# 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:** 12
**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 15, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/221 "2008-10-15T21:03:59Z")
> [@Kal](#): > > I firmly believe that anyone who uses that rather than “I couldn’t care less” needs beating about the head with a shovel. As I’m sure all right-minded people, regardless of nationality, agree. Hear, hear! ---
**Author:** ![Dublin11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/222 "2008-10-15T21:26:58Z")
> [@Risha](#): > > I always thought that “standing on line” was a British-ism. 😕 I hear it a lot in their movies and tv shows, and almost never in the US. British people queue. They might form a queue, start a queue, be in a queue or be they could be queueing. They don’t stand in or on line unless they’re trying to convey this information to an American. Because they’ve probably used the word queue to an American before and had to explain what it is. Then had to deal with the highly hilarious comments which often ensue from Americans about the British fondness for extraneous us in words. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/223 "2008-10-15T21:35:02Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > 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_. > [@Risha](#): > > I’m not sure how else you would pronounce that? Do you leave out the final “ee” sound? Look at the spelling. There shouldn’t be a second “ee” sound. It’s “MISS-chih-vus”. ---
**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, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/224 "2008-10-15T21:57:49Z")
Danke sehr, **fach**! ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/225 "2008-10-15T22:17:00Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > Danke sehr, **fach**! Bitte. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/226 "2008-10-16T07:24:35Z")
Just a couple things…what? It’s just _a_ couple of things, bloody hell, how hard is to put the _a_ in there. And for Americans, try this one …Cholmondeley, pronounced CHUMLEY. heheh ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/227 "2008-10-16T08:25:40Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Yes. ‘Album’ has nothing to do with the format. Come to think of it, we also say, ‘photo album’, don’t we? Etymonline disagrees with me, but I understood that the usage for records came from actual book-like ‘albums’ of numerous 78s. ---
**Author:** ![missx3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@missx3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missx3)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/228 "2008-10-16T08:37:52Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Just a couple things…what? > > It’s just _a_ couple of things, bloody hell, how hard is to put the _a_ in there. > > And for Americans, try this one …Cholmondeley, pronounced CHUMLEY. > > heheh ha ha ha ha yeah.. the worst that drove me nuts is everyone, EVERYONE, says ’ I went acrossed’ when they mean to say ‘Across’. There is no ‘ed’ in the word ‘across!’ AAAAH! As for brits, how hard is it to put an ‘h’ in there. It’s not half bad, not ‘alf bad’. This is gotta be just pure laziness in origin, And the word wanker, Americans don’t get it. It is an ignorant word that means NOTHING. In people’s usual way of creating insults through bathroom humor or to describe various sexual or bodily functions, it’s not funny and it isn’t scary. Ha. If you are trying to say ‘wank off’ you mean another word for it.. and what is with the insults of male behavior? Like, ok, 97% of men polled do this activity, yet it is considered an ‘insult’ to call someone a ‘wank’ wanker.. ha, funny word, It is funny, not an insult , so it has the opposite effect. What is with the use of bodily functions and human acts or body parts as insults? People are so weird. h ---
**Author:** ![grey\_ideas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@grey\_ideas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grey_ideas)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/229 "2008-10-16T10:05:10Z")
[QUOTE=missx3] As for brits, how hard is it to put an ‘h’ in there. It’s not half bad, not ‘alf bad’. This is gotta be just pure laziness in origin [/QUOTE] That’s a particular dialect or two in the UK, not everyone from the UK pronounces it like that. And you can put the ‘h’ back in ‘herb’ whilst we are talking about missing letters (assuming you are from the US and pronounce ‘herb’ as ‘erb’) [QUOTE=missx3] And the word wanker, Americans don’t get it. [/QUOTE] And? Why should we care if you “get” it? [QUOTE=missx3] It is an ignorant word that means NOTHING. In people’s usual way of creating insults through bathroom humor or to describe various sexual or bodily functions, it’s not funny and it isn’t scary. Ha. [/QUOTE] So pretty much like almost all swearwords then? “Shit, Fuck, Cock, Cunt, Bollocks, Bugger…etc, etc”…that’s a whole heap of swearing for MPSIMS [QUOTE=missx3] If you are trying to say ‘wank off’ you mean another word for it.. [/QUOTE] Really? And there I was thinking I knew my own language pretty well. [QUOTE=missx3] and what is with the insults of male behavior? Like, ok, 97% of men polled do this activity, yet it is considered an ‘insult’ to call someone a ‘wank’ wanker.. ha, funny word, It is funny, not an insult , so it has the opposite effect. What is with the use of bodily functions and human acts or body parts as insults? [/QUOTE] As I noted above, pretty much like every other swear word out there. So what’s got you so wound up about “wanker” in particular? Or is this just a general anti swearing thing? [QUOTE=missx3] People are so weird. [/QUOTE] Well, at least here I can agree with you 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/230 "2008-10-16T10:17:51Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > Hmm, I still call them albums. A collection of songs. I know others who do as well. I’m pretty sure he was talking about the word “record”, not “album”. The funny thing about threads like this is how you always get people from “your” side making strange assertions about your own language (I’m sure Brits sometimes feel that way about my contributions). Like the “stand in line” thing above. That sounds like perfectly normal British English to me, completely equivalent to “queue”. We don’t use the noun “line” to mean a queue, no, apart from maybe in “go to the end of the line”. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/231 "2008-10-16T16:45:28Z")
