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New Never miss a chance?
the intentional mispronunciation of furrin words. I can only suspect that it's somehow connected to common jingoism (if'n it ain't engineered here..) but possibly a nuance of Puritanism -

Of course, all non-native English speakers from other countries speak perfectly fluent English, so naturally, the mispronunciation of non-English words by Americans is purely the result of the a particularly American mindset
Jay O'Connor

"Going places unmapped
to do things unplanned
to people unsuspecting"
New Yes, it's a mindset IMO
Other countries I've visited do a better job with English words - especially when they adopt one for internal use (Le Jazz hot etc.), trying to actually say it as it is originally spoken. We seem to delight in mangling it - what else but intentionally? or slovenly:

San Jose ~ sahn ho Zay
we say, Sanazay

Vallejo - ~ va Yay ho
we say, V'layo

Xavier (or Mexico) ~ Ha vier, May he co
and on and and and

Los Angeles ~ L(long-o)s Ahn kheles (admittedly an unfamiliar Murican sound, the 'khe')
We say, Lazangelas

That doesn't even begin on the French or German.
Nor, as Spanish speakers approach *plurality* now in many locales: does the average Murican make any effort to notice how (for just One!) the 'll' is sounded in that common usage among Many US-via-Mexico names of streets, rivers, towns...

Calle Ocho in Miami.. It's, cay yay

Hey - go argue with de Tocqueville, who noticed this eons ago. It's Murican. Not Brit or elsewhere - they try. We mangle disdainfully. (Can't even say 'nuclear' half the time - including Pres. Ike! Try Dubya on that one, too..)

And hearing it pronounced correctly, dozens of times: does not alter this yes - mindset, I have observed all along. So it's intentional sloth, not confined to the illiterate or overworked and undereducated.



A.
New Oh, the Brits do it too
Of course their specialty is French names. I knew someone who went to England and had to find an address on Beauchamps street. Anyone who cares would know that is pronounced [Bo (long o) shahm'] as the French intended. After asking a half-dozen people who didn't recognize it, she showed the written name to someone. "Oh, you want [Bee' chum] street." She told me that every French street name was also horribly mangled.
This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
New And Mexicans
It's interesting to live down here near the border. I get to hear the way that people with Spanish as a first language just totally butcher English names (and Frnch names, for that matter) and pronunciation of English in general. But they try to get it right. I also get to hear a lot of English speakers try to pronounce Spanish names and words in general. Most try to get it right, but don't quite get it. They make a good effort, including the tilde on "n", the rolling "r" and "rr", the "ll' as "ya" and the "b" as "v".

The "intenional mispronunciation" that Ashton claims is just nonsense. The languages collide culturally and both sides try to make it work properly

Hardest part I've run into with language is when I used to travel a lot and would run into proper named from English (or Italian, IIRC) with a "ll" and I had to work very hard *not* to pronounce it like Spanish because I'm so accustomed to using Spanish pronunciations.
Jay O'Connor

"Going places unmapped
to do things unplanned
to people unsuspecting"
New Not only how words are said, but which words are used.
You made me think of Hispanic waitress at a breakfast in a motel in Harrisburg, PA. My wife and I and another couple were placing our order. The waitress pulled out a tissue, wiped her nose, and said "Excuse me, but I'm constipated this morning." Of course we knew what she meant, but snickered after she left. Either she caught on to our amusement, or realized on her own that she used the wrong word. She came back and said "I'm sorry, I should have said congested. We say a word like the other word in Spanish."

So, even a word with a common Latin root can trip you up.
Alex

Only two things are certain: the universe and human stupidity;
and I'm not certain about the universe.
-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
     Gladiator on the small screen - (qstephens) - (17)
         Is THAT why - (imric) - (3)
             Give it a chance... - (bepatient) - (2)
                 need more sweaty naked guys for a gladiator movie :) - (boxley)
                 Re: Give it a chance... - (qstephens)
         Needs less action - (ChrisR) - (12)
             beg to disagree - (boxley) - (11)
                 Nope not the Nero era - (ben_tilly) - (10)
                     Nero Marcos both Eyties wtfd:) (thanx!) - (boxley) - (9)
                         Marky the Ear or Marky the Golden? But - *was* he an Eyetie? - (CRConrad) - (8)
                             spaniards and greeks held the throne? what shame - (boxley)
                             It's a Murican affliction, maybe on several levels - - (Ashton) - (6)
                                 Tell me where the Picketwire river is in Texas - (boxley)
                                 Never miss a chance? - (Fearless Freep) - (4)
                                     Yes, it's a mindset IMO - (Ashton) - (3)
                                         Oh, the Brits do it too - (drewk) - (2)
                                             And Mexicans - (Fearless Freep) - (1)
                                                 Not only how words are said, but which words are used. - (a6l6e6x)

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