Pronouncing "Foie Gras"

[mongo_jones]

"I'll have the":

fwah gwah

frog wah

fwah grass

foy grass

foy grah

foy gwah

Neverending laughter at work over this one. Why is this one so hard to pronounce? Do people say they are going to Mardi Gwah?

DISCUSS

oh my. all this concern for a language that isn't your own native tongue (or is it?) very touching. is it only an embarassment or funny when people mispronounce names of expensive french delicacies or do you also feel embarassed for yourself everytime you order a meal at an indian or thai restaurant?

on that note: i'm off to india for a month via thailand. happy holidays to everyone on egullet!

[SobaAddict70]

oh my. all this concern for a language that isn't your own native tongue (or is it?) very touching. is it only an embarassment or funny when people mispronounce names of expensive french delicacies or do you also feel embarassed for yourself everytime you order a meal at an indian or thai restaurant?

on that note: i'm off to india for a month via thailand. happy holidays to everyone on egullet!

Probably not as funny as learning how to pronounce "Otto".

damned Romance languages...

Soba

[elyse]

I'm embarrasse every time I order anything in any language other than english.

[Pan]

Yeah, Elyse, but ordering Malaysian food in a Terengganu accent doesn't seem to prevent clueless waitpersons from questioning my order or being surprised and incredulous that I would want and enjoy spicy food.

[stephenc]

Do we poke equal fun at the English-speaking folks who can't pronounce English words?  (I do!)  Crayon.  Aunt.  Poem.  Drawer.  Ask.  Coupon.  Wash.  Often.  Nuclear.  I bet we all mispronounce at least one of these words.

February! There's an R in there! "Feb-u-ary" is like taking a bleeping rake across a blackboard.

I have spent time in France, but I am certain there are plenty -- nay, MANY -- French words I do not pronounce correctly. And I would be most appreciative of a well-intentioned lesson in pronounciation. What I don't need is someone who looks down on me, snorts, say's "of course" and walks away to talk about me behind my back, while all the while hoping to suck an extra buck out of my wallet. I rarely pay extra for condescension.

The best menus are those which give the guest a choice. Difficult to do with wines, but easy with food. Beche-de-mer can be described as sea cucumber, soubise as a creamy onion sauce.

Seriously, who actually pronounces the "r" in February? People who pronounce the 'r"? ......seriously creepy.

Feb·ru·ar·y ( P ) Pronunciation Key (fbr-r, fby-)

n. pl. Feb·ru·ar·ies Abbr. Feb.

The second month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. See table at calendar.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Middle English Februarie, from Latin Februrius (mnsis), (month) of purification, from februa, expiatory offerings, possibly of Sabine origin.]

Usage Note: Although the variant pronunciation (fby-r) is often censured because it doesn't reflect the spelling of the word, it is quite common in educated speech and is generally considered acceptable. The loss of the first r in this pronunciation can be accounted for by the phonological process known as dissimilation, by which similar sounds in a word tend to become less similar. In the case of February, the loss of the first r is also owing to the influence of January, which has only one r.

[tommy]

Seriously, who actually pronounces the "r" in February?

my guess is much fewer than those who want to teach the world about that hidden r. oh, and martha stewart pronounces that r.

[Suzanne F]

Uh oh, you mean I'm WITH that Martha lady on something?

[jhlurie]

Color me impressed. I think Renée Zellweger must be a closet eGulleteer. She was on Letterman tonight talking about working in Thailand and pronounced "culinary" correctly.

Also, she's in Bridget Jones mode (working on the sequel). Looks like she's been eatin'.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

February!  There's an R in there!  "Feb-u-ary" is like taking a bleeping rake across a blackboard.

hmmmmmmm...of all the nasty annoying things Ive tried in life just to be a putz, I never THOUGHT of THAT one...fingernails of course...the teacher annoyed the crap out of me so I evened the score a bit...wow thanks!!!~

By the way 99% of the time I say Febuary too...and Noo Yawk. Dont you DARE tell me theres an R in THERE too!!~ ;)

[jhlurie]

Ha. So much for Renée Zellweger. She just said "Feb-u-ary". How could she know "culinary" and not "february"?

Oh, flipping channels the funny fruitcake guy is on Leno now.

[Pan]

Jon, what's the "incorrect" pronunciation of "culinary"?

http://www.m-w.com/

One entry found for culinary.

Main Entry: cu·li·nary

Pronunciation: 'k&-l&-"ner-E, 'kyü-

Function: adjective

Etymology: Latin culinarius, from culina kitchen -- more at KILN

Date: 1638

: of or relating to the kitchen or cookery

- cu·li·nar·i·ly /"k&-l&-'ner-&-lE, "kyü-/ adverb

I say "kyoo-li-ner-ee," but I also recognize "kul-i-ner-ee" as correct. Given the derivation, "kool-i-ner-ee" wouldn't be too strange, either.

