Lexington, Ky. — In a statement released this week, the estate of William T. Young, creator of the popular Jif peanut butter, announced the discovery of a handwritten diary entry detailing how the brand name was intended to be pronounced. According to the entry, Jif was meant to use a hard "g" sound—"Gif," as in "gift," without the "t." The passage reportedly reflects Young's frustration with early mispronunciations and his desire for a clear, unambiguous brand identity.
Following the disclosure, a spokesperson for Procter & Gamble (P&G), the company that currently produces Jif peanut butter, said it is embracing the founder's original intent. In a brief announcement, Damon D. Jones, Chief Communications Officer at P&G, encouraged consumers and advertisers to pronounce the brand name with a hard "g," citing respect for Young's vision and the newly surfaced historical record.
The clarification adds an ironic twist to a separate, decades-old linguistic controversy: the pronunciation of the GIF image format. Despite being spelled the same way, the format's creator has long insisted it should be pronounced "Jif," with a soft "g," mirroring the traditional pronunciation of the peanut butter brand.
Language experts note that the result is an unusual reversal. Under the newly revealed guidance, Jif peanut butter would now be pronounced "Gif," while GIF images would remain "Jif." "This is a necessary clarification that will simplify conversations moving forward," Jones added.
Not everyone agrees. A prominent figure in the technology community, speaking on condition of anonymity, argued that the image format's creator should continue to be honored. The source emphasized that GIF should still be pronounced "Jif," but applying a hard "g" to the image format as well.
Whether the public will adopt the founder's preferred pronunciation remains to be seen. For now, a simple jar of peanut butter has once again proven capable of sparking a surprisingly sticky debate.
You already know this is a parody/joke, but why? December 28 is Día de los Inocentes in Spain, which would be an equivalent to April Fools. A day to play pranks and jokes on other people. This is my little contribution.
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