to me! :D :D :D

Val[/QUOTE

Val,
I did some internet searches and found a forum in which a guy who sounded in the know explained that one possible translation is indeed "spitting devil"!
Ralph
Click to expand...
 
The folktale I've heard about the name was that when the English were on their way to attack the Dutch at NY, Peter Stuyvesant sent his friend Anthony as a trumpeter up along the river to warn settlers, sort of an earlier Paul Revere. When he reached the rain swollen creek now known as Spuyten Duyvil Creek, he couldn't locate the ferry operator, so decided to risk swimming across "in spite of the devil" to carry on his mission.

The tale goes on to say the devil actually caught him by the leg in the middle of the creek & wouldn't let go until Anthony blew his trumpet louder than the wind, but he was unable to make it to shore & drowned. Legend has it that for years people would claim to hear Anthony's trumpet on dark & stormy nights.

He was key to another local name. Anthony's Nose, a small mountain along the Hudson River near Peekskill & the Bear Mountian Bridge.

Wayne
 
Having lived in NY, I heard it interpreted both ways 'in spite of the devil' & ' spitting devil'.

I ran many a train by that location and I can tell you it lives up to it's name, when the tides change you can watch it go from calm to a torrential nightmare with swift currents, eddys and waves. Many people have drowned there, because of this swift change that happens.
 
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