It's a challange!

wenwilder · #1 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 09:27 AM

Ask a friend to read the sentence below aloud. If your friend pronounces six of the eighteen italicized words in this exercise correctly, congratulate him or her heartily! I doubt if one in a hundred can do it.

Quote:

It is lamentable, irrefutable, almost inexplicable, but not irrevocable, that the ribald restaurateur and his dour wife, an almond muncher, are going mad as a result of the heinous machinations of the divisive, disparate characters (especially the flaccid ophthalmologist) who frequent his auxiliary kitchen as he works his culinary magic for the diners in the consortium.

According to most authorities, lamentable is most properly accented on the first syllable. Irrefutable, inexplicable, and irrevocable are accented on the second. Ribald rhymes with "dribbled," and restaurateur contains no "n." Dour rhymes with "tour." The "l" in almond is silent (like the "p" in beer). Heinous rhymes with "cane us."

For machinations, say the "ch" like a "k," as in "Machiavelli." Divisive's second "i" is long, just like "divide." Accent disparate on the first syllable (and not, pirate-style, on the second: "dis parrot" or "dat parrot"). Flaccid is said "flak-sid," similar to "accident" or "accept." And the "ph" in ophthalmologist, becomes "f," as in "sophomore."

As a verb, frequent is accented on the second syllable, not the first, like "repent." The second "i" (or the "ia") in auxiliary is said like a "y," making "aug-xil-yuh-ree." Culinary begins on "cue," like "cute." And the last syllable in consortium is more "shee-um" than "tee-um" or "shum."

Of course, authorities argue. And dictionaries change, updating their entries as the language evolves. They follow popular usage--as they should. The word "restauranteur" (with an "n"), for example, is now listed as a variant of "restaurateur." There was just no way to keep people from adding that "n"!

carbonize · #2 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 09:52 AM

I would say that that would be more of a challenge for Americans, Australians and Canadians than either Brits or people who speak English as a second language. A lot of the words are actually still commonly used here in England and people who speak English as a second language tend to take care when pronouncing words.

carju1 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 11:33 AM

I have to agree with Carbonize here (Makes a change :) as I consider 12 of the 18 words (Err there's 19 in itallics) common usage and probably only Ribald and Ophth..ist are ones I wouldn't use. Mind you I don't think I've ever called anyone an Almond Muncher!!!

I'm going to be in the disagree camp on the pronunciation of Dour. Your suggestion rhymes with 'tour' means its pronounced 'door'. I associate the word with scottish usage and there it would be more 'Doo-er' or in 'Queens' English more like 'dow-er'.

Culinary begins on "cue," like "cute" is odd as it makes it sound French at the start but would then have to end 'arie' rather than with a 'y' or you get a half'n'half word. I would say it should be pronouce either completely en Francaise or in English 'cul-in-a-ry' Yes I do always spell and pronounce restauranteur despite what the OED says.

If you drop the 'l' from almond then you have to pronouce it with the stress on the 'a' so it becomes 'aah-mond' rather than 'am-ond' but I think I'll leave the l in and not get strange looks in the nut shop :)

Julian

Sualdam · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 11:35 AM

What's a 'challange'?

carju1 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 11:48 AM

Sorry Sualdam, I couldn't resist...

A Challange is:

Noun:
A demanding or stimulating situation.
A call to engage in a contest or fight.
Questioning a statement and demanding an explanation
A formal objection to the selection of a particular person as a juror.
A demand by a sentry for a password or identification.

Verb:
Take exception to.
Issue a challenge to.
Ask for identification.
Raise a formal objection in a court of law.

Pronunciation: ch ae1 l ah0 n jh

Julian

Sualdam · #6 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 11:55 AM

According to my (online) dictionary, a 'challange' is:

challange was not found in the Cambridge Dictionary of American English

Did you spell it correctly? Here are some alternatives: [etc]

You ruined my smart-alecky comment by taking it seriously ;)

carbonize · #7 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 12:35 PM

American English? now there's an oxymoron.

Anyway there is no such word as Challange, just wenwilder being blonde as usual <cough>.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=challange or http://dictionary.cambridge.org/resu...word=challange.

