@?&®% Mispronunciations! - Page 3

Nate the great · 05-01-2017, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Of course, sometimes one must 'mispronounce' a word, because in a different place, the mispronunciation is the correct pronunciation.

There's a city in England, Warwick, pronounced 'worrick'. There is (or was) a hotel in Denver, CO, the Warwick Hotel, prononced 'wor-wick'.

When I was in Denver, it took me a minute or two before I worked this out and my taxi driver understood where I wanted to go.

There's a village in Ohio whose name is pronounced Ver-sales. (hearing the name was like nail on a chalkboard when I lived nearby)

Bilbo1967 · 05-01-2017, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

LOL, and now you've moved from putting words in my mouth to personal attacks.

As much as I would like to win this discussion by crafting a better argument, I am not above winning by default.

Your refusal to defend your indefensible position is duly noted.

I'll happily leave it there: there really is no argument that you could make that would lead me to dumb down to your level anyway.

Bilbo1967 · 05-01-2017, 09:05 AM

For some reason, last time I was in Canada people could just not understand me when I asked for "water". It happened several times in various establishments. Tim Horton's seemed to be the worse.

arjaybe · 05-01-2017, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

For some reason, last time I was in Canada people could just not understand me when I asked for "water". It happened several times in various establishments. Tim Horton's seemed to be the worse.

How did you pronounce it?

Bilbo1967 · 05-01-2017, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

How did you pronounce it?

Kind of like, "warter" I guess. It seems to be a word that Brits and North Americans can't agree on

arjaybe · 05-01-2017, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Kind of like, "warter" I guess. It seems to be a word that Brits and North Americans can't agree on

That could be a problem. We expect to hear "wotter," or at least "wodder."-)

Bilbo1967 · 05-01-2017, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

That could be a problem. We expect to hear "wotter," or at least "wodder."-)

Yes. I think you're right. That's how my sister in law, a Canadian, says it.

Of course, I was also asking for a bottle of water, which seemed to exacerbate things ("bottle" seems to be another problematic word).

badgoodDeb · 05-01-2017, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Of course, sometimes one must 'mispronounce' a word because, in a different place, the mispronunciation is the correct pronunciation.

There's a city in England, Warwick, pronounced 'worrick'. There is (or was) a hotel in Denver, CO, the Warwick Hotel, prononced 'wor-wick'.

When I was in Denver, it took me a minute or two before I worked this out and my taxi driver understood where I wanted to go.

I've been cringing all weekend, at radio info about some sports player who was drafted from a small unknown college in Pennsylvania, "Cuts town". Since I come from PA, I was pretty darned sure it should be pronounced "kuuts town". It is spelled Kutztown, and is in a German settled area. I kept shouting back at each radio announcer who said "cuts town".

Finally, this morning's announcer pronounced it correctly (kutz rhymes with puts, as in "he puts the plate on the table") and I signed with relief.

Whether or not that's a correct German pronunciation, it *is* the correct local pronunciation.

arjaybe · 05-01-2017, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Yes. I think you're right. That's how my sister in law, a Canadian, says it.

Of course, I was also asking for a bottle of water, which seemed to exacerbate things ("bottle" seems to be another problematic word).

So how did you pronounce that?

Bilbo1967 · 05-01-2017, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arjaybe

So how did you pronounce that?

That's harder to represent here. Rest assured, it seems to be a word that Brits struggle to make clear to our North American friends.

Catlady · 05-01-2017, 06:30 PM

And then there's the Kosciuszko Bridge ...

copyrite · 05-01-2017, 06:38 PM

Y'all need to go listen to my favorite podcast "A Way With Words". There's lot of discussion on regional dialect and sayings etc.

It's interesting a word like
water
can be pronounced depending where you are

wahter
warter
wahder
warder
and that dropped middle t sound
wa er (sorta slurred together)

And one of my all time favorite mispronounced words...
segue
!

arjaybe · 05-01-2017, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copyrite

Y'all need to go listen to my favorite podcast "A Way With Words". There's lot of discussion on regional dialect and sayings etc.

And one of my all time favorite mispronounced words...
segue
!

My brother pronounces it seeg. I tried to correct him, but it just made him insist. Ya know?

arjaybe · 05-01-2017, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

That's harder to represent here. Rest assured, it seems to be a word that Brits struggle to make clear to our North American friends.

The most common pronunciation in Canada seems to be boddlawodder.

pdurrant · 05-02-2017, 04:02 AM

One part of the Norfolk dialect is to replace 't' with a glottal stop (represented here by an apostrophe). Water -> wa'er.

Jack: I only have some bread and bu'er for my lunch.
Teacher: That's not the way to say butter, Jack. Try again.
Jack: Bu'er
Teacher: But-ter
Jack: But-ter
Teacher: There, Thass be'er.

05-01-2017, 09:05 AM	#33
Bilbo1967 Not scared! Posts: 13,424 Karma: 81011643 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Midlands, UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite 10, Huawei M5 10	For some reason, last time I was in Canada people could just not understand me when I asked for "water". It happened several times in various establishments. Tim Horton's seemed to be the worse.

05-01-2017, 06:30 PM	#41
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,423 Karma: 52734361 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	And then there's the Kosciuszko Bridge ...

05-01-2017, 06:38 PM	#42
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: Kindle	Y'all need to go listen to my favorite podcast "A Way With Words". There's lot of discussion on regional dialect and sayings etc. It's interesting a word like water can be pronounced depending where you are wahter warter wahder warder and that dropped middle t sound wa er (sorta slurred together) And one of my all time favorite mispronounced words... segue !

05-02-2017, 04:02 AM	#45
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,450 Karma: 318076944 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	One part of the Norfolk dialect is to replace 't' with a glottal stop (represented here by an apostrophe). Water -> wa'er. Jack: I only have some bread and bu'er for my lunch. Teacher: That's not the way to say butter, Jack. Try again. Jack: Bu'er Teacher: But-ter Jack: But-ter Teacher: There, Thass be'er.