[stinkytaco]

I've actually never heard it pronounced "Jiff" in conversation. Ever. I'm not going to categorically claim that people don't do it, because anecdote isn't evidence, but I've only ever heard the word "jiff" in the context of an Internet debate I'm increasingly believing is made up.

EDIT: Additionally, I've never heard anyone say po-tah-to or toe-mah-to outside of the song. Where does this urge come from?

[SamBam]

> toe-mah-to

I mean... this merely means you've never been to an English speaking country outside North America.

[stinkytaco]

Except the way it's pronounced in the song is not the way the English pronounce it, if that's what you mean. The emphasis is on the first syllable in the song and on the second in the British English. It's like someone who has heard someone imitating and English accent wrote the song.

[timbit42]

> I mean...

So you mean... nothing.

[Youden]

If the song really does say toe-mah-to, I agree with you.

However in the English-speaking world (as in the world that speaks similarly to the people in England) I've not heard it pronounced any way other than "tom-ah-toe".