Ribald is usually how they refer to Carry On Films or films by Frankie Howard. Ophthalmologist is the old term for what has now been dumbed down to Optician.

Sualdam · #8 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 12:57 PM

It doesn't half get complicated :)

I chose the US English one as Wenwilder is American.

It was the spelling I referred to in my original 3.5 word post ;)

It's not the same when you have to explain :)

carbonize · #9 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 01:03 PM

It's funny playing pedant though =D

carju1 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 01:19 PM

ROFL - Oh boy as I make it a principle to ignor spelling & Typo's oin here (Brittany where's that spell checker you've been promising since June???) and anyway these non-British type (OK OK Americans) spell things wrongly all the time (i.e. color), so I ignored the challenge of challange.

Having seen Sauldams faultering replies - like a comic who's forgot the punchline half way through a joke, or like Bridget Jones on any public speaking occasion. I'm glad I did, its even more hillarious.

Julian

mdaiah · #11 (**permalink**) 10-24-2003, 03:52 PM

Bouey, use fellaz hiv a funny way of talkin ovr their. We saey all them words the orgininal way, not like use at all.
Michael (in sheer mirth and wonderment at human creativity)

minstrel · #12 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 12:26 AM

I suspect that the source for Wen's pronunciation guide was Nebrasquan... definitely within the 48 states anyway...

We native Britons and British Colonists (and by the way I am both) know that "dour" has never and will never rhyme with tour... :-)

We also long ago gave up expecting anyone south of the 51st parallel to understand the nuances of "proper English"... we have language... they have everything else, like money and technology... :-)

mdaiah · #13 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 04:06 AM

I guess it's a little like Koreans and Japanese - they can write to one another but not speak (with comprehension that is). So it's just as well I have to read Wen and not listen as I'd probably not have a clue what she was talking about.
David, you'll have to explain "We native Britons and British Colonists (and by the way I am both)" Did you migrate to Canada?
Michael

minstrel · #14 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdaiah

David, you'll have to explain "We native Britons and British Colonists (and by the way I am both)" Did you migrate to Canada?
Michael

yes, as a baby... born a cockney, in London, England

carbonize · #15 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 10:14 AM

Does that make you a wandering minstrel?

Are you a real cockney though? Isn't it said you have to be born in within the sound of the bells or something?

minstrel · #16 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carbonize

Does that make you a wandering minstrel? Are you a real cockney though? Isn't it said you have to be born in within the sound of the bells or something?

Well, as a child it wasn't exactly my choice - my father was upwardly mobile and every time he got promoted we moved - by the 6th grade, I had been in 13 different schools, including 3 in one year.

Fortunately, it slowed down a bit by the time I hit high school. One consequence is that I don't have a burning itch to travel any more...

And yes, I am technically a true cockney, born within the sound of Bow Bells (spelling?).

carbonize · #17 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 11:34 AM

Don't ask me, I was born and raised in Manchester where I dwelt for 29 years before moving to just outside Bristol.

Something just grabbed my attention

Quote:

The "l" in almond is silent (like the "p" in beer).

Almond can be pronounced with or without sounding the l, and what p in beer? I've heard of water in beer but never a p. Some beer may taste like it but there's no p in beer. It can be true the otherway round sometimes, ie there is beer in ...........

Sualdam · #18 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 11:38 AM

I noticed that, too.

Similar thing with 'flaccid' - in UK dictionaries the only pronunciation is 'fla-sid'. whereas the American ones also have 'flak-sid'.

I think several of the ones wenwilder gave are slightly different in UK dictionaries.

carbonize · #19 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 11:47 AM

Maybe American men didn't like saying they were flaccid (flassid) so changed the pronounciation to try and hide the fact. j/k.

BTW Sualdam either you're extremely obese or you travel a bit:

[quote]Location: Europe[/b]

Which part? Parlez-vous Francais? Habla Espanola? Sprochen de Deutsch? (Apologies for any spelling mistakes in the Spanish and German)

Sualdam · #20 (**permalink**) 10-25-2003, 11:49 AM

UK.

But I'm pro-European and I hate blind Nationalism and flag-waving - hence 'Europe' ;)