# American English Pronunciation that bugs the bejeezus out of me **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 9, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182 "2008-10-09T16:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/181 "2008-10-13T03:55:55Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > Huh? My British in-laws say “ire-land” (with an “eye” beginning) just like I do, as an American. How do you say it? I think the discussion is about the “Arlin” [ArlIn] pronunciation that some Americans use. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/182 "2008-10-13T22:00:59Z")
but Gile’s post was about Ireland being like Eye-rac and Eye-ran. 😕 And Arlin? Really? Never heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/183 "2008-10-13T22:47:25Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > See, the -burgh ending on Edinburgh throws us off. We want to pronounce it like \*\*Pittsburg \*\*or like the German Brandenburg. You might want to just stick to that second example. Note my location. We’re very proud of our H. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/184 "2008-10-13T23:04:28Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > My American peeve: Write your representative, write the president and so on. > > To! I’d argue that we Americans don’t do that too often. I’d “call my representative” but I’d “write to” them. Only rarely, and only in speech, do I encounter a deleted “to”. However, it is common to see something like “I want to go to the store and wash the car” instead of “the store and to wash the car.” Does that sound wierd to foreigners too? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/185 "2008-10-13T23:09:24Z")
> [@IntelSoldier](#): > > I’d argue that we Americans don’t do that too often. I’d “call my representative” but I’d “write to” them. Only rarely, and only in speech, do I encounter a deleted “to”. I doubt it can be that rare given that the web page on the House of Representatives web site for contacting your congressman is called [Write Your Representative](https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/186 "2008-10-13T23:28:20Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > you mean i actually have to waste time putting all the commas, apostrophes, caps and all that crap in there when you know perfectly well what i am saying? People may not actually know perfectly well what you’re saying unless you do. All that crap exists for a purpose - and that purpose is to help ensure people _do_ understand what you’re saying. If you leave it out, there’s a greater chance they won’t - so it’s not a waste of time. Anyway, how much time does it take to type a comma? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/187 "2008-10-13T23:28:51Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > but Gile’s post was about Ireland being like Eye-rac and Eye-ran. 😕 > > And Arlin? Really? Never heard it. I’ve heard it in several different states. It’s not universal however. ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/188 "2008-10-14T01:48:05Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > I’m an American and I rack and I ran drive me crazy, too. And I know how to pronounce Edinburgh. Obligatory link: [Apple iRack](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw2nkoGLhrE) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/189 "2008-10-14T06:22:26Z")
This one doesn’t address punctuation so much as usage. I find it strange that British people substitute the word “holiday” for “vacation”. As in, “I’ve got a two week holiday from work,” or “We’re going to Paris on our holiday.” Or 'oliday, but I’m not about to open up that can of worms. 😃 In the U.S. we’re more likely to say, “I’ve got a two week vacation coming up,” or “We’re going to Disneyland for our vacation.” To us, “holiday” most often refers to a day set aside for a special period of observation such as Christmas, Memorial Day, or Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/190 "2008-10-14T09:25:56Z")
I’m English and have some observations/questions: “Are you going to bring that home?”. No, I am going to take it home. What’s that about? Someone earlier mentioned English people leaving the ‘t’ out of words. Fair enough, in some parts of the country it happens, but, I while I would say twenty, I have never heard an American put the ‘t’ in when counting: twenny, thirdy, fordy… It’s like having an elephant bouncing on my very last nerve… Is that a US-wide thing or do I just know too many Americans from the same city? The 'erb thing has been mentioned. I asked an American friend once what they would call an animal who only eats vegetation and they said ‘herbivore’, so why 'erb, or why not 'erbivore? It’s Tuesday, T-you-s-day, not Toosday. “What are you doing on the weekend?” I don’t know, can you get on the weekend? I know what I’m doing at the weekend. Does that sound as strange to you Americans as ‘on the weekend’ does to me? I appreciate my priv-acy, whereas prive-acy just sounds wrong! Finally, oh the fun we had when an American colleague of ours was telling us about his son going off to university in England. To Loughborough. He too wanted to know what on earth ‘you English’ do with all those vowels! I had no answer for him! ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/191 "2008-10-14T19:47:50Z")
