Pedants' Paradise

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Pedants' Paradise, Spelling and Grammar Notes and Queries

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fsharpminor	Feb 3 2012, 01:36 PM Post #436
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 12237 Joined: 7-June 06 From: Wirral (originally Keighley, Yorks) Member No.: 7089	Many years ago I recall a problem when the product 'Vick' was going to be launched in Germany, they had to call it 'Wick', otherwise it would sound like a naughty word.

Cyrilla	Feb 3 2012, 07:14 PM Post #437
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 11902 Joined: 9-November 03 From: Croydon, South London/Surrey Member No.: 99	QUOTE(fsharpminor @ Feb 3 2012, 10:35 AM) My wife wears a lot of Gabor shoes. Everyone I know says GaBORR. (Probably after the acrtess Zsa Zsa Gabor) However when they ran a TV ad a while back it was clearly supposed to be GAYbor. It's a Hungarian name (equivalent of Gabriel) and certainly not pronounced Gaybor - it's just Gabor, with the emphasis on the first syllable and the 'a' making a slight 'ah' sound (it should have an acute accent but the silly forum won't let me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) ). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I've just read a school newsletter (C of E school) that announces the retirement of Cannon David... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

andante_in_c	Feb 3 2012, 07:23 PM Post #438
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 10320 Joined: 15-November 03 From: Hampshire, UK Member No.: 130	QUOTE(Cyrilla @ Feb 3 2012, 07:14 PM) I've just read a school newsletter (C of E school) that announces the retirement of Cannon David... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Altogether now.... Was he fired? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I'll get me coat...

dotted quaver	Feb 3 2012, 08:15 PM Post #439
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 506 Joined: 15-April 11 Member No.: 242153	(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Last week one of our local Grammer schools had an open night. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

maggiemay	Feb 3 2012, 08:43 PM Post #440
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 18066 Joined: 12-January 04 From: S E England Member No.: 413	QUOTE(fsharpminor @ Feb 3 2012, 01:36 PM) Many years ago I recall a problem when the product 'Vick' was going to be launched in Germany, they had to call it 'Wick', otherwise it would sound like a naughty word. And I understand that the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud was originally going to be marketed as the Silver Mist. Unfortunately in Germany, mist (or misst? / mi?t possibly? - someone may like to correct this if I'm wrong) means something else and they had to rethink the name. (wonder if that will come out on a forum post!) (ed, no, it didn't)

Cyrilla	Feb 3 2012, 10:41 PM Post #441
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 11902 Joined: 9-November 03 From: Croydon, South London/Surrey Member No.: 99	QUOTE(andante_in_c @ Feb 3 2012, 07:23 PM) QUOTE(Cyrilla @ Feb 3 2012, 07:14 PM) I've just read a school newsletter (C of E school) that announces the retirement of Cannon David... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) Altogether now.... Was he fired? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) I'll get me coat... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

LoopyLoz	Feb 3 2012, 10:51 PM Post #442
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 205 Joined: 31-March 10 From: Bolton, Lancashire Member No.: 96255	I went past a hairdressers today and in the window it advertised the Ladie's Department. They were offering a full head of colour's, aswell as perm's.The equivalent to the grocers apostrophe but for hairdressers. Loz xx

anacrusis	Feb 4 2012, 12:54 AM Post #443
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 5230 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Edinburgh, Scotland Member No.: 4852	QUOTE(maggiemay @ Feb 3 2012, 08:43 PM) QUOTE(fsharpminor @ Feb 3 2012, 01:36 PM) Many years ago I recall a problem when the product 'Vick' was going to be launched in Germany, they had to call it 'Wick', otherwise it would sound like a naughty word. And I understand that the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud was originally going to be marketed as the Silver Mist. Unfortunately in Germany, mist (or misst? / mi?t possibly? - someone may like to correct this if I'm wrong) means something else and they had to rethink the name. (wonder if that will come out on a forum post!) (ed, no, it didn't) yup. Mist is dung. I can't say "brawn" for Braun - it just feels wrong to do so. Menzies/Mingies - actually there are some families who do pronounce it Men-zees - in the neck of the woods in which I work, I have to ask which pronunciation people want. There is also the name Lamont, which people persistently pronounced La-mont, where locally it'd be pronounced Lamment, with the stress on the first syllable. More Scottish ones - Cockburn....co-burn, and Milngavie.... moo-guy. On the other hand, Scots also pronounce "wh" with a blowing noise, so that where and wear sound different from each other. At the moment I have fun and games with our many immigrant patients' names - I found a website which will generate for me a pronunciation for anything Polish I care to throw at it, but we also have many Africans: sometimes I find myself rehearsing a name three or four times before attempting to produce it in the waiting room: one time I got the very surprised reply, "hey, that was rather good, do it again".....but couldn't (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif).

