Commonly mispronounced words - Page 12

Urbane Guerrilla · 01-09-2007, 05:33 AM

Not a mispro, but the American Dialect Society, which keeps an eye on the evolution of the language, voted the verb "to Pluto" as their je-ne-sais-quoi ineffable word of the year. It means to demote or devalue someone or something. It won out over such runners-up as "climate canary," an organism or species whose poor health or declining numbers hint at a larger environmental catastrophe on the horizon, and "murse" for a man's purse, and "flog" for a fake blog. "Macaca" gets a definition: an American citizen treated like an alien.

Aliantha · 01-09-2007, 05:35 AM

One word that I hear mispronounced on telly all the time is car-A-mel. So many shows of US origin have people prounouncing it as carmel.

What happened to the A?

wolf · 01-09-2007, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aliantha

One word that I hear mispronounced on telly all the time is car-A-mel. So many shows of US origin have people prounouncing it as carmel.

What happened to the A?

It's unvoiced.

We say it right.

Honest.

Urbane Guerrilla · 01-09-2007, 05:38 AM

And to finish up my gripe list: Army spokesmen who invariably pronounce "cache" as if it were "cachet." Even Westerners innocent of French who live in places like the Cache La Poudre river valley (uphill from Fort Collins, if you're curious) in northern Colorado know better.

Urbane Guerrilla · 01-09-2007, 05:41 AM

Caramel has all three syllables when I say it.

Carmel is a town in California. They had Clint Eastwood for a mayor for a term some years back. He repealed a town ordinance against consuming ice cream in the streets and another against use of frisbees in city parks. And verily there was much rejoicing.

Aliantha · 01-09-2007, 05:42 AM

Good for him! Everyone should be allowed to dribble sloppy icecream in the streets!

DanaC · 01-09-2007, 05:59 AM

Ahhh.....That's why I've heard of Carmel ! Thanks bruce.

DanaC · 01-09-2007, 06:15 PM

Is that like that second syllable in Terror?

monster · 01-09-2007, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC

Is that like that second syllable in Terror?

You think terror is bad, you should hear mirror and squirrel!

I can say most things in a reasonable American way now if need be, but those two just make me sound like Kryten and his "Smeeeee..."

monster · 01-09-2007, 06:22 PM

(Red Dwarf)

Urbane Guerrilla · 01-09-2007, 09:07 PM

Do like Boris Badenov, and go "Squrl."

monster · 01-09-2007, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Do like Boris Badenov, and go "Squrl."

I try....

I'm very trying.

Beest · 01-10-2007, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Do like Boris Badenov, and go "Squrl."

We have a childrens book about animals with pronounciatian guides..
Squirrel-> Skwirl

monster · 01-10-2007, 04:52 PM

May I introduce you to the other half

(I coudn't find a smiley that says I'm with sexpot, honest)

Urbane Guerrilla · 01-12-2007, 12:11 AM

Out of my mouth, it's "skwir'l" -- the last vowel is very indefinite but some kind of voiced grunt is always there. Squirrelly gives all the vowels a better chance to declare themselves.

01-09-2007, 05:33 AM	#1
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Not a mispro, but the American Dialect Society, which keeps an eye on the evolution of the language, voted the verb "to Pluto" as their je-ne-sais-quoi ineffable word of the year. It means to demote or devalue someone or something. It won out over such runners-up as "climate canary," an organism or species whose poor health or declining numbers hint at a larger environmental catastrophe on the horizon, and "murse" for a man's purse, and "flog" for a fake blog. "Macaca" gets a definition: an American citizen treated like an alien. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

01-09-2007, 05:35 AM	#2
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	One word that I hear mispronounced on telly all the time is car-A-mel. So many shows of US origin have people prounouncing it as carmel. What happened to the A? __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

01-09-2007, 05:38 AM	#4
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	And to finish up my gripe list: Army spokesmen who invariably pronounce "cache" as if it were "cachet." Even Westerners innocent of French who live in places like the Cache La Poudre river valley (uphill from Fort Collins, if you're curious) in northern Colorado know better. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

01-09-2007, 05:41 AM	#5
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Caramel has all three syllables when I say it. Carmel is a town in California. They had Clint Eastwood for a mayor for a term some years back. He repealed a town ordinance against consuming ice cream in the streets and another against use of frisbees in city parks. And verily there was much rejoicing. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

01-09-2007, 05:42 AM	#6
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Good for him! Everyone should be allowed to dribble sloppy icecream in the streets! __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

01-09-2007, 05:59 AM	#7
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Ahhh.....That's why I've heard of Carmel ! Thanks bruce.

01-09-2007, 06:15 PM	#8
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Is that like that second syllable in Terror?

01-09-2007, 06:22 PM	#10
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	(Red Dwarf) __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

01-09-2007, 09:07 PM	#11
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Do like Boris Badenov, and go "Squrl." __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

01-10-2007, 04:52 PM	#14
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	May I introduce you to the other half (I coudn't find a smiley that says I'm with sexpot, honest) __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

01-12-2007, 12:11 AM	#15
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Out of my mouth, it's "skwir'l" -- the last vowel is very indefinite but some kind of voiced grunt is always there. Squirrelly gives all the vowels a better chance to declare themselves. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

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