> [@Butterscotch](#): > > I’m English and have some observations/questions: > > “Are you going to bring that home?”. No, I am going to take it home. What’s that about? Is that an Americanism? I’d have thought it’s universal, and also correct - Chambers agrees: “to carry or take something or someone to a stated or implied place or person”. > [@](#): > > It’s Tuesday, T-you-s-day, not Toosday. Toos-dee, round here 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/192 "2008-10-14T20:02:13Z")
> [@Butterscotch](#): > > I’m English and have some observations/questions: > > “Are you going to bring that home?”. No, I am going to take it home. What’s that about? ‘Bring’ is towards the speaker’s starting location (bring the book to me"); ‘take’ is away from the speaker’s starting location (“Take the book home for me”, but also “I took the book home”: both speaker and book move away from the starting location. ‘Bring’ would be correct from the viewpoint of home, but not from the viewpoint of the shop where your sentence is spoken. > [@Butterscotch](#): > > Someone earlier mentioned English people leaving the ‘t’ out of words. Fair enough, in some parts of the country it happens, but, I while I would say twenty, I have never heard an American put the ‘t’ in when counting: twenny, thirdy, fordy… It’s like having an elephant bouncing on my very last nerve… Is that a US-wide thing or do I just know too many Americans from the same city? I say ‘twenny, thirdy, fordy’ and I’m not even from the US (check my location). I think it’s a common feature of North American dialects. > [@Butterscotch](#): > > The 'erb thing has been mentioned. I asked an American friend once what they would call an animal who only eats vegetation and they said ‘herbivore’, so why 'erb, or why not 'erbivore? I don’t think I know anyone who drops the h off herb. > [@Butterscotch](#): > > It’s Tuesday, T-you-s-day, not Toosday. I’ll say ‘Tyousday’ if you pronounce ‘laboratory’ and ‘secretary’ correctly. 😃 > [@Butterscotch](#): > > “What are you doing on the weekend?” I don’t know, can you get on the weekend? I know what I’m doing at the weekend. Does that sound as strange to you Americans as ‘on the weekend’ does to me? Do you say ‘at Tuesday’ as well? > [@Butterscotch](#): > > Finally, oh the fun we had when an American colleague of ours was telling us about his son going off to university in England. To Loughborough. He too wanted to know what on earth ‘you English’ do with all those vowels! I had no answer for him! ‘Low-burrow’? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/193 "2008-10-14T20:28:55Z")
> [@Butterscotch](#): > > Someone earlier mentioned English people leaving the ‘t’ out of words. Fair enough, in some parts of the country it happens, but, I while I would say twenty, I have never heard an American put the ‘t’ in when counting: twenny, thirdy, fordy… It’s like having an elephant bouncing on my very last nerve… Is that a US-wide thing or do I just know too many Americans from the same city? I think a majority of us say the “twenny, thirddy, fordy” because the ‘T’ and the ‘D’ placement of our tongues in our mouths is virtually the same, and since there isn’t too much of a difference between a T and a D anyway we just don’t care that much. And to mangetount (since I really don’t know how to multi-quote…): It takes more time to put the commas and the apostrophes in each sentence than you’d think because it interrupts the overall flow of typing. Since all of the puncuation marks are on the sides and the letters your hand has to go out of its way in order to type them, as opposed to just flowing with the words. Although please do note that I am heeding everyones suggestion and typing properly, so I’m not trying to be snarky about it, I’m just making my case is all ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/194 "2008-10-14T20:38:32Z")
