A weird pet peeve I have

[BamaGuy44]

It doesn’t make mad or anything, I just kind of cringe and roll my eyes.

When people are speaking English normally, but then they say a country like Nicaragua or Costa Rica and out of nowhere they break into Spanish accent and really lean into it, just for that single word. Bizarre. It’s mostly on TV that I hear people do it, but a guy I work with does it IRL and I almost crack up every time. Strangely people never do it with Mexico.

I’m aware that’s how the name is said by the natives, but you’re speaking English. We have English words for country names. I never hear people speaking English say España or Deutschland or Norge, so I don’t get it.

Anyone else find that weird or just me?

 

[buzzrelly]

Strangely people never do it with Mexico.

I'm dying, because as I was reading this and got to this sentence, my mind automatically read, "May-He-Co." And I am not Spanish, whatsoever

 

[donalducky]

I feel the same. I've never heard anyone do it in real life though. If you've ever seen the food network an Italian host name Giada Laurentiis does this and it drives me up the wall. Perfectly normal speech until she hits words like, ricotta, primavera, and other Italian food names

 

[DLgal]

This always annoys me too, UNLESS the person who does it is a native to that country.

 

[BamaGuy44]

This always annoys me too, UNLESS the person who does it is a native to that country.

It’s less weird, but still weird to me

 

[BamaGuy44]

I feel the same. I've never heard anyone do it in real life though. If you've ever seen the food network an Italian host name Giada Laurentiis does this and it drives me up the wall. Perfectly normal speech until she hits words like, ricotta, primavera, and other Italian food names

Oh man I forgot about her. Perfect example. And I don’t think she even actually speaks Italian.

 

[BK2014]

I see this a lot from Spanish speakers for whom English is their second language. I would guess in that situation is it largely reflexive. The only time it seems out of place to me is if the person doing is a native English speaker.

 

[fla4fun]

I see it a lot here in Florida and I think it’s because many of the reporters and anchors are Hispanic as well as a large portion of the audience. I don’t really mind it though. I would rather the word be pronounced correctly so I don’t mispronounce it myself.

If you are going to use a word from another language, shouldn’t it be pronounced correctly regardless of who is using it? For example, it makes me twitchy to hear “walla” for ”voila”, something that seems to be very common. I understand that most people I hear on a regular basis don’t speak French, but why use a French word if you aren’t going to pronounce it the way the French do?

 

[BamaGuy44]

I see it a lot here in Florida and I think it’s because many of the reporters and anchors are Hispanic as well as a large portion of the audience. I don’t really mind it though. I would rather the word be pronounced correctly so I don’t mispronounce it myself.

If you are going to use a word from another language, shouldn’t it be pronounced correctly regardless of who is using it? For example, it makes me twitchy to hear “walla” for ”voila”, something that seems to be very common. I understand that most people I hear on a regular basis don’t speak French, but why use a French word if you aren’t going to pronounce it the way the French do?

They’re not pronouncing it correctly. “Germany” isn’t pronounced “Deutschland” just because that’s how they say it in German. The word isn’t pronounced like that unless you’re speaking Spanish, so they’re switching languages in the middle of a sentence. They just happen to spelled the same.

I speak Spanish and if I said “United States” instead of “Estados Unidos” while I’m speaking it to a Spanish speaker I’d sound like an idiot.

 

[tvguy]

A major problem in my former industry, TV News. Especially among people that are new to the area and a challenge to those for whom English is their second language and Spanish their primary language. Complicated by the fact we live in an area with a heavy Mexican influence, where some of the names are presumed to be Mexican, but aren't.
Vallejo is pronounced va-lay-ho not va-yeh-ho.
Don Julio is pronounced Don jew-le-o not Don who-le-oh.

 

[fla4fun]

They’re not pronouncing it correctly. “Germany” isn’t pronounced “Deutschland” just because that’s how they say it in German. The word isn’t pronounced like that unless you’re speaking Spanish, so they’re switching languages in the middle of a sentence. They just happen to spelled the same.

I speak Spanish and if I said “United States” instead of “Estados Unidos” while I’m speaking it to a Spanish speaker I’d sound like an idiot.

