Words you feel silly saying properly

[longers]

Vaude sounded a bit French when I said it. No more!

 

[Auntie Helen]

All we need now is for people to remember to spell Ortlieb properly and the German pannier makers will all be happy

 

[Andy in Sig]

Anything French which has crept into English. If you say it the French way, you are just a ponce. Such words should always be pronounced as written e.g. pret a manger should be prett a manger with the latter word being pronounced as in Christams wotsits.

 

[Andy in Sig]

It's not an 'r' at the end really, I didn't write that so well. It's more of an 'a', i.e. fowda (rhymes with chowder), but i wanted to show it isn't a silent 'e' like in French.

au in German is usually "ow" like "Bob der Baumeister".

The V at the front sounds like f (a W would sound like v)

Thus 'fowda'

I suspect that it is a representation of the initials VD as the spoken fowvay is of VW.

 

[Auntie Helen]

You're right! Or you've written for Wikipedia:

VAUDE is a German producer of mountain sports equipment. The head office is in Tettnang, Germany. It was founded in 1974 by Albrecht von Dewitz. The name of the firm is derived from the initials of its founder (V, D).
Products are among other things tents, backpacks and sleeping bags. There are about 1100 global employees, 320 employees in Germany of which 200 work in the head office. 60 % of turnover is made in Germany.

 

[palinurus]

Anything French which has crept into English. If you say it the French way, you are just a ponce.

I do that. Can't help it, French wife will laugh otherwise.

I do sometimes ride my bike when it's cold and wet though. Does that sort of cancel it out, or am I still a ponce?

 

[Weegie]

Derailler or Derailleughghghgoooor

 

[Kirstie]

Turquoise: That's tur - kwoys.

Some prat of a TV presenter once said:Tur-kwaz. It was this one:

STOP IT YOU UTTER TIT

 

[telesonic99]

'Elevator'. I much prefer 'go up box'.

 

[XmisterIS]

Turquoise: That's tur - kwoys.

Some prat of a TV presenter once said:Tur-kwaz. It was this one:

STOP IT YOU UTTER TIT

Lol! "Turk-eez" is also a valid pronunciation.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Confusing isn't it....

Magdalene is pronounced maudlin. But isn't maudlin "foolishly tearful or sentimental, as when drunk"

So education in Magdalene College must be an emotional roller coaster ........

 

[Paulus]

What about pronouncing the letter H as haitch, when it should be Aitch?

 

[Paulus]

Another thing, on these silly celeb dancing programs when the couples are up for elimination, the presenters always say, the couple who are going to be eliminated is, instead of are. Surely the plural of is is are?

 

[colly]

I swear some while ago I heard someone pronounce 'menopause' ...........meen-o-pause on the radio.

That would be Womans Hour then.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Another thing, on these silly celeb dancing programs when the couples are up for elimination, the presenters always say, the couple who are going to be eliminated is, instead of are. Surely the plural of is is are?

I think 'is' is actually correct, as "a couple" is a collective noun. However it sounds odd to our ears.

I write some marketing blurb for a record company and their US department will write "The Six Wonderboys is releasing a new album" which just comes out wrong, even if the band is called "the Six Wonderboys". I change it to "the Six Wonderboys are releasing a new album"...