# Dipshit who thinks he's being articulate. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 27, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772 "2003-06-27T15:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Tikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5daacb/32.png) [@Tikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tikki)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/81 "2003-07-01T07:44:15Z")
I don’t live in Worshington and I don’t get books from the liberry. ---
**Author:** ![Roger\_Mexico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@Roger\_Mexico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roger_Mexico)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/82 "2003-07-01T07:58:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ParentalAdvisory \* > \*\*This guy at work keeps saying “KON - NUCT - TIVITY”. I’ve always heard it as “KA - NECT - TIVITY”. The “KONUCT” bs really bothers me. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the guy is an asshole narcissist to begin with, but it just bugs the fuck out of me when connectivity is pronouced this way. > So, how many people are konucting to the net today? \*\* Maybe he is Canadian and is really saying Kanuck-tivity. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/83 "2003-07-01T10:12:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*We’re not pronouncing it wrongly. We’re using an alternative pronunciation. \*\* Yeah, but it’s a really inconsistent alternative. Why, when all the other elements have "i"s in them, does aluminium suffer the ignominy of losing a whole letter? You don’t talk about plutonum, or helum, or francum or caesum, so why in the heck would you start saying “aluminum”? (Incidentally, I’m genuinely interested; when and why did aluminium get its i poked out? Anyone know?) ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/84 "2003-07-01T10:15:34Z")
That’s because we don’t use plutonum siding on our houses. This is simply a guess, of course, but I bet since we use aluminum so often in everyday life that it became easier over the years to say it this way. I haven’t checked the etymology, though, so I’m not sure which spelling/pronunciation came first. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/85 "2003-07-01T10:29:33Z")
I had an English teacher that insisted that we pronounce the month Fe-BROO-ary in her prescence. How about the correct pronunciation for Worcestershire sauce: Wooster Sauce? (It’s British, isn’t it?) In some parts of Kansas, you pronounce the river’s name Ar-kan-zas, and not Ar-kan-saw. It’s just a local conceit. I do think that there are various “dialects” that people learn as children, and pass on to their offspring. I met a guy in summer camp who’s father was American, but who’s mother was British. He had a slight well bred British accent that was noticable when he said certain words, like “sorry” etc. Etcetera, not excetera. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/86 "2003-07-01T10:34:46Z")
Heh, I just read Mangetout’s post. Now I’m going to have to go and look up element discovery dates, goldarnit. [pause] Okay, found something which seems reasonably detailed - [this](http://www.speclab.com/elements/aluminum.htm) says: > [@](#): > > In 1761 de Morveau proposed the name alumine for the base in alum, and Lavoisier, in 1787, thought this to be the oxide of a still undiscovered metal. Wohler is generally credited with havinor isolated the metal in 1827, although an impure form was prepared by Oersted two years earlier. In 1807, Davy proposed the name alumium for the metal, undiscovered at that time, and later agreed to change it to aluminum. Shortly thereafter, the name aluminium was adopted to conform with the “ium” ending of most elements, and this spelling is now in use elsewhere in the world. Aluminium was also the accepted spelling in the U.S. until 1925, at which time the American Chemical Society officially decided to use the name aluminum thereafter in their publications. Unusually, it doesn’t seem to be a laziness shift, but a conscious choice to be different out of a whole mishmash of different naming choices. Kinda funny that it started out as an “ium”, was weirdified by the insertion of an “n”, then had an “i” reinserted, then removed again. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2003, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/87 "2003-07-01T10:51:40Z")
Don’t worry **Badger** , it won’t hurt all that much and when I’m done, You can have extra Tantalum and Lanthanum sprinkles on your toasted arse. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/88 "2003-07-01T10:56:07Z")
Would this be the appropriate time for a Homeresque appreciation of toasted arse? If marshmallows are involved, I’m going to find it hard to resist… ---
