War ter
#49
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
#51
Re: War ter
Had huge trouble in our local Subway when asking for tom-ah-toes. It was only when our daughter stepped in with her pretend southern accent that we got served!
#53
Re: War ter
Do people actually have trouble understanding the word 'water' when pronounced in any of the regional variations of a UK accent (yes, even Welsh)?
I always thought that was an exaggerated thing but come on, you'd have to be thick as pigshit not to be able to recognise the word 'water' no matter how it is said. There is no other word it can be mistaken for. Even in the strongest West Country drawl, it is recognisable.
Maybe I'm saying it wrong
I always thought that was an exaggerated thing but come on, you'd have to be thick as pigshit not to be able to recognise the word 'water' no matter how it is said. There is no other word it can be mistaken for. Even in the strongest West Country drawl, it is recognisable.
Maybe I'm saying it wrong
Lx
#54
I have a comma problem
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Fox Lake, IL (from Carrickfergus NI)
Posts: 49,598
#58
Re: War ter
The one that drives me nuts is when places in the US and Canada have British place names and they are pronounced differently, i.e. incorrectly in fact because I'm sure the original colonists used the British pronunciation.
Especially stuff with a "w" in the middle, like Warwick or Norwich. I'm sure "sandwich" was "sanditch" before the Americans got hold of it.
I say reclaim it, from now on say "sanditch" and confuse Americans.
And as bad as that is, the mutilation of French place names, e.g. New Orleans, Coeur D'Alene, Boise, etc. is even worse.
Although Americans do tend to say Spanish place names more accurately than the British do, e.g. Nevada.
What really irritates me about it is when people say, "oh that's just the way we say it" - yes because you are a later immigrant to the area and you or your ancestors were too lazy to learn how to pronounce it correctly. All that means is that you're a lazy idiot, not that you're saying it right.
I noticed John Oliver was on about "comptroller" being pronounced incorrectly on The Daily Show last night.
English is not a phonetic language, especially place names. Potomac River, Arkansas, etc.
Especially stuff with a "w" in the middle, like Warwick or Norwich. I'm sure "sandwich" was "sanditch" before the Americans got hold of it.
I say reclaim it, from now on say "sanditch" and confuse Americans.
And as bad as that is, the mutilation of French place names, e.g. New Orleans, Coeur D'Alene, Boise, etc. is even worse.
Although Americans do tend to say Spanish place names more accurately than the British do, e.g. Nevada.
What really irritates me about it is when people say, "oh that's just the way we say it" - yes because you are a later immigrant to the area and you or your ancestors were too lazy to learn how to pronounce it correctly. All that means is that you're a lazy idiot, not that you're saying it right.
I noticed John Oliver was on about "comptroller" being pronounced incorrectly on The Daily Show last night.
English is not a phonetic language, especially place names. Potomac River, Arkansas, etc.
#59
Re: War ter
"What kind of coke do you want?"
"Oh I'll have a pepsi."
#60
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 20
Re: War ter
I had to laugh at this thread. Multiple times I received a Michelob Ultra after asking for a water.. not a wah-der! Also asked for one at Aunty Anne's once and she had no clue what I was saying, H2O was also met with a blank expression - hubby had to order it for me in the end!