**Bring-take** : A pretty large number of Americans are unable to choose correctly between these. I hear it every week on “Car Talk” – someone describes a problem with a car and the Magliozzis ask: “Did you _bring_ it to the shop?” They actually once read on the air a fairly detailed letter that tried to explain to them that they should be asking “Did you _take_ it to the shop.” In the end, they conceded that they were probably saying something wrong, but that they were too stupid to figure out what was correct. **On the weekend** : I haven’t actually heard it this way. We definitely don’t say “at the weekend” either. Usually it’s something like “What are you doing this weekend?” “Do you have any plans for the weekend?” “Did you do anything special over the weekend?” Both “on the weekend” and “at the weekend” sound foreign to my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/195 "2008-10-14T20:44:33Z")
> [@Butterscotch](#): > > Someone earlier mentioned English people leaving the ‘t’ out of words. Fair enough, in some parts of the country it happens, but, I while I would say twenty, I have never heard an American put the ‘t’ in when counting: twenny, thirdy, fordy… It’s like having an elephant bouncing on my very last nerve… Is that a US-wide thing or do I just know too many Americans from the same city? I think you’re talking about the [alveolar tap](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_tap) > [@](#): > > The 'erb thing has been mentioned. I asked an American friend once what they would call an animal who only eats vegetation and they said ‘herbivore’, so why 'erb, or why not 'erbivore? English pronunciation has never been logical. We see _herb_ as just another “silent h” word, like honor and hour. That’s just the way it is. If you pronounce the “H,” to us it sounds like you’re saying a person’s name. > [@](#): > > It’s Tuesday, T-you-s-day, not Toosday. The [ju] glide has disappeared from a lot of American accents. Noozpaper. > [@](#): > > I appreciate my priv-acy, whereas prive-acy just sounds wrong! I assure you, we are saying the same thing about your pronunciation of privacy. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/196 "2008-10-14T23:33:03Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve heard it in several different states. It’s not universal however. Not universal? I’ve never heard it anywhere. While old enough to remember, I’ve spent significant amounts of time around from all of PA, VA, and CO. I’ve also spent a good bit time, as in months, in Texas, Georgia, HI, and CA. I’ve been to most of the US, although I can’t claim I’ve heard the word “Ireland” pronounced everywhere I’ve been. Where are these people of which you speak? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/197 "2008-10-14T23:37:41Z")
> [@SlowMindThinking](#): > > Not universal? I’ve never heard it anywhere. While old enough to remember, I’ve spent significant amounts of time around from all of PA, VA, and CO. I’ve also spent a good bit time, as in months, in Texas, Georgia, HI, and CA. I’ve been to most of the US, although I can’t claim I’ve heard the word “Ireland” pronounced everywhere I’ve been. Where are these people of which you speak? It wouldn’t surprise me to hear Arlin from someone with a strong southern accent, although to be honest I don’t know if I’ve ever heard such a person say Ireland. “Five” can be pronounced “farv”, so that could convert the normal I of Ireland into the Ar sound. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/198 "2008-10-14T23:41:12Z")
> [@Butterscotch](#): > > I’m English and have some observations/questions: > > “Are you going to bring that home?”. No, I am going to take it home. What’s that about? > does to me? My kids do that. I can’t stand it. > [@](#): > > Someone earlier mentioned English people leaving the ‘t’ out of words. Fair enough, in some parts of the country it happens, but, I while I would say twenty, I have never heard an American put the ‘t’ in when counting: twenny, thirdy, fordy… It’s like having an elephant bouncing on my very last nerve… Is that a US-wide thing or do I just know too many Americans from the same city? I dunno. 😛 No one I know does that, except young kids who have trouble with their t and d sounds. > [@](#): > > “What are you doing on the weekend?” I don’t know, can you get on the weekend? I know what I’m doing at the weekend. Does that sound as strange to you Americans as ‘on the weekend’ does to me? Unlike some others here, I do know people who say “on the weekend”. Yes, “at the weekend” sounds foreign. How can you be at an interval of time? I can be somewhere at 10, not on 10. I can be somewhere on Monday, not at Monday. Now, I’m going off to honor our silent h in herb. Honestly. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/199 "2008-10-15T03:53:33Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I recently read a crime novel in which the cops referred to themselves individually as “a police.” I can’t remember the author offhand, but it was somebody well known. It was kind of jarring at first but then it made sense. A character would say something like, “She gave me that information before she knew I was a police.” I could get used to it. That’s got to be _Night Train_, by Martin Amis. Not a bad novel, but that little affectation bugged the livin’ crap out of me. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/200 "2008-10-15T05:38:30Z")
Wow! I’m not alone on the _bring_ and _take_ thing. And to our neighbors across the pond. How is _mischievous_ pronounced over there? Besides me and I think one other guy most Americans pronounce it _mis-chee-vee-us_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182.md?page=11)