Let's Call the Whole Thing Off. Differences in pronuntiation.

"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" is a song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film Shall We Dance where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as part of a celebrated dance duet on roller skates. The song is most famous for its “You like to-may-toes /təˈmeɪtoʊz/ and I like to-mah-toes /təˈmɑːtoʊz/” and other verses comparing their different regional dialects.

The differences in pronunciation are not simply regional, however, and serve more specifically to identify class differences. At the time, typical American pronunciations were considered less "refined" by the upper-class, and there was a specific emphasis on the "broader" a sound.[3] This class distinction with respect to pronunciation has been retained in caricatures, especially in the theater where the longer a pronunciation is most strongly associated with the word "darling.


Let's Call the Whole Thing Off 
Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald

    Things have come to a pretty pass
    Our romance is growing flat,
    For you like this and the other
    While I go for this and that,

    Goodness knows what the end will be
    Oh I don't know where I'm at
    It looks as if we two will never be one
    Something must be done:
    You say either and I say either,
    You say neither and I say neither
    Either, either
    Neither, neither
    Let's call the whole thing off.

    You like potato and I like potahto
    You like tomato and I like tomahto
    Potato, potahto,
    Tomato, tomahto.
    Let's call the whole thing off
    But oh, if we call the whole thing off
    Then we must part
    and oh, if we ever part, then that might break my heart

    So if you like pyjamas
    and I like pyjahmas,
    I'll wear pyjamas
    and give up pyajahmas
    for we know we need each other so
    we better call the whole thing off
    let's call the whole thing off.

    You say laughter and I say larfter
    You say after and I say arfter
    Laughter, larfter
    after arfter
    Let's call the whole thing off,
    You like vanilla and I say vanella
    you saspiralla, and I saspirella
    vanilla vanella
    chocolate strawberry
    let's call the whole thing off
    but oh if we call the whole thing off
    then we must part
    and oh, if we ever part,
    then that might break my heart

    So if you go for oysters
    and I go for ersters
    I'll order oysters
    and cancel the ersters
    for we know we need each other
    we better call the calling off off,
    let's call the whole thing off.

    I say father, and you say pater,
    I saw mother and you say mater
    Pater, mater
    Uncle, auntie
    let's call the whole thing off.

    I like bananas and you like banahnahs
    I say Havana and I get Havahnah
    Bananas, banahnahs
    Havana, Havahnah
    Go your way, I'll go mine

    So if I go for scallops
    and you go for lobsters,
    So all right no contest
    we'll order lobseter
    For we know we need each other
    we better call the calling off off,
    let's call the whole thing off.

* Calling something off. To cancel something. In this case "Let´s call the whole thing off" means: Let´s finish our differences