# I Pit "Nukuler" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474 "2005-12-07T05:29:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/41 "2005-12-07T18:32:15Z")
Yeah, **anyrose** … [I’ve been there.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=138491&page=1) But even Jack Bauer says “nucular”, so can it really be all bad? ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/42 "2005-12-07T18:36:46Z")
Let me clear up my last reply – if the non-prescriptivists (I forget your name) want to roam the English speaking planet refereeing every instance where someone is frowned upon/not hired/dismissed as stupid when he or she says “nukyular” and correct the prejudicial bastards that do the frowning/not hiring/dismissing, have at it, but then think about who’s not being realsitic or failing to logically approach language. Like it or not, the way you speak will affect how you are viewed by others (just as the way you look, write, smell, and act will), thus creating a de facto standard. Walk around saying nukyular in my profession and you might as well bathe in dog shit. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/43 "2005-12-07T19:24:37Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Yeah, **anyrose** … [I’ve been there.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=138491&page=1) But even Jack Bauer says “nucular”, so can it really be all bad? actually _that_’s what spawn this rant in the first place 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/44 "2005-12-07T19:26:54Z")
> [@whole bean](#): > > Let me clear up my last reply – if the non-prescriptivists (I forget your name) “Descriptivists.” Or, if it’s easier to remember, “the people who are right.” ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/45 "2005-12-07T20:12:18Z")
How many threads about “Nook-You-Lar” have there already been? Still, I can’t resist joining yet another one. I’m old enough to remember people being shocked when President Ford pronounced “guarantee” as “GARR-antee”. Because of this, his speech-writers avoided even using the word. At least that was just a matter of _pronunciation_. However, saying “nuclear” in that “other” form is _not_ a mispronunciation. It is _ **wrong** _. For those that find “NOOK-You-Lar” acceptable, why can’t we say this message board is the DSMB? Maybe this topic should of bin started in QG? I’m gonna go to the liberry and see how nucaler is really pronounced. [pit hijack - TV meteorologists who say “ARTIC” and “METEROLOGIST”. For Christ’s sake they’re getting paid a shitload of money for 5 minutes work, and so articulation should not be too much of a burden]. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/46 "2005-12-07T20:19:38Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > What is even more sad is that the President’s advisers probably love this trait about him, since they believe it puts him more in touch with “the common man”, who, they believe, are all morons. As long as he gets that 51% mandate, that’s all that matters to 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/47 "2005-12-07T20:47:38Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > For those that find “NOOK-You-Lar” acceptable, why can’t we say this message board is the DSMB? > Maybe this topic should of bin started in QG? > I’m gonna go to the liberry and see how nucaler is really pronounced. This point is always raised in these threads, and it is always ridiculous. The answer is, if we say the board is the DSMB, then DSMB becomes a reference to this board, and if we all agree that it’s a reference to this board, then there is no problem. However, if most people don’t understand what you mean when you say DSMB, then you have not communicated effectively, and there is a problem. This isn’t nucular physics. It’s really fucking simple. > [@whole bean](#): > > Walk around saying nukyular in my profession and you might as well bathe in dog shit. Sure, but [if your profession were dealing with top military brass](http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html), saying “nucular” would be perfectly acceptable. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/48 "2005-12-07T20:57:12Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Sure, but [if your profession were dealing with top military brass](http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html), saying “nucular” would be perfectly acceptable. > > Daniel Wasn’t Jimmy Carter some sort of nucular scientist? So we can assume that if your profession was nucular physics, the “nucular” pronunciation would be fine and dandy. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/49 "2005-12-07T21:00:56Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > As long as he gets that 51% mandate, that’s all that matters to 'em. Well, they strategy has a certain elegance inherent in its simplicity. Not to mention apparent effectiveness. :rolleyes: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/50 "2005-12-07T21:02:14Z")
‘their’ strategy :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/51 "2005-12-07T21:06:49Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Wasn’t Jimmy Carter some sort of nucular scientist? So we can assume that if your profession was nucular physics, the “nucular” pronunciation would be fine and dandy. He served on a nuclear submarine as an engineer, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/52 "2005-12-07T22:44:23Z")
**CynicalGabe** Well it’s good to see that you corrected your mistake. Then again, that mistake wouldn’t hinder your chances of being elected “Commandable In Chief”. No. It will put you in touch with the people of the land, the common clay of the new West. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/53 "2005-12-07T22:58:17Z")
I remember seeing this film clip of a guy, I think he was President, going on about some missle crisis in “Cuber”. I guess he must have been an idiot, too. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/54 "2005-12-07T23:10:38Z")
Duke of Rat There is a big difference between different pronunciations and screwing up the order of the letters in a word. As I said, 30 years ago, people made fun of Gerald Ford because he used the pronunciation “GARR-an-tee”. It is astounding how the standards of eloquence in this country have declined in those 30 years. Luckily, we at the DSMB always use proper grammar. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/55 "2005-12-07T23:24:40Z")
I’ve seen this brought up a number of times and so far: 1.) I still can’t bring myself to care how one pronouces it. English is full of words that sound wierd. But then again, so is french. And the brits put an “f” in leutenent for some bizarre reason. 2.) I’m not a big fan of Bush, but how he pronouces the word is 2,505,403 in order of importance in my mind. Just below “Does he whack off in the shower?”. I really don’t care. There are plenty of LEGITIMATE REASONS not to like the guy or hate him. Hell, pit the smirk. The nuclear thing makes you look stupid and petty(and I want the bastard impeached). ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/56 "2005-12-07T23:41:05Z")
Impeached? What crime did he commit? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/57 "2005-12-07T23:49:58Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Impeached? What crime did he commit? This question has been asked before, and never answered satisfactorily. Apparently the Republicans on the board believe that it is quite legal to lie on matters of state, provided you don’t do it under oath, whereas to lie under oath, even on issues as foreign to the Presidency as having oral sex, is in fact impeachable. And according to them, there is no law. However, I do have one impeachable issue to point out: Constitution, Article II, Section 3: “He [the President] shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union…” That does not prescribe an annual speech in January; it makes it a duty of his office to inform Congress of the “state of the union.” It occurs to me that failing to carry out that duty by providing false or fraudulent information to the Congress is in fact grounds for impeachment, should someone be looking for one. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/58 "2005-12-07T23:50:11Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Sure, but [if your profession were dealing with top military brass](http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/nucular.html), saying “nucular” would be perfectly acceptable. > > Daniel I am pretty sure I agree with you. I think Bush’s pronunciation is an affectation designed to appeal to anti-intellectuals – inherent in this strategy is the premise that saying “nukyular” is anti-intellectual/bordering on illiterate, i.e. “incorrect.” Does this mean the speaker is illiterate? Not necessarily. Not if the speaker is affecting the pronunciation to appear to be something he in reality is not. But Bush’s affected accent/pronunciation is intended to create bona fides and the appearance of populism (“Hell, I’m just like you. I even talk like you. We’re just like peas in a pod - 'cept I’m rich and you’re poor.”) Make no mistake, he is no common man – he’s a snake oil salesman – and he’s selling that fake accent\* and goofy pronunciation like he’s selling bullshit reasons for everything he does.\*\* He is our Lyle Lanley and his policies our monorