Off Topic Compare the cheese to no 10 thread

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My given name is always mispronounced by strangers. The funny thing is, people in Britain would always mispronounce it one way. Here in America everyone mispronounces it in a completely different way.

When I was on holiday in Mexico they all pronounced it completely right even though it is an old traditional English name. Funny how Mexicans can pronounce it but English speakers can't. <laugh>
 
saintKlopp said:
In all seriousness, I'd never heard the second-syllable pronunciation at all until Michael Crawford used it on his TV show. It then caught on, despite the fact that you were supposed to laugh at his mangled pronunciation - not copy it.
I inherited two old dictionaries from the 50's. They both only have the first-syllable pronunciation guide.

I realise that language evolves, but often it loses its variety and potential by being "dumbed down" to the lowest common denominator.
I know some think it's petty, but I like language and what it can do.
When I was a sprog I read 1984 and was fascinated by the realisation that you can control people by controlling and limiting their means of expression.
There's also the feeling of identity, I dislike the homogenisation of culture across the English-speaking world through the influence of so much American product being in our faces all the time.
I have no problem with them speaking the way they do, but we don't have to.

And thanks for calling me a toff, like. Me mam would be dead proud.
Click to expand...

I really have nothing to add to that. And yeah, I'm the toff from off Scotty <laugh>
 
Milking rocks said:
My given name is always mispronounced by strangers. The funny thing is, people in Britain would always mispronounce it one way. Here in America everyone mispronounces it in a completely different way.

When I was on holiday in Mexico they all pronounced it completely right even though it is an old traditional English name. Funny how Mexicans can pronounce it but English speakers can't. <laugh>
Click to expand...

I'm intrigued. PM?
 
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