Maybe I am confused, but are there other names for Costa Rica and Nicaragua in Spanish or English? I could understand it being a problem or annoyance when two different names like Germany and Deutschland are used, and why they would be less likely to be interchangeable. However, if Nicaragua is the name the Spanish speaking local people who live there use, shouldn’t it be pronounced the way they pronounce it? If that is not the name they use for their country, then I agree it doesn’t require a local pronunciation.

 

[georgina]

This post reminded me of an old SNL skit

 

[BamaGuy44]

Maybe I am confused, but are there other names for Costa Rica and Nicaragua in Spanish or English? I could understand it being a problem or annoyance when two different names like Germany and Deutschland are used, and why they would be less likely to be interchangeable. However, if Nicaragua is the name the Spanish speaking local people who live there use, shouldn’t it be pronounced the way they pronounce it? If that is not the name they use for their country, then I agree it doesn’t require a local pronunciation.

Nicaragua is a word in both English and Spanish. The word in English has a different pronunciation, they’re not interchangeable just because they’re spelled the same. San Francisco and Los Angeles are Spanish words but we say them with English pronunciation. Should be no different for Nicaragua or Costa Rica.

 

[BamaGuy44]

This post reminded me of an old SNL skit

Perfect.

 

[Skywalker]

I feel the same. I've never heard anyone do it in real life though. If you've ever seen the food network an Italian host name Giada Laurentiis does this and it drives me up the wall. Perfectly normal speech until she hits words like, ricotta, primavera, and other Italian food names

LOL - Reminds me of a comedian but I don't remember his name. He did a skit about exactly that, about how he was annoyed by his Italian friends talking normally and then suddenly donning an Italian accent to say words like ricotta or whatever. He said he was of Irish descent and didn't talk normally and then suddenly lean into a strong brogue to say For dinner I'm having "Irish Stew" in an exaggerated Irish accent. It was funny

 

[fly girl]

I feel the same. I've never heard anyone do it in real life though. If you've ever seen the food network an Italian host name Giada Laurentiis does this and it drives me up the wall. Perfectly normal speech until she hits words like, ricotta, primavera, and other Italian food names

Ugh! Just say spaghetti the normal way, Giada.

(but I make a few of her recipes so I suffer for good food. )

 

[BK2014]

Nicaragua is a word in both English and Spanish. The word in English has a different pronunciation, they’re not interchangeable just because they’re spelled the same.

Do you have a citation or authority for this - that proper nouns like Nicaragua are distinct words in both languages, and not simply the same word/name that is being pronounced differently? Different languages pronounce and emphasize letters differently even when the words are identical, but I wouldn't think that makes them a distinctly separate word in each language.

 

[prairie_girl]

I see it a lot here in Florida and I think it’s because many of the reporters and anchors are Hispanic as well as a large portion of the audience. I don’t really mind it though. I would rather the word be pronounced correctly so I don’t mispronounce it myself.

If you are going to use a word from another language, shouldn’t it be pronounced correctly regardless of who is using it? For example, it makes me twitchy to hear “walla” for ”voila”, something that seems to be very common. I understand that most people I hear on a regular basis don’t speak French, but why use a French word if you aren’t going to pronounce it the way the French do?

Even worse is the spelling of walla

 

[LSUmiss]

It doesn’t make mad or anything, I just kind of cringe and roll my eyes.

When people are speaking English normally, but then they say a country like Nicaragua or Costa Rica and out of nowhere they break into Spanish accent and really lean into it, just for that single word. Bizarre. It’s mostly on TV that I hear people do it, but a guy I work with does it IRL and I almost crack up every time. Strangely people never do it with Mexico.

I’m aware that’s how the name is said by the natives, but you’re speaking English. We have English words for country names. I never hear people speaking English say España or Deutschland or Norge, so I don’t get it.

Anyone else find that weird or just me?

Lol! I’ve heard a comedian do a whole routine about this. It was hilarious! I wish I could remember who it was.

 

[BayouQueen]

I have one friend in mind who does this. And yes it’s off-putting. It just seems like an affectation.