Deliborate mispronunskiations
Deliborate mispronunskiations
(OP)
I have a problem.
(Well, several actually but one in particular)
I find myself deliberately mispronouncing words to (supposed) comic effect, however it's starting to become my default pronunciation, which makes me look like a retard in meetings.
It stemmed from a DJ who would say "regliar" instead of regular, and my Grandpa who would say "pictureskew" instead of picturesque.
It expanded into "antipohd" instead of antipode,
"co-thanger" instead of coat hanger, and the (all too common)
"nucular" instead of nuclear.
Does anybody else (deliberately)do this? Do non-english speakers do it it their own languages?
Is there a cure?
(Well, several actually but one in particular)
I find myself deliberately mispronouncing words to (supposed) comic effect, however it's starting to become my default pronunciation, which makes me look like a retard in meetings.
It stemmed from a DJ who would say "regliar" instead of regular, and my Grandpa who would say "pictureskew" instead of picturesque.
It expanded into "antipohd" instead of antipode,
"co-thanger" instead of coat hanger, and the (all too common)
"nucular" instead of nuclear.
Does anybody else (deliberately)do this? Do non-english speakers do it it their own languages?
Is there a cure?
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams





RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Like:
Tap changer becomes Chap tanger
red bike becomes bed rike
etc.
A cure? Maybe to concentrate when you are talking?
Regards
Ralph
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
For example, as I heard it, Japanese for ice cream was pronounced iceeekreeemoe. Fabtastic sound! Much more interesting than plain old icecream! So what started as novelty value became the norm and now, I have to concentrate to say icecream in front of strangers.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
(This is a twelve-step isn't it??)
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Regards,
Cory
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
2) I sometimes say "Spank your hairy crutch" instead of "Thank you very much". I have done this inappropriately on more than one occasion.
3) "Can you pass the mouse turd?" for "Can you pass the mustard".
4) Along similar lines: "Can you arse the parlour maid?" for "Can you pass the marmalade?".
M
--
Dr Michael F Platten
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
I pronounce things weird just for fun of it (at least I thought it was funny) and have to catch myself in meetings. The other problem with it is when you're around people who are about as bright as a 2-watt light bulb. They either don't get it and try to correct me or think I'm serious and start saying it that way.
No matter what though, "nucular" is never funny. That's like fingers raked across the chalk board.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Some things I do have a hard time saying are:
supposedly- "suposably"
birthday- "burfday"
elementry- "elementary"
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
On a similar theme, I picked up a bad habit from my Dad. The habit is to deliberately use a similar sounding word to make a statement funnier (well funnier to me). For example, I would say, "That cake tastes quite malicious". [Dad says he "learned" this little gem from a character on an episode of All in the Family...possibly played by Jackie Mason, but he couldn't recall exactly.]
I have also been k-nown to sing "Sloppy Birthday" at more than one birthday party.
Of course, when the kids' teachers send home those notes telling me to quit bastardizing the English language in front of my children...well, let's just say I have to tone it down a bit.
Of course, I can't just murder one language. When saying thank you I often say "Grassy Ass Senior". And who can forget that "Horror Show" means something good (alluding to A Clockwork Orange), stolen from Russian "Khorosho"? Sorry, my Acrylic, errrr, Cyrillic keyboard isn't working at the moment.
Cheers,
CanuckMiner
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Also, just for comic effect, sometimes I'll switch "a" and "an", because my friends and I used to do that in college. Such as "It was a accident." or "He didn't have an chance." I suppose that could be from the way those two particular words are used in conjunction with words that start with H. H is a consonant, but it's "An herb garden", or in U.S. english it is. I understand British english still pronounces it as a hard H with that particular word.
Ok, this is much too long winded, time to move along.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
In particular, my Company's Testing & Assembly Boss often mangles words with a comic effect. See some examples below:
I: "siamo alle sogliole del 2000" invece di "siamo alle soglie del 2000"
E: "we're on the tongue-fishes of 2K" instead of "we're on the threshold of 2K"
I: "mi sono astenuto alla procedura" invece di "mi sono attenuto alla procedura"
E: "I abstained the procedure" instead of "I followed the procedure"
I: "mais criogenico" invece di "mais transgenico"
E: "cryogenic Indian corn" instead of "trans-genic Indian corn"
E: "clinic room" instead of "cleaning room"
So now in my Company we all use his "mispronounced" expressions regularly, as a "family slang"... but we must pay attention when we're talking on the Testing & Assembly floor
Bye, 'NGL
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
A(kka)(da) is a word which means 'there'. (The english letters grouped in braces form one letter in my mother tougue.)
A(da)(kka) means 'don't ask'
But we used to do lot of twisting, torturing and squeezing of words for fun during college days. Nowadays kids are unable to understand even the simplest form of my mother toungue, leave alone the modified version.
Spoonerism is common to us.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
I wonder if they even know they are doing it.
I cringe just typing it.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
I'd forgotten that one.
I don't do that myself but in every single episode of Eastenders you hear
"Leave it ahhhhht! I aks you, Arfur!"
One of many reasons I can't stand the programme....
It's like "nuffink" and, as recommended by 9 out of 10 grumpy teenagers, "Whatevaahh!!!!"
And just why do middle class, British, white teenagers try to sound like they are black street gang members from the Bronx?
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
check the thread on Redneck Engineering Terminology for more
Keep the wheels on the ground
Bob
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Another great one was with Bob, Anna, and the Latin lover "Don Two," (raised from Juan): "Bob grabbed from the table in front of him a piece of mari-nine-ted herring. But Anna warned, "Don't throw it, remember you are an officer in the United States Air-fiveces." "Don Two," he retorted, "Are you two?" "I am two, three." "Then he left and when he was one and a halfway through the door, he turned. "Anna," he said as he wiped his fivehead, "If I can't have you...I will remain double!"
Our family still plays with that pronunciation mess, and still get a kick to see how far we can go before we goof.
Franz
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
"You em-FA'-sized the wrong sil-LA'-bull."
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Sting does that all the time - and he gets paid for it.
M
--
Dr Michael F Platten
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
A previous boss use to say Onion Crabide for Union Carbide.
My Dad's favorite was opitical occlusion for optical illusion.
I have thought it but never said moose turds for mustard. We got Mooses in dese here parts. Or be dat Meese?
I like to say hasty vista (i pronounced as in it) for hasta la vista.
I am serially (for seriously) considering it.
Last summer while visiting our daughter and family, I found myself mimicking our Grandaughter who has trouble pronouncing her R's. After a few guarded looks, I figured I better cut this off. she has speaking issues. No problems just issues.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Bung
Life is non-linear...
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
He also used to talk about what would happen "when the fit hits the shan"...
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Following a misprint in a TV listings guide, two weeks in a row, I often refer to playing "Devil's apricot".
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
"Condiments of the Seasoning"
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
when in high school i used to change words and that got me in trouble... there was the war between: Medos y Persas, that is: Median(?) and Persians, but in the test i wrote : the war between Pedos y Mersas (F*rts and Bums). oooops.
saludos.
a.
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations
Will-I-Am
RE: Deliborate mispronunskiations