**Author:** ![doc\_miller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@doc\_miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doc_miller)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/89 "2003-07-01T14:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \* > \*\*How about the correct pronunciation for Worcestershire sauce: Wooster Sauce? (It’s British, isn’t it?) \*\* Worcester=Wooster, Worcestershire=Woostersher, or Woostasher, and even occaisionally Woorstasher. In 2nd grade, my reading teacher told us that the “h” in the “ph” combination was silent, so you just pronounced the “p”. Sphere would be pronounced like spear. Fortunately, I already knew better. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/90 "2003-07-01T15:55:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by macabresoul \* > \*\*Who confuses these??? > > they don’t even sound alike. \*\* I get to hear it all the time. Even on **CNNFN** for Zog’s sake. “The company’s physical policy is…” First time I heard that I thought they were talking about some company introducing an aerobics class at lunch. Honestly. I also have to hear this a lot: “I’m looking for a ‘pacific’ item, can you help me?” Yep, head west until you hit saltwater. ---
**Author:** ![DogMom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@DogMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogMom)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/91 "2003-07-01T16:01:42Z")
Oh. Pet Peeve I heard This Weekend: the letter combination **str** is in fact pronounced “str”, as in the words “straight”, “strength”, and “destroy”. There is no “h” between the s and the t. These words are NOT pronounced “shtraight”, “shtrength”, and “deshtroy”. Please “shtop” it. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/92 "2003-07-01T16:03:27Z")
[Kinda funny to see a pet peeve from a DogMom] ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/93 "2003-07-01T16:05:25Z")
DogMom, You made me remember another that even Sinatra mangled: strenth lenth but worse: heighth ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/94 "2003-07-01T16:43:02Z")
Dear Furniture sellers, ``` It's not **bedroom suit**. It's **bedroom SUITE**. Say SWEET instead of SOOT. ``` Thank you, the Grammar Police ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/95 "2003-07-01T16:49:03Z")
Like the English have room to talk (about American pronunciation of aluminum)! Birmingham = Brum Cholmondely = Chumley Liecester = Lester Gloucester = Gloster I originally saw the nursery rhyme “Dr. Foster Went to Gloucester” in print, and wondered how the heck that rhymed… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/96 "2003-07-01T17:18:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DogMom \* > \*\*Oh. Pet Peeve I heard This Weekend: > > the letter combination **str** is in fact pronounced “str”, as in the words “straight”, “strength”, and “destroy”. > > There is no “h” between the s and the t. > These words are NOT pronounced > “shtraight”, “shtrength”, and “deshtroy”. > > Please “shtop” it. \*\* Perhapsh you were shpeaking to Connery, Sean Connery? Speaking of loony English shpellingsh, consider \*\* Featherstonehaugh\*\* Go on, just see if you can guess how that _supposably_ is pronounced… Fanshaw ---
**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:** [July 1, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/97 "2003-07-01T22:18:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\*Like the English have room to talk (about American pronunciation of aluminum)! > > Birmingham = Brum > Cholmondely = Chumley > Liecester = Lester > Gloucester = Gloster > > I originally saw the nursery rhyme “Dr. Foster Went to Gloucester” in print, and wondered how the heck that rhymed… \*\* ‘Brum’ is a colloquialism, nothing more; the proper name is pronounced as it sounds, well almost - Americans tend to call it Bir-Ming-HAM, it should be burmingum or burminum StJohn (as a surname) is sometimes pronounced ‘Sinjun’ ---
**Author:** ![Koffing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@Koffing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koffing)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/98 "2003-07-02T01:22:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \* > \*\*I had an English teacher that insisted that we pronounce the month Fe-BROO-ary in her prescence. \*\* That pronunciation’s actually correct. The other, more common, pronunciation is equally valid. ---
**Author:** ![Sivalensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sivalensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sivalensis)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/99 "2003-07-02T03:07:38Z")
Then there’re the people who insist on calling places by how they THINK the locals call it…when I went off to school in Missouri my mother started saying Missoura, even though I don’t know anyone in St Louis who says it that way, just people farther out in the country. And the “I” and “me” thing drives me nuts too. People use “I” for everything, even direct objects because it was pounded into them not to say “me”. ---
**Author:** ![Stage\_Manager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stage_manager/32/7267_2.png) [@Stage\_Manager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stage_Manager)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772/100 "2003-07-02T05:05:12Z")
My late wife used to say “brass tactics” (instead of brass tacks). I knew better than to correct her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dipshit-who-thinks-hes-being-articulate/184772.md?page=6)