You say TO-MAY-TO and I say TO-MAAAH-TO...
And apparently I say a whole bunch of other words wrong-ish-ly.
For example: pecans
Do you say...
pee-KHANZ
pee-CANS
or PEEK-ins?
How about the word: votive?
Do you say....
VO-tiv
or
vo-TEEV?
If you, like me, say pee-KHANZ and vo-TEEV, you will be the entertainment of any dinner party you are attending in which you have the opportunity to use these words. A little caution though...don't say them both within 5 minutes of one another or your friends will be giggling so hard that pee-KHAN covered yam casserole will come out of their noses. If you are so inclined to walk over to your friend's beautiful hurricane-ish lamp and check to see the candle inside, be careful not to call the little stump of wax a vo-TEEV as your strange pronunciation will cause them to guffaw so loudly that the expulsion of air from their lungs will extinguish the candle and you all will be plunged into darkness. Consider the implications of this hazardous language--food will be flying from people's facial orifices, guests will be falling off chairs (from laughing) and then stumbling around in the dark (caused by the extinguished flame), and probably stepping all over the pee-KHANZ on the floor, crushing them into and staining the beautiful new carpet--all because you haven't learned how to speak the words correctly.
Here's a remedy. Rather than merely reading new words, try words out in actual conversation. Don't consult the dictionary pronunciation guide and learn what all the little weird markings are for. That's too easy! Go out there and just SAY the words the way you THINK they should be said and see what calamities or insanity ensues! It's much more fun that way.
Or, you can always pre-test the word out, in privacy, with a friend. Which is what I'm about to do right now. I learned this new word....remuneration...and I'm not sure how to say it. Is it: re-MUHN-eration, re-MOON-eration, rem-UHN-eration?! I don't know!
Save me! Tell me how to say it before I use it in conversation and seriously injure someone!!
Oh yeah, speaking of PECANS (oh whatever! say it anyway you WANT!!), here's a yummy recipe:
4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes/yams--I bake them but some people boil. It's up to you.
2 tbsp cream or milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter
1 cup PECAN (ahhh, the word is HAUNTING me now! Make it go away!!) halves, to cover casserole.
Thoroughly mix potatoes (po-TAY-toes/ po-TAH-toes), cream, salt and paprika. Spread in greased casserole. Make the topping by heating brown sugar and butter over low heat, stirring constantly (I just chuck my butter into the nuker to melt and then mix in my brown sugar, 'cause I'm alllllll about easy!). Spread topping over potatoes and cover with PECAN (OMGoodness! will this word ever stop tormenting me?)halves. Refrigerate until ready to heat. This casserole may be warmed in an oven of any temperature. Should be bubbling hot before serving. Serves 6-8.
Enjoy!
Let me know of any words you use wrongly-ish and maybe together we could start a support group. What would we call it? Words R Us? Words AREN'T Us? Words AIN'T Us? AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!
For example: pecans
Do you say...
pee-KHANZ
pee-CANS
or PEEK-ins?
How about the word: votive?
Do you say....
VO-tiv
or
vo-TEEV?
If you, like me, say pee-KHANZ and vo-TEEV, you will be the entertainment of any dinner party you are attending in which you have the opportunity to use these words. A little caution though...don't say them both within 5 minutes of one another or your friends will be giggling so hard that pee-KHAN covered yam casserole will come out of their noses. If you are so inclined to walk over to your friend's beautiful hurricane-ish lamp and check to see the candle inside, be careful not to call the little stump of wax a vo-TEEV as your strange pronunciation will cause them to guffaw so loudly that the expulsion of air from their lungs will extinguish the candle and you all will be plunged into darkness. Consider the implications of this hazardous language--food will be flying from people's facial orifices, guests will be falling off chairs (from laughing) and then stumbling around in the dark (caused by the extinguished flame), and probably stepping all over the pee-KHANZ on the floor, crushing them into and staining the beautiful new carpet--all because you haven't learned how to speak the words correctly.
Here's a remedy. Rather than merely reading new words, try words out in actual conversation. Don't consult the dictionary pronunciation guide and learn what all the little weird markings are for. That's too easy! Go out there and just SAY the words the way you THINK they should be said and see what calamities or insanity ensues! It's much more fun that way.
Or, you can always pre-test the word out, in privacy, with a friend. Which is what I'm about to do right now. I learned this new word....remuneration...and I'm not sure how to say it. Is it: re-MUHN-eration, re-MOON-eration, rem-UHN-eration?! I don't know!
Save me! Tell me how to say it before I use it in conversation and seriously injure someone!!
Oh yeah, speaking of PECANS (oh whatever! say it anyway you WANT!!), here's a yummy recipe:
4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes/yams--I bake them but some people boil. It's up to you.
2 tbsp cream or milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter
1 cup PECAN (ahhh, the word is HAUNTING me now! Make it go away!!) halves, to cover casserole.
Thoroughly mix potatoes (po-TAY-toes/ po-TAH-toes), cream, salt and paprika. Spread in greased casserole. Make the topping by heating brown sugar and butter over low heat, stirring constantly (I just chuck my butter into the nuker to melt and then mix in my brown sugar, 'cause I'm alllllll about easy!). Spread topping over potatoes and cover with PECAN (OMGoodness! will this word ever stop tormenting me?)halves. Refrigerate until ready to heat. This casserole may be warmed in an oven of any temperature. Should be bubbling hot before serving. Serves 6-8.
Enjoy!
Let me know of any words you use wrongly-ish and maybe together we could start a support group. What would we call it? Words R Us? Words AREN'T Us? Words AIN'T Us? AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!
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