Q Talk

[Othereeeen]

Important....Cotton....Jewelry...

Multi-syllable words that MIGHT be affected by geogra;hy...

The one word that drives ME nut is.....

ASK.

The word is ONE syllable. I bet it's used by most people at LEAST once a week if not more often.

How does is come out as "AXX" ?!?!?!?

An AXE is a TOOL to chop wood with.

AX. AX AX....

I even hear professional  commentators on the news say this...

" He was AXXED how this could have happened..."

or:

"I axxed for his address....."

Did you AXXX her?!?!?? (Hope not....could be fatal!!!!)

The word is ASK.    A*s*k    

NOT Axx. You use an AXX to chop wood.

And yes I know AX the tool is spelled AXE.

[Drythe]

@dooBdoo 

Thanks for the post, love the link.

Always good to 'see' you.

[Spurt]

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@Ketra wrote:

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@bagnes wrote:

Another mispronunciation is jew-la-ree. It is jew-ul-ree. The host that's on at this very moment is pronouncing the color cognac, coe-nee-ack. Good grief!

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@bagnes Thank you!  I’m watching the Frye Leather show and hearing Kristine Zell pronounce cognac (coney yack) over and over is ruining the show for me. Are the producers asleep upstairs? I’m not a snob, but I appreciate hosts that know the English language. I don’t care what anyone says, I miss Lisa Robertson. She was one classy lady.  

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@Ketra 

Yep thats KZ........doesn't take time to do her homework on products....

[Caffeina]

I wonder which host holds the record for mispronouncing the word "the" in a presentation.

[sunshine45]

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

Oh no, I just realized I say ‘melk’!

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@proudlyfromNJ 

its okay.......i say "wooder" but i am not ashamed.

[ILTH]

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@Foxxee wrote:

@hyacinth003 

I knew what you meant.  It was clear in your first sentence.  I, too, on occasion have done something similar.

I think some of the hosts are from different parts of the country, the reason why they pronounce certain words differently.  Most noticeable are those with Boston, NYC, and Southern accents.  Some areas it's very mild or just certain words.  

Generally, many New Englanders and New Yorkers often have accents, but nothing like Boston and NYC. South Philadelphia and Pittsburgh can be pretty strong in some areas of those cities.  I've heard Northern midwesterners speak like Canadians.  

Journalists are taught to speak Standard English.  Listen to newscasters to notice they don't have an accent; although, I suppose Southerners, Bostonians, and New Yorkers think Standard English sounds like an accent to them.  

For the MSM, TV, we mostly hear Standard English spoken even though some are from the South, Boston, and NYC or other parts of the country.   

Are there any English majors here who can give us more information about Standard English?  

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I beg to differ. 

First, NYC is comprised of 5 boroughs.  Native Manhattanites, generally, do not have the NYC accent most outsiders think of when discussing our accents. You're thinking of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx (each of which, btw, has a distinct and different accent). Add much of Long Island to the list. 

Second, what exactly is Standard English? As the first capital of the U.S. and early colony (NY State along with much of New England, Mid-Atlantic and parts of the South which were first colonies), our accents are, actually, closer to Britain's than most other parts of the country.  Standard English. 

Finally, cah-un, etc. (OPs concern), seem to be generational, rather than regional. 

[skatting44]

 Having trouble with figuring out hwat the " Any Body " rep is saying   " Cot Un "  what is that word  ?  I  have to switch the channel  . I've tried but am not familiar  with her accent  .

[ILTH]

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@NYC Susan wrote:

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@Ketra wrote:

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@on the bay wrote:

I too have never heard mayonnaise pronounced any other way than manaise. And I think you can see that most of the us does pronounce it

with 2 syllables-"mannais"

Mayonnaise sounds so weird to me!

The blue on this map shows who in the us pronounces it mannaise; the orange mayonnaise.

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@on the bay  No offense, but I’m from the south and I pronounce it mayonnaise. 

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I'm from the Northeast (Long Island and NYC), and it's always been mayonnaise to me.

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From NYC, here. Always pronounced it mannais.

As I've never thought about it, I really don't know how my childhood friends pronounce(d) it. 

[LorelaiGilmore]

Grew up in MN, live in Texas. It's mayonnaise. Also, I can't stand it when I hear "lenth", "strenth", etc., instead of length and strength! Susan Graver does this, as well as saying "wash machine" instead of washing machine. Drives me nuts!

[GenXmuse]

Some of y’all watch too much QVC and it shows.