Why do Americans pronounce words incorrectly?
e.g 'vIytamin' instead of vitamin
'Zeeebra' instead of zebra
'Soccer' instead of football
'gas' instead of petrol
'windshield' instead of windscreen
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Why do Americans pronounce words incorrectly?
e.g 'vIytamin' instead of vitamin
'Zeeebra' instead of zebra
'Soccer' instead of football
'gas' instead of petrol
'windshield' instead of windscreen
But is it really
vaɪtamɪn ?
why not
vɪtamɪn
(IPA above)
Who determines the correct sound? For example, one might say that the correct way to say words ending in a 't' would be to pronounce it all the time, but even our queen doesn't do this upon analysis of her speech.
;)
I do ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by AndySpeed
No you don't, you're a northerner and probably say grass instead of gra: ss :p :Quote:
Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow
Proves my point :cheese:Quote:
Originally Posted by AndySpeed
I don't know how people speak in Norwich, but Alan Partridge says 'gr-orr-s' instead of grass. ;)
And ant-i is another pronunciation mistake its an-tea [word=anti]
Oh joy!
We've had the North/ South divide thread in which people who due to an accident of birth were reduced to hurling abuse at one another purely based on their geographical position.
Then we had the "who's got a dodgy accent" masterpiece which resulted in a similar laughter fest and now we have "Let's C*** Off The Yanks Cos They Dont Talk Proper"
Excuse me if I don't join in with the pie throwing willya?
Well, almost every Brit I've spoken with pronounces 'idea' with an 'r' at the end.
What's up with that?
Is soccer actually a mispronounciation of the word football?
I've always wondered why the English mis-spell "jail". :p :
How is it supposed to be spelled?Quote:
Originally Posted by studiose
"Jail", I think. :) Is that how you spell it? I was under the impression that the proper English spelling is "gaol". :s And "gaoler" for the chappy who works there. :sQuote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
Quote:
Originally Posted by studiose
I spell it Jail.
Congratulations on having seen the light. :p :Quote:
Originally Posted by BTCC2
I learn it from a book. :bandit:Quote:
Originally Posted by Starter
I think that 'jail' may be an americanisation. Because old english used to spell it 'gaol', and in Australia that is still the official spelling (and it may be in Britain as well).
On a similar note, lets see who can pick out the adopted American words in this list:
blizzard, blurb, cafeteria, cocktail (drink), electrocute, jazz, radio, stooge, belittle, swamp, snazzy, kissogram, trial (as a verb), unsackable, truish
One thing the Americans have done right, Color!
I can't stand Colour.
I don't mind the alternative vowel sounds really, but there are a couple of Americanisms that do do my head in. The one I'm thinking of now is aloominum for aluminium. There's almost a whole syllable missed out.
What about "honour"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Powered by Cosworth
... or the lack of it. ;) :p :
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow
its not just yanks who say that....
but thats not a mispronounciation... what school did you go to? remind me not to send my future kids there
Quote:
Originally Posted by millencolin
Remember that I was/am being educated in the time of a labour government! I don't really stand a chance of being educated properly.
I have a question!!! Why do trucks have hubs at the front that stick out and ones at the back that are indented?
Is it the color (or colour) "grey" or "gray"? ;)
The shape of the hubs is largely designed to accommodate the brakes. The hub has to be "sticking out" :p : for the brake disk/caliper to fit in the wheel. Most trucks have four rear wheels per axle, with two wheel hubs bolted together, inverted, per side. So the inner wheel hub is actually "sticking out" just like the fronts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mp3 Astra
Good question though :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexamateo
In England it's grey.
I've been wondering about that question all my life and only just figured out I could ask it here. Thanks, another piece of my life is now complete :)Quote:
Originally Posted by schmenke
That's because we're lazy, we shorten words all the time. I was unaware there was a North/South thing over there as well. Thought it was just here. My grandparents never mentioned it.Quote:
Originally Posted by LotusElise
Of course over here, we spent 4 years at war over it....
Can fat people go skinny dipping?
why if someone from England = English, Spain = Spanish, Japan = Japanese, etc. then Netherlands = Dutch???
Is a 'Ghost in the Machine' a random bit of code that comes alive?
I guess it's just the way people speak. "Netherlandish" would be too cumbersome.Quote:
Originally Posted by jso1985
From the Online Etymology Dictionary:
Dutch
c.1380, used first of Germans generally, after c.1600 of Hollanders, from M.Du. duutsch, from O.H.G. duit-isc, corresponding to O.E. žeodisc "belonging to the people," used especially of the common language of Germanic people, from žeod "people, race, nation," from P.Gmc. *theudo "popular, national" (see Teutonic), from PIE base *teuta- "people" (cf. O.Ir. tuoth "people," O.Lith. tauta "people," O.Prus. tauto "country," Oscan touto "community"). As a language name, first recorded as L. theodice, 786 C.E. in correspondence between Charlemagne's court and the Pope, in reference to a synodical conference in Mercia; thus it refers to Old English. First reference to the German language (as opposed to a Germanic one) is two years later. The sense was extended from the language to the people who spoke it (in Ger., Diutisklant, ancestor of Deutschland, was in use by 13c.). Sense narrowed to "of the Netherlands" in 17c., after they became a united, independent state and the focus of English attention and rivalry. In Holland, duitsch is used of the people of Germany. The M.E. sense survives in Pennsylvania Dutch, who immigrated from the Rhineland and Switzerland. Since 1608, Dutch (adj.) has been a "pejorative label pinned by English speakers on almost anything they regard as inferior, irregular, or contrary to 'normal' (i.e., their own) practice" [Rawson]. E.g. Dutch treat (1887), Dutch uncle (1838), etc. -- probably exceeded in such usage only by Indian and Irish -- reflecting first British commercial and military rivalry and later heavy Ger. immigration to U.S.
If a man speaks in a forest and no woman is around to hear him, is he still wrong?
I'd guess yes :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by DocF225
Why does mineral water in a bottle have a use by date?
whats even worse JB is why they have a nutrition sheet on a bottle of water?
so here a couple,
why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?
why do we call them apartments when they are all stuck together?
why do we call tehm buildings when we have already done building them?
Why does Preston CITY council, operate in Preston TOWN hall ? :s
Because its near to the market, so they can get some cheap shopping, and because its near the Guild Hall, so they can watch some snooker loopy
Why don't they rename it Preston city hall???
P.S I didn't know that people actually bought things from that market and they no longer have snooker in the guild hall :)
According to IUPAC (Internation Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry) - those responsible for naming elements and compounds. Americans now have to officially say Aluminium (the english way), as a trade off the official spelling of Sulphur is now Sulfur. Rather like pluto isn't a planet anymore, things get changed, but the average American will still say it the old way, and the average Brit will still write Sulphur(don't know why he'd want to tho)Quote:
Originally Posted by LotusElise
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow
One I know! Yee ha!
Preston's a new city, so the Town Hall is from it's town days and the council is now representing a City. Can't remember why it was allowed to become a city, though. Bezza might know that bit.