Superfluous "U"? How about pronunciations?

[Sepiatone]

Yeah, read a Dargo post in which he mentions that "superfluous" "u" that Brits and Canadians use in certain words.

 

What brings this up for me is the recent hearing of Rod Stewart's great rocker "Hot Legs", in which he says the line, "I'm gonna need a shot of vitamin E"  However, he doesn't pronounce it "Vite-ah-min" like most of us 'mericans do, rather, he pronounces it, as I've heard it pronounced in a few British films and TV shows in the past, as, "Vitt-a-min"  To rhyme with, say, Mitt-ah-min.

 

Can any of you other sharp minded steel trap minds think of any others?

 

Sepiatone

[TheGayDivorcee]

"zed" for the letter "z"

"leftenant" for "lieutenant"

"Schedule" has a different pronunciation, I'm not quite sure how to write, "shedule" maybe?

 

Mr. Gay D is British, so I'll listen for others. 

 

[Tikisoo]

I say "pro-cess" like a Canadian rather than "pra-cess" like many upstate NYers.

 

Spellcheck is always suggesting my "behaviour" spelling is incorrect, although I spell "color" ok. Guess I'm a picker & chooser.

 

As for spoken grammar, this area of the country is abhorrent.

Often a customer will walk into my store and without even saying hello, barks "Lawnmowers!"

 

And with a deadpan expression I say, "they are great for cutting grass!" 

 

Then they'll ask, "Where they at?"

 

"They AT over there, by the back wall"

 

I wait all day for someone to buy an axe so I can say, "Are you all set with your purchase or did you need to axe something first?" which usually results in big smiles.

[hamradio]

Yeah, read a Dargo post in which he mentions that "superfluous" "u" that Brits and Canadians use in certain words.

 

 

Sepiatone

 

Before I give my thoughts, this thread shows we got too much free time on our hands.

 

Thinking about "u" just say you or like in "An Officer and a Gentleman", ewe. 

 

I'm not a u boy, a ewe is a female sheep.

[Sepiatone]

"zed" for the letter "z"

"leftenant" for "lieutenant"

"Schedule" has a different pronunciation, I'm not quite sure how to write, "shedule" maybe?

 

Mr. Gay D is British, so I'll listen for others. 

Hmmm....I've heard, "LEN-Tenant", but not LEFT.  Yes, "SHED-Jule" is another good one.

 

Sepiatone

[Dargo]

"Laboratory":

 

American(cutting off one syllable): "LAB-rah-tor-ee"

 

British: "La-BOR-ah-tor-ee"

 

(...and then, though the following would probably fall more under the heading of regional accents...)

 

American(in most cases anyway): "Can I have a glass of water, please?"

 

Brit: "May I have a glass of woe-tah, please?"

 

And of course the British "softer R" here is also quite prominent in along the northeastern states of the U.S., with Bostonians especially being known for replacing the "harder R" with an "Ah" sound.

 

(...hey, they don't call it "New ENGLAND" for NOTHIN', ya know!)

[DownGoesFrazier]

Before I give my thoughts, this thread shows we got too much free time on our hands.

 

Thinking about "u" just say you or like in "An Officer and a Gentleman", ewe. 

 

I'm not a u boy, a ewe is a female sheep.

In the name " U Thant ", the "U" was superfluous. Thant would have been sufficient. If they didn't like him , were there signs that said "Screw U"?

[Dargo]

In the name " U Thant ", the "U" was superfluous. Thant would have been sufficient. If they didn't like him , were there signs that said "Screw U"?

 

Well, I don't recall any "signs" ever sayin' that, finance. BUT, word was that very thing WAS often found scribbled on the walls in many a U.N.'s men's room back in the day.

[Swithin]

In England, Herb (i.e. sage) is pronounced Herb; not Erb.

 

Lots of place names. In the UK, Warwick is pronounced Warrick. 

 

Also, in England, often is pronounced OFF-ten. In the US, it is generally pronounced offen.

 

I embarrassed myself in Edinburgh once. I was looking for Cockburn Street and asked many people, who didn't know what I was talking about. It's pronounced CO-burn (as in Charles).

 

[Dargo]

In England, Herb (i.e. sage) is pronounced Herb; not Erb.

 

 

Yeah, and isn't this offen...errr..OFTEN referred to as: "The American Eliza Doolittle Effect"?!!!

 

(...or "The American Andy Capp Effect"???)

[midwestan]

This doesn't fall into the category of pronunciations, but I read on a travel site once that in the British Isles, if you're having dinner and need another napkin, you should ask for a "serviette".  Napkins refer to a woman's hygiene product (is that true, Gay Divorcee?).

 

When I was in college, I had a summer job at a glass factory that produced amber liquor bottles.  Many of our products were shipped to Canada, and the boxes on the side said "whisky".  In the States, we spell it "whiskey".  Then again, any way you spell it, it's just "good" 

[TheGayDivorcee]

midwestan,

 

Somehow the "quote" option isn't working.  Yes, "serviette" for napkin, though I'm not sure if that's country-wide.

[TheGayDivorcee]

Hmmm....I've heard, "LEN-Tenant", but not LEFT.  Yes, "SHED-Jule" is another good one.

 

Sepiatone

Heavens, maybe I've been mis-hearing the British pronunciation all these years!  My in-house expert is away, so I'll have to investigate.

[Swithin]

  Yes, "serviette" for napkin, though I'm not sure if that's country-wide.