GMc	Feb 4 2012, 05:31 AM Post #444
Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 370 Joined: 27-September 11 Member No.: 322722	The new school year started two days ago in the Southern Hemisphere. First missive sent on first day informed me that it would be 'usefull' if I 'could' read and send back a signed form confirming that I had read the uniform rules. I was sorely tempted to comment but came to the conclusion that I would prefer my child to fall out with this teacher without my help. As this child at five years old told her class teacher that she had spelt 'scissors' wrong on the board I am expecting a row to erupt fairly soon.

maggiemay	Feb 4 2012, 08:34 AM Post #445
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 18066 Joined: 12-January 04 From: S E England Member No.: 413	Anacrusis, thanks. Brawn feels wrong to me too (and I only did a couple of years at school!) New names - I have fun with new enquiries too. I find part of the trick is getting away from 'English' concepts of vowels and dipthongs, and will give it my best shot, although at the end of the day it's often guesswork. At the church where I sing in the choir, the priest often struggles with reading the names for banns (of marriage). He's been known to add 'thank God I haven't got to attempt that one again' after the third time of asking. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Czerny	Feb 4 2012, 09:28 AM Post #446
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 4066 Joined: 7-December 07 Member No.: 21097	QUOTE(andante_in_c @ Feb 3 2012, 07:23 PM) Altogether now.... All together, no? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (Hope I'm allowed to say this as it is the pedants' thread... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)) QUOTE(LoopyLoz @ Feb 3 2012, 10:51 PM) The equivalent to the grocers apostrophe but for hairdressers. The equivalent to the what????

maggiemay	Feb 4 2012, 09:30 AM Post #447
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 18066 Joined: 12-January 04 From: S E England Member No.: 413	Haha . (oops) Altogether - no, it's alto - gether, something to do with singers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Czerny	Feb 4 2012, 09:37 AM Post #448
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 4066 Joined: 7-December 07 Member No.: 21097	QUOTE(maggiemay @ Feb 4 2012, 09:30 AM) Haha . (oops) Altogether - no, it's alto - gether, something to do with singers (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Susie	Feb 4 2012, 09:42 AM Post #449
Virtuoso Group: Members Posts: 4223 Joined: 25-May 05 From: Suburbia Member No.: 3747	QUOTE(anacrusis @ Feb 4 2012, 12:54 AM) QUOTE(maggiemay @ Feb 3 2012, 08:43 PM) QUOTE(fsharpminor @ Feb 3 2012, 01:36 PM) Many years ago I recall a problem when the product 'Vick' was going to be launched in Germany, they had to call it 'Wick', otherwise it would sound like a naughty word. And I understand that the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud was originally going to be marketed as the Silver Mist. Unfortunately in Germany, mist (or misst? / mi?t possibly? - someone may like to correct this if I'm wrong) means something else and they had to rethink the name. (wonder if that will come out on a forum post!) (ed, no, it didn't) yup. Mist is dung. I can't say "brawn" for Braun - it just feels wrong to do so. Menzies/Mingies - actually there are some families who do pronounce it Men-zees - in the neck of the woods in which I work, I have to ask which pronunciation people want. There is also the name Lamont, which people persistently pronounced La-mont, where locally it'd be pronounced Lamment, with the stress on the first syllable. More Scottish ones - Cockburn....co-burn, and Milngavie.... moo-guy. On the other hand, Scots also pronounce "wh" with a blowing noise, so that where and wear sound different from each other. At the moment I have fun and games with our many immigrant patients' names - I found a website which will generate for me a pronunciation for anything Polish I care to throw at it, but we also have many Africans: sometimes I find myself rehearsing a name three or four times before attempting to produce it in the waiting room: one time I got the very surprised reply, "hey, that was rather good, do it again".....but couldn't (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif). Interesting little interlude on R4 this morning where they discussed the pronunciation of Coca Cola in the Far East - not sure if it was China - wasn't quite wide enough awake to listen properly. I have problems with some Irish names - I can cope with Niamh and Roisin (although I always have to visualise it as Rowsheen) and Siobhan, but I worked for a while in a school where there were a large number of Irish names and I really couldn't remember how to pronounce them. That said, I have difficulties getting the emphasis right when I say Maghull and I'm still corrected for my pronunciation of Meols Cop, although I've been married to a Southporter for 25+ years. (The first time I said "Maghull" was on the phone to a policeman. I had to have several goes, and still didn't get it right. He was chortling away merrily by the time I gave up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) )

andante_in_c	Feb 4 2012, 10:03 AM Post #450
Maestro Group: Members Posts: 10320 Joined: 15-November 03 From: Hampshire, UK Member No.: 130	QUOTE(Czerny @ Feb 4 2012, 09:28 AM) QUOTE(andante_in_c @ Feb 3 2012, 07:23 PM) Altogether now.... All together, no? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (Hope I'm allowed to say this as it is the pedants' thread... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I didn't catch that one. If find it all too easy to type homonyms (actually I don't - I had to look it up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)). I mean that, when typing, because I type the sound I hear in my head, homonyms creep in without my noticing them.

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