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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
 Posted - 05/08/2008 : 07:41:27 AM
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quote:
"realator" instead of realtor
Well, as long as we are parading our peeves: "Realtor" instead of "realtor." Or, if ya really want to get my goat: "REALTOR."
To quote Yoda, "Break me a f-ing give!"
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 08:44:40 AM
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When I used to work for DoD, we had a special branch just to deal with Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program.Level I/SUBSAFE. The nuke branch had many folks who called it nucular, including the branch chief. It made me crazy until one day I told them why don't you learn to say it properly. They showed me in the dictionary where it gave both pronunciations. Go figure. So many people screwed it up that they had to "legitimize it".
Just remember when you are playing Scrabble down to the end and you have nothing but vowels left on your rack -- a`a is in the official Scrabble Dictionary. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 11:09:10 AM
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Here at work, someone actually gave me a hard time for pronouncing "`ukulele" correctly - they felt it was "pretentious" to do so, like saying "Meh-hee-coh" for the nation to our south.
And this was coming from a radio announcer. A public radio announcer, no less. We know from pretentious, lemme tell ya.
Guess they would be okay with "nu-kyoo-lar." Or "carry-okie." |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 12:14:19 PM
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One of my old bosses was freakoid about feel vs. think. I feel that is too political. Wrong according to him. He said you feel with your hands, you think thoughts with your brain.
Then there are other words that you cannot figure out why they are pronouced the way they are by those natives of the places --
Such as Louisville, KY -- looah-vull
Cincinnati - Sin-sin-nat-a
New Oreleans - Nawlins
Long Island - Lan-gailand
Lima, OH - lai-ma like the bean
Lima, Peru - Leema
Bellefontaine, OH -- Bell Fountain
Vienna, OH -- Vai-enna
But the one I cannot figure is Pullyallup, WA. A singular name. Reckon how it came to be. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2008 : 1:34:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wcerto
One of my old bosses was freakoid about feel vs. think. I feel that is too political. Wrong according to him. He said you feel with your hands, you think thoughts with your brain.
I know you no longer work with him, Wanda, but if you did, you could have waited until he took a few days off to recover from an illness, and upon his return, ask him if he was "thinking any better."quote:
But the one I cannot figure is Pullyallup, WA. A singular name. Reckon how it came to be.
Puyallup - pronounced "pyoo-al-up"; from the local Indians, as is Sequim - pronounced "skwim." |
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ypochris
Lokahi
USA
398 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 03:06:22 AM
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On my other favorite forum, thecreativeinvestor.com, where the subject is advice about property investing, there are two common errors-
Advise for advice- "I would advise you not to give such bad advice." This one is constant!
Principle for principal- "My principal principle is not to spend my principal."
Chris
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2165 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 03:13:00 AM
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Shambles used to mean "butcher shop". Humans go through life almost knowing what they mean. In a historical context, "dakine" and "whatchucall" seem everso precise.
Wanda, I think that "feeling" = "intent" or "intuition", which I think is just mental shorthand. Add emotions, blood sugar levels, caffeine etc and it's a wonder that humans can communicate at all! |
Edited by - thumbstruck on 05/09/2008 03:13:53 AM |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 05:24:31 AM
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Craig - thanks for the link. I like the grammar girl. I'll tune in.
it's/its, accept/except, fewer/less, their/there... the worst is when I quickly pound out an email, only to catch my error as I hit send.
Another challenge is that languages do evolve. Recently, I was refreshing my memory on the use of commas in compound sentences. quote:
The current trend in American style is toward minimal punctuation. In other words, commas are seen as speedbumps, and we don't want unnecessary obstacles to slow down our readers. Many permissible commas can be left out of sentences where they once might have been required, or at least strongly preferred.
So are you new school, old school, or NO school? |
Andy |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 05:39:54 AM
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This is a big and complicated topic, and one I find endlessly interesting. I've a couple of ideas on this.
Yoo ke lay lee is the English language pronunciation of the originally Hawaiian word ukulele. It's OK to pronounce it either way. If you're speaking Hawaiian, the Hawaiian pronunciation is more appropriate, but if you're speaking English you can use the whatever variety of English pronunciation is appropriate for where your accent comes from. Same with Mexico. If you're speaking Mexican Spanish, then Meh-hee-co will be appropriate, but the usual way in English is Meksiko, which is also fine if you're speaking English.
There are lots of ways of speaking English, and lots of pronunciations. So long as you can be understood, that's the main thing.
I prefer using punctuation when I write; I think it helps make my meaning clearer. This is especially important when you're writing - it's much harder to commumicate without inflection, gestures, eye contact etc., and punctuation goes some of the way to help with this. A lot of kids these days, however, not only don't use punctuation, they don't often use vowels. This, I have to admit, makes me shake my head in despair.
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Retro
Ahonui
USA
2368 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 06:31:07 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by John
You mean like the house burned down when it burned up? Or is that, it burned up when it burned down. (I always mess that up.)
So, a down escalator would be an oxymoron, no?
quote:
Originally posted by Trev
Yoo ke lay lee is the English language pronunciation of the originally Hawaiian word ukulele.
How do you determine that yoo-ke-lay-lee is "the English language pronunciation," as opposed to just an inaccurate pronunciation that became more common over time?
Using an example I mentioned above, kara-oh-kay is the (approximate) correct pronunciation, in Japanese, of the Japanese word karaoke. But most people in America pronounce it as carry-oh-key. Does that make it officially "the English language pronunciation?"
Using that logic, we shouldn't complain about any mis-pronunciations of non-English words used by English speakers.
I don't tell most people that they are wrong to say yoo-ke-lay-lee - but is it really wrong for me to say it ooh-koo-leh-leh? I don't believe so. |
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guitarded
Ha`aha`a
USA
1799 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 07:06:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Admin
quote:
The current trend in American style is toward minimal punctuation. In other words, commas are seen as speedbumps, and we don't want unnecessary obstacles to slow down our readers. Many permissible commas can be left out of sentences where they once might have been required, or at least strongly preferred.
So are you new school, old school, or NO school?
Put me down with da NEVAH KNOW school. I nevah know dat commas are now considered more as being speedbumps. That, I can handle. It's da absence of using periods for ending sentences that make my eyeballs fly right off da page. |
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PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 07:37:33 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Retro
[Using an example I mentioned above, kara-oh-kay is the (approximate) correct pronunciation, in Japanese, of the Japanese word karaoke. But most people in America pronounce it as carry-oh-key. Does that make it officially "the English language pronunciation?"
Closer approximation...kah-dah-oh-keh...da ra wen become one dah, small kine kahakou on da oh. |
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
Edited by - PoiDog on 05/09/2008 08:11:06 AM |
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PoiDog
Lokahi
245 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 07:43:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by John
You mean like the house burned down when it burned up? Or is that, it burned up when it burned down. (I always mess that up.)
No need...da house wen burn...nuff! But da formal way is burnt..."Da house burnt." |
Aloha,
da Poi Dog |
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guitarded
Ha`aha`a
USA
1799 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 07:59:02 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Retro
But most people in America pronounce it as carry-oh-key.
Funny how whenever I try it folks start saying stuff like, "braddah ed's doing croakie again."
I can take a hint. Usually. |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2008 : 08:36:14 AM
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Sheesh! No wonder I got all those D's in english. I had four english teachers keep me from taking spanish, latin or german classes. All by the power of the pen-the one they wrote my grades with. But my mother says I was doing just fine with Italian at home, untill I started school. But what about that chloresterol stuff? Wanda's Doctor says it's bad for you no matter how you spell/pronounce it.
Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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