Ukrainian Town’s Name Sounds Like An Old Man Trying To Clear His Throat

‘Early drinker’ & Ramble Inn regular Thomas J. Guiney closed his eyes and listened intently to the pronunciation of the name of an obscure town in Southwestern Ukraine. “Again?” he said immediately afterwards to Svyatoslav Perevernykruchenko, the pub’s only Ukrainian customer, “I didn’t quite catch it?”

“Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi,” Svyatoslav patiently repeated, “Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi!” Beside Guiney, Eamon Halligan, the Ramble Inn’s proprietor & barman, made a drawn out hawking noise before looking hopefully at Svyatoslav. “Would that be it?” he inquired.

“Beelhuggurdh-dinsnigsy?” Guiney then tried, only to be laughed at by Svyatoslav who told them both that they sounded “Like an old man trying to clear his throat’!

“Ya gotta love that,” chuckled Guiney, after Mr Perevernykruchenko had gone to the loo. “Coming from a guy whose surname sounds like somebody blowing their nose?”