Play Book Tag discussion

Idit wrote: "The quiz was hopeless for me (but english is not my first language, so I had very random collection of words). I got honolulu / San Diago. I'll go with that.

When you learn english as a second lan..."

Interesting. I have always viewed the Canadian accent as the neutral English accent.

Karin wrote: "Idit wrote: "The quiz was hopeless for me (but english is not my first language, so I had very random collection of words). I got honolulu / San Diago. I'll go with that.

When you learn english as..."

very interesting... whenever I tell my (Australian) husband anything about his accent - he always says "what accent?"
Which is to say - does everyone assumes the accent they are used to is neutral?

Jason wrote: "In Columbus Ga there is a road Buena Vista. I was new to Columbus (wife great up there) so I pronounced it as the correct Spanish pronunciation. They all made fun of me as though they didn't know t..."

Ah, local pronunciations. There is a Versailles, Missouri. Pronounced Ver-Sails. [insert eye roll emoji here]

We also have a Nevada, Missouri. Pronounced Na-Vay-Da.

I once met a woman who knew someone named Seymour. Spelled like it sounds. The guy was named. Seemore.

:smiles:

I called the booking agent for Motel 6 to reserve a room on our last road trip. I asked him to "find a room for us on the freeway east of Amarillo for tonight." Not sure where he was from, but he gave it his best shot: "First property east of Amareeyo that we have is in Shamrock."

Nicole R wrote: "Ah, local pronunciations. There is a Versailles, Missouri. Pronounced Ver-Sails. [insert eye roll emoji here].."

ok, "ver-sails" made me laugh!

Idit wrote: "Which is to say - does everyone assumes the accent they are used to is neutral?..."

I always assumed this to be the case, but maybe I'm wrong.

Idit wrote: "very interesting... whenever I tell my (Australian) husband anything about his accent - he always says "what accent?"
Which is to say - does everyone assumes the accent they are used to is neutral?."

Good question. I always say that everyone has an accent when they go somewhere else but not where they grew up.

However, for many years Canadian broadcasters were frequently hired in the US because of their "neutral" accents, such as the late Peter Jennings. But of course there are different accents in different parts of Canada, and none of the ones in Newfoundland would be called neutral.

No drawl in Canada, perhaps that's partly why, I don't know.

Amy wrote: "I once met a woman who knew someone named Seymour. Spelled like it sounds. The guy was named. Seemore."

I thought that's how everyone pronounced Seymour. a la 'Suddenly Seymour'.

Joi wrote: I thought that's how everyone pronounced Seymour. a la 'Suddenly Seymour'.

Me too! I definitely pronounce Seymour as Seemore. How else is it pronounced?

No, it’s not the pronunciation, it’s the spelling. His name was Seemore.

Oh!! Hahaha!

Amy wrote: "No, it’s not the pronunciation, it’s the spelling. His name was Seemore."

Wow, no hiding any puns on that name!

Amy wrote: "No, it’s not the pronunciation, it’s the spelling. His name was Seemore."

Initially, I thought what everyone else was commenting, but then I reread and understood what Amy said! :-)

Karin wrote: "Wow, no hiding any puns on that name!"

LOL!

I’ always taken aback when I hear Americans pronounce place names that are clearly of French or Spanish origin. In Switzerland we have a lot of words and names of French origin and they retain their original pronunciation. German visitors tend to pronounce things differently which leads to much confusion and/or hilarity.

Sushicat wrote: "I’ always taken aback when I hear Americans pronounce place names that are clearly of French or Spanish origin. In Switzerland we have a lot of words and names of French origin and they retain thei..."

When I moved to the States people would correct me when I pronounced their French surnames the way they should be--so often they've been Anglicized here. Now I ask, first.

The English routinely mangle French pronunciation too. For instance I used to live in a small Warwickshire village called Beausale. Pronounced “Bewsal”. *facepalm*

You mean it's NOT pronounced DEZ MOY NESS? (Des Moines, Iowa, that is... LOL)

I live in Milwaukee ... a city with a significant German and Polish heritage. There is a major avenue spelled: Teutonia
But everyone around here pronounces it TY-To-Nee-ah .... ???

Then again we do know how to pronounce Kosciuszko Park ... and Pączki ...

The one that threw me was Yosemite.

BC, my Pops pronounces is DeZ MoineZ. Which also applies to IllinoiZ. 🙄

Nicole R wrote: "BC, my Pops pronounces is DeZ MoineZ. Which also applies to IllinoiZ. 🙄"

LOL!

Book Concierge wrote: "You mean it's NOT pronounced DEZ MOY NESS? (Des Moines, Iowa, that is... LOL)

I live in Milwaukee ... a city with a significant German and Polish heritage. There is a major avenue spelled: Teutoni..."

Interesting, since at least one website on German phonics says that in German eu is oi (note that there are different dialects and accents in German, but I doubt any would be like TY), but NOT in English, of course. WHERE did they get the TY from?

Says me who now lives in a city where they say Mitten and Kitten like Mi'en and Ki'en (the apostrophe is, well a gap in the word--any word with a t sound in the middle is that way. I used to correct my kids, but they don't care, so I told them that if they go anywhere else and talk like that they'll sound uneducated.,

Speaking of sounding uneducated, my husband and I each laughed our heads off at how uneducated the other sounded pronouncing two words and we both learned those words in university--I was in Canada and he in the States. They have to do with plant sprouts and are monocotledon and dicotyledon Then there are the words eczema and betadyne which are pronounce VERY different by doctors there and here.

And here I thought Canadian Universities had the educated sounding accents, with the UK being educated sounding as well, albeit with an accent.

Then the people in Massachussetts pronounce Peabody very strangely.