When people use words that aren't even words...

[Kimberly]

NU-CLE-AR. Just how it's spelled. Our president can't even get this one right. It's really not very difficult.

It is NOT

Nu-ku-lar

Not even kind of.

Actually it's "nu-clear" and it was never a three syallable word. I would love to see Bush say "Thermonuclear" just to see how many times he would mess it up!

 

[*Fantasia*]

One of my favorite mispronouced names from the Detroit area is Schoenherr Rd. It should be pronouced SHAY-NER. When my brother first moved down to the Detroit area and we would go down to hang out with him, I would always say it wrong because how its pronouced isn't anything like how its spelled.

The other thing that annoys me is that it is MackiNAC Island, not MackiNAW Island. Just like its the MackiNAC Bridge, not MackiNAW. Very irritating.

lol.. i know huh?! it is very irritating when you don't know how to pronounce it right. i live here and sometimes i am not even sure myself! and that's why i'm here asking.. hehehehe..

yep.. Mackinac, you don't pronounce the c, you would pronounce it with the w. and you're right about SHAY-NER.

ooooohhh... i got one.. how about Pontiac? you don't pronounce the t.

 

[*Fantasia*]

so we went to DC/VA/MD.. and i still don't know how you pronounce Potomac River!..

 

[lyzziesmom]

so we went to DC/VA/MD.. and i still don't know how you pronounce Potomac River!..

I could be wrong, but I've always thought it was Pah-TOW-mic.

Here's one for you... there is a town in (I think) Missouri that is called Nevada, even though it is spelled just like the state, it is pronounced Neh-VAY-duh.


As for the buck/butt naked thing, the original saying is buck naked but it has somehow transformed over the years, and butt naked is now used just as often. It does make more sense.

My ex-DBF used to say "track housing" instead of "tract housing." Drove me nuts!

 

[minkydog]

I'm in the medical field and you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I hear Like, the baby's got THRASH(thrush, a yeast infection in the mouth.) Or his UNBIBLICAL cord fell off(you can figure that one out.) Or how about the BOMICKING he did last night in the SCUMERGENCY ROOM I'm talking about people born and educated(!) right here in the U.S.A.

And I won't even go into all the euphemisms for body parts and bodily functions, but do you think you can figure this out?

"Shakira gots a rash on her goody. She ain't have no boo-boo today. Her skin looks rusty and she gots corruption on her hands."

 

[marciemi]

One of my favorite mispronouced names from the Detroit area is Schoenherr Rd. It should be pronouced SHAY-NER. When my brother first moved down to the Detroit area and we would go down to hang out with him, I would always say it wrong because how its pronouced isn't anything like how its spelled.

The other thing that annoys me is that it is MackiNAC Island, not MackiNAW Island. Just like its the MackiNAC Bridge, not MackiNAW. Very irritating.

Someone else who moved recently from the SHAY-NER area! Here near Green Bay we have a similar one. City and road written "Shawano" which sounds like it should be Sha WAN oh, but is actually SHAN oh. Guess cities have these to make the newbies stand out!

Not sure of your point with Mackinac vs Mackinaw though - the island is still pronounced Mackinaw (just like the city) - although it's spelled with the c at the end. In fact, that's how you can pick out the tourists - saying "we're going to MackinaC Island!"

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Along the same lines of the road names: Houston.

Now, if you are talking about the town in Texas...then it's Hyoo-ston.
But if you are talking about the street in NYC...it's How-sten.

Don't even ask me how to pronounce half the towns names on the eastern end of LI. I live here and I wouldn't even have a clue.

 

[cybrkitn]

Along the same lines of the road names: Houston.

Now, if you are talking about the town in Texas...then it's Hyoo-ston.
But if you are talking about the street in NYC...it's How-sten.

Don't even ask me how to pronounce half the towns names on the eastern end of LI. I live here and I wouldn't even have a clue.

You mean like Aquebogue, Quogue (I'm still not sure if it's a long "O" or a short "O"), Yaphank? And of course there are the other towns not on the east end but still hard for some people to pronounce; Patchogue (I'm in East Patchogue), Ronkonkoma, Massepequa, Wantagh and Happauge (all Native American Indian names).