Methinks some people in this thread are a wee bit intolerant of accents other than their own...

Edited December 24, 2003 by Pan (log)

[Mark Sommelier]

Dang,

Our President was on TV this week and said "nookuler" 3 times out loud!!

[KateW]

Seriously, who actually pronounces the "r" in February? 

my guess is much fewer than those who want to teach the world about that hidden r. oh, and martha stewart pronounces that r.

In 3rd grade or so, I was chosen to do the morning announcements on the PA system. (I don't remember how I got this dubious honor.) Anyway, I got on there and said "Good morning. Today is Feb-ru-ary...." Everyone laughed at me for pronouncing it that way, but at least *I* knew I was right.

[tommy]

How could she know "culinary" and not "february"?

because english is a strange and forgiving language.

and because only a handful of people give a squat.

edited for spelling.

Edited December 24, 2003 by tommy (log)

[jhlurie]

How could she know "culinary" and not "february"?

because english is a strange and forgiving language.

and because only a handfull of people give a squat.

Which thread are we in here? Oh yeah... the one about nitpicking about pronunciation. Also... talking about her knowing one and not the other was kind of meant as sarcasm.

Must... use... smileys...

I'll nitpick on myself. I usually spell and say "pronunciation" wrong. Always thought it was funny since "pronounce" (with the inclusion of the extra "o") is correct for that form of the word.

Jon, what's the "incorrect" pronunciation of "culinary"?

Unless I've completely misremembered (hey, it's possible), it starts with "cull" and not "cool" or "cule".

[Pan]

Jon, please look at that entry from m-w again.

[nyfirepatrolchef]

Ha.  So much for Renée Zellweger.  She just said "Feb-u-ary".  How could she know "culinary" and not "february"?

Oh, flipping channels the funny fruitcake guy is on Leno now.

because CULINAY doesnt sound right.....you HAVE to pronounce the R

FEBUARY is an accepted bastardization...

Edited December 25, 2003 by nyfirepatrolchef (log)

[tommy]

with every thread like this, i find myself sinking deeper and deeper into ingorance. Lord, help me. for i'm a dolt. not to mention, i get more confused about the proper way to pronounce words.

Edited December 25, 2003 by tommy (log)

[ggglimpopo]

I recently heard "fooey grass" asked for here in Bordeaux. When the waiter explained - in faultless English - what the "mi-cuit" meant, the chappie asked for his to be served well done..............the waiter just smiled and said ok, no problem.

[marthapook]

how about

"I'd like a double eXpresso, please."

there never was, nor ever will be an x in espresso

[Curlz]

I've always wanted to know what type of berry is a lie-berry.

This line killed me...a former boss of mine used to say breffass and lie-berry, and it used to put me into a combination of hysterics and disgust. For the mispronunciation-impaired, that first word is breakfast.

Sorry I've come to this thread so late in the game, but I'm just thrilled to have discovered it!!

Edited January 3, 2004 by Curlz (log)

[Curlz]

Actually, the Lawn Guyland accent is a bastardization of the the Brooklyn accent.

Yeah, my dad is from Brooklyn and he pronounces pizza "peetz-er". Cracks me up.

I can't get over calling mozzarella 'MOOT zurel'

How do you feel about calling capicola "gabagool"?

When I first met my husband's Italian family for dinner at their house in Queens, I realized that I would need an interpreter to help me out. Step in my now sister-in-law who translated much for me. My m-i-l calls olive oil "olive earl" and toilet is "terlet". All spoken in the kitchen in her basement.

Gone from NY for 20 years, but husbands still calls soda "so-der" and our daughter Amanda is "Aman-der".

It cracks my kids up to hear him talk sometimes. He gets pissed because he really doesn't think he has an accent.

My friend's mom is Italian, and she grew up in Brooklyn...he absolutely killed me when he told me about the day that he realized that the word spatula didn't actually rhyme with the word bachelor!!! Spatuler. Think about it.

Edited January 3, 2004 by Curlz (log)

[Pan]

Doesn't sound weird to me.

[Eric_Malson]

Also late, but I love this topic.

An excerpt from a now-classic piece from the London Sunday Times:

Readers notify me of the lady with a painful "Ulster" in her mouth;....the police at the scene of a crime who threw an "accordion" round the street;....the pilot who left his aircraft by means of the "ejaculation seat"; the priest who had been called in to "circumcise" a ghost; the drowning swimmer who was revived by means of "artificial insemination"; and the rainbow which was said by an onlooker to contain "all the colors of the rectum."