Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

Neee-ther.  Nigh-ther.  Eeee-ther.  Eigh-ther.  Let's call the whole thing off.  (In singsong voice please!)

Because I am super cool I've been thinking about pronunciation lately. Okay that's not true:  I always think about pronunciation.  I think it all started with the name Augustine.  I guess lots of things started with Augustine.  But I digress.

It's mission week at Memorial so lots of people say the word "roof" since we're doing home repairs.  Say that word aloud to yourself right now.  Was it "ruff" or "roooh-f" or "roo-uf?  I had a friend in seminary who would say "to err is human" which is all well and good but it sounded like "to ur is human."  Turns out you can say "err" or "ur." Aren't words beautiful and fascinating?

Are there words you mispronounce or say in unorthodox ways? I pronounce the word crayons "crowns."  Earlier this week I tried saying cray-ons but it just felt wrong.  For the life of me I cannot say the word rural.  I think I've said "sherbeRt" all my life though there is only one "r" in sherbet.

If you read this far it's one of three things for you:
1.  We are kindred spirits.
2.  You are bored.
3.  We are friends.

Happy week to you!

4 comments:

  1. I knowingly say "preface" incorrectly, but continue to do it anyway. I pronounce it "pre" (as in previously) "face" (as in your actual face). These things make us special :).

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  2. I dislike "r" words altogether. I was preaching a sermon one time in which I was quoting C.S. Lewis, "You've never met a mere mortal. Every person you meet is either an immortal splender or an immortal horror." I could tell I had lost the congregation. Afterwards Alyson asked me what all the "whore" talk was about!

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    Replies
    1. Ha! That made me laugh out loud. Crazy words.

      In the midst of serious illustration about Les Mis I somehow said Jean Valjean flipped his head off. I wish I remembered more context, but anyway I lost the story (and the people to laughter!)

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