 

[phisigprincess]

I'm sure it was mentioned, but irregardless. There is no such word!!! It is just 'regardless.' UGH! And my MIL also says supposably and LIT-rah-le (for literally).

 

[mickeyfan2]

I run for the hills when somebody says that they "Want to axe me a question."

 

[HakunaMatata2]

I used to hear physical year for fiscal year at budget meetings. What?????

 

[Yzerbear19]

Not sure of your point with Mackinac vs Mackinaw though - the island is still pronounced Mackinaw (just like the city) - although it's spelled with the c at the end. In fact, that's how you can pick out the tourists - saying "we're going to MackinaC Island!"

Don't mind me. I shouldn' post things at nearly 1:00 am. I live in Michigan and hear it said both ways. A lot of people spell it wrong though because it isn't pronouced with the C, so they put the W, but it should have the C. In my head I always say it with the C so that I spell it right when I'm writing it, but never say it with a C unless I'm being stupid or weird. Just like I sometimes say Detroit as Day-twah instead of Dah-troit. Its just fun sometimes. Though actually Detroit is a French word and was originally called Ponchartrain (sp?) de troit, but it was shortened to become Detroit. I hate when people say DEEEEE-troit.

 

[Yzerbear19]

Interesting. I would think it would be pronounced SHOW-EN-HERR. I have a doctor who'se name is Schoenfeld and it's pronounced SHOW-EN-FELD.

That is how I pronounced it the first couple of times we went down to go visit my brother. He always had to ask us what in the world we were talking about.

 

[HollyTyler]

I have a friend who says pronounces frustrated as "fust-er-ated". Makes me cringe every time I hear it!

All my life I've heard my aunt stick an "n" in the word eat, so that it sounds like "eant". Drives my whole family nuts!

 

[lalijack]

My family and I sort of "collect" mispronunciations. Some we love to hate are:

- I feel "flustrated" when that happens.
- I should have stood in bed this morning. (Didn't your mom teach you
not to stand on the furniture?)
- He used a real-ator to sell his house. (Huh? Where'd that extra "a"
come from?)
- I measured the width and heighth of that item. (I've actually heard
this one on some shows on HGTV. Shouldn't these "experts" know
better????)

Aargh!!!

 

[NeverEnufWDW]

Further proof that the US "edumacational" system blows chunks....

 

[rie'smom]

furnishtur polish
incastrigated(incarcerated)
prostrate problems
Vulva(Volvo)
sugar(diabetes)
nicklas(nickles)

 

[ducklite]

Merry rhymes with berry.

Marry rhymes with Harry.

Another New Yawka who pronounces the two so closely that they would sound the same.

A couple of New Jersey-ism's: Standing "on" line rather than "in" line; and going "down the/to shore" as opposed to "to the shore." You go to the beach in New York, to the shore in New Jersey, even though they are the same place.

The word that drives me loony is "ain't." I don't care if it's in the dictionary, it's listed as slang, therefore not a "real" word.

Yesterday a lady I work with said "I ain't fixin' to go nowhere this weekend." To which I thought "Thank God for my New York State Regents level education!"

All that said, I do use words that aren't words, but they would be more like "kerfuffel," or the British slang "wonky," which I just love! Both are nice, inoffensive words that can just sum thing up well at times!

Anne

 

[cybrkitn]

The word that drives me loony is "ain't." I don't care if it's in the dictionary, it's listed as slang, therefore not a "real" word. Anne

There's a country song called "There Ain't Nothing Wrong with the Radio" by Aaron Tippin that was on a Chipmunks album. Simon is constantly correcting Aaron telling him the words are "isn't anything". Has us in stitches every time we listen to it.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

Many of the "non-words" mentioned here are words, fixin' to, reckon, etc. They are mainly used by Southern Appalachian dialect speakers. Differences in dialects are not incorrect just different.

BTW, just because someone may use certain phrases or words doesn't mean they are not educated. Many people will revert to the speech they were raised with when they are 'comfortable'. I know I do