I think serviette is gradually falling out of use. There are interesting names for certain vegetables. In England, they say courgette for zucchini; rocket for arugula; eggplant is aubergine; snow peas are mange tout; squash is sometimes called marrow.

 

A problem I have at meetings in the US and UK is that I always forget what the word "table" means on either side of the Atlantic. In the U.S., to table a motion/subject means to defer discussion; in the UK, it means to discuss it right then. It drives me crazy, since the meanings are opposite.

[TheGayDivorcee]

Suspenders are "braces."  I don't know if braces for the teeth have another name.

 

And restroom is "the ladies" (and "the gentlemen's"?) or, my favorite, loo.  

[TheGayDivorcee]

I think serviette is gradually falling out of use. There are interesting names for certain vegetables. In England, they say courgette for zucchini; rocket for arugula; eggplant is aubergine; snow peas are mange tout; squash is sometimes called marrow.

 

A problem I have at meetings in the US and UK is that I always forget what the word "table" means on either side of the Atlantic. In the U.S., to table a motion/subject means to defer discussion; in the UK, it means to discuss it right then. It drives me crazy, since the meanings are opposite.

Interesting about "table."  I wonder if businesspeople brush up on the lingo with a "Brit-speak for Dummies" type book?

[Tikisoo]

Well, I've understood both spellings of "whiskey/whisky" are correct.

 

In Australia, "strollers" those carts you roll children around in are called "pushers".

 

What we call knitted wool "sweaters" Australians call "windcheaters". They call athletic fleece sweatshirts, "sweaters" which makes some kind of sense.

 

An Australian friend made a quick YT video comparing Aus/US pronounciations: 

"or-E-ge-no" or "or-a-GA-no"

"al-u-MIN-ee-um" or "a-LUM-in-um"

(oops can't remember any others)

 

As for that "dropping H", it's a NYC thing, and selective. They'll say "it's a uman interest story" but say "uman history". 

[DownGoesFrazier]

In England, Herb (i.e. sage) is pronounced Herb; not Erb.

 

Lots of place names. In the UK, Warwick is pronounced Warrick. 

 

Also, in England, often is pronounced OFF-ten. In the US, it is generally pronounced offen.

 

I embarrassed myself in Edinburgh once. I was looking for Cockburn Street and asked many people, who didn't know what I was talking about. It's pronounced CO-burn (as in Charles).

Speaking of mispronounced street names, most out-of-towners pronounce the name of the street which is the boundary between the Village and SoHo as HUGH-STON Street, while in-the-know New Yorkers correctly pronounce it as HOUSE-TON Street.

[Swithin]

Speaking of mispronounced street names, most out-of-towners pronounce the name of the street which is the boundary between the Village and SoHo as HUGH-STON Street, while in-the-know New Yorkers correctly pronounce it as HOUSE-TON Street.

That's correct, Fi. They're named after different people. There is a railway station in London called Euston Station, which is pronounced like the Texas city.

[Sepiatone]

Speaking of mispronounced street names, most out-of-towners pronounce the name of the street which is the boundary between the Village and SoHo as HUGH-STON Street, while in-the-know New Yorkers correctly pronounce it as HOUSE-TON Street.

 

We wind up with similar troubles in Michigan here with some "out-of-staters".  For instance, there's both a town and a popular lake named "Houghton".  Pronounced "HO-ton".  Many newcomers say, "HOW-ton"  or pronounce another one, "SALT-SAINT MARIE", instead of "SOO".(Sault St. Marie).  Then there's the street near grosse pointe called "CADIEUX".  Pronounced CAD-JEW",  NOT "Cad-oiks". 

 

Oh, and it's "MACK-IN-AWE"  NOT "Mack-in-ack" (Mackinac Island)

 

Sepiatone

[DownGoesFrazier]

We wind up with similar troubles in Michigan here with some "out-of-staters".  For instance, there's both a town and a popular lake named "Houghton".  Pronounced "HO-ton".  Many newcomers say, "HOW-ton"  or pronounce another one, "SALT-SAINT MARIE", instead of "SOO".(Sault St. Marie).  Then there's the street near grosse pointe called "CADIEUX".  Pronounced CAD-JEW",  NOT "Cad-oiks". 

 

Oh, and it's "MACK-IN-AWE"  NOT "Mack-in-ack" (Mackinac Island)

 

Sepiatone

Wow. Those out-of-staters are really lamebrains.

[TheGayDivorcee]

Wow. Those out-of-staters are really lamebrains.

For several summers I worked selling Mackinac Island fudge at a county fair.  As delicious as it was, I was really sick of fudge at the end of those few weeks.

[Tikisoo]

instead of "SOO".(Sault St. Marie)

 

Or as in "Tiki Soo"

 

My name IS Sue, but when setting my computer to speak, found this spelling was the only way to make it pronounce it correctly.

 

TikiKid loved WC Fields charactor was called "Sousé" in a movie and often calls me that. (in reference to my bourbon & scotch hobby)

[DownGoesFrazier]

For several summers I worked selling Mackinac Island fudge at a county fair.  As delicious as it was, I was really sick of fudge at the end of those few weeks.

I eat so little of that kind of stuff that I not only would have been sick OF fudge, I would have been sick FROM fudge.

[Sepiatone]

What I consider "shameful" is that in my 63 years of living in Michigan, I've never been to Mackinac Island!  Oh, I've crossed the bridge a few times, but never went to the Island.

 

Sepiatone