Hmm, well if so, then _record_ is still perfectly fine too. It refers to something that has been recorded. And no I don’t hear anybody use that term anymore. Did have a goofy girlfriend who called CDs cassettes. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/232 "2008-10-16T21:30:22Z")
I forgot to list my most hated slang term: hella As in, “there were hella babes at the show last night, dude!” WTF? Are you too goddamn lazy to say “hell of a lot of”? Is it SO much effort that you had to shorten it down to the nonsensical “hella”? I’ve also heard people use it in place of “helluva”. I assume the extra syllable would have just taken too much time and effort to say. :rolleyes: ---
**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 16, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/233 "2008-10-16T21:43:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I forgot to list my most hated slang term: hella > > As in, “there were hella babes at the show last night, dude!” > > WTF? Are you too goddamn lazy to say “hell of a lot of”? Is it SO much effort that you had to shorten it down to the nonsensical “hella”? > > I’ve also heard people use it in place of “helluva”. I assume the extra syllable would have just taken too much time and effort to say. :rolleyes: Along these lines, something that really annoys me is hearing someone say “So-and-so passed.” Passed what? Was he taking final exams? Oh, you mean he bit the big one? The idiom you’re looking for is _passed away_. You missed it by just one word. Anyway, why not just say he or she is “dead”? Exactly whom is this euphemism protecting? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/234 "2008-10-17T09:02:03Z")
If you’re going to insist on sayin Eye-ran and Eye-rack then I’m going to insist you say Ay-merica. So there ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/235 "2008-10-17T10:17:58Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I forgot to list my most hated slang term: hella > > As in, “there were hella babes at the show last night, dude!” > > WTF? Are you too goddamn lazy to say “hell of a lot of”? Is it SO much effort that you had to shorten it down to the nonsensical “hella”? > > I’ve also heard people use it in place of “helluva”. I assume the extra syllable would have just taken too much time and effort to say. :rolleyes: Not that I’m a user of that term but, hey, that’s evolution of slang. And in your example, it doesn’t mean “hell of a lot of.” If it were one, it would be “there was a hell of a babe” and that doesn’t work well with plural (“there were hell of babes”?) but “hella” does. People drop syllables and words all the time (have you ever used a microwave? Ever seen anything that sucks?). Language morphs. > [@acsenray](#): > > Along these lines, something that really annoys me is hearing someone say “So-and-so passed.” Passed what? Was he taking final exams? Oh, you mean he bit the big one? The idiom you’re looking for is _passed away_. You missed it by just one word. > > Anyway, why not just say he or she is “dead”? Exactly whom is this euphemism protecting? The same people who are protected with \*any \*euphemism. People whose sensibilities and sensitivities would be offended. You don’t head to the bathroom telling everybody you’re going to take a piss (well, not usually :rolleyes:). “Dead” is just too blunt in some circumstances. “I’m sorry to hear your mother is dead.” Well, that sure thunks on the floor, and isn’t going to give much comfort. Regarding dropping a word, see above. (In my case, it would mean “passed gas.” :D) ---
**Author:** ![mrcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@mrcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcheese)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/236 "2008-10-17T11:55:04Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t get it. “Tune” and “Toon” are pronounced the same way. chew-na in UK too-na in US Ts and Cs make for a few differences Lots of Brits stick a T in front of Chicago , saying “TChicago” - always confused me that one.. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/237 "2008-10-17T12:14:09Z")
> [@mrcheese](#): > > chew-na in UK > too-na in US > > Ts and Cs make for a few differences > > Lots of Brits stick a T in front of Chicago , saying “TChicago” - always confused me that one.. I think you mean “Chewn”…Chew-na is the fish:p ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/238 "2008-10-17T14:31:38Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > If you’re going to insist on sayin Eye-ran and Eye-rack then I’m going to insist you say Ay-merica. > So there Just saw [Von Ryan’s Express](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059885/) this morning with Sinatra and all of the British laddies in the movie were calling the Italians, “Eye-Ties”. How do you say it? (It was a good movie by the way.) I’ve noticed that sometimes I use “Eye-talian” or “It-alian” in speech, depending. For example, when I speak of food, for some reason, I want to call it “Eye-talian food”, but I want to call the people “It-talian”. And it does seem like I want to insert that long or double “t”, when speaking of the people. ---
**Author:** ![grey\_ideas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@grey\_ideas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grey_ideas)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/239 "2008-10-17T21:04:55Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > You don’t head to the bathroom telling everybody you’re going to take a piss (well, not usually :rolleyes:). I don’t head to the bathroom at all…I go to the toilet. Sorry, another one I never quite got from my time in the US. I thought us Brits were supposed to be the more uptight ones, but I guess certain puritanical traits carried over 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182/240 "2008-10-18T03:57:07Z")
> [@grey\_ideas](#): > > I don’t head to the bathroom at all…I go to the toilet. Isn’t a British toilet the room, while an American toilet is the fixture in the room? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-english-pronunciation-that-bugs-the-bejeezus-out-of-me/467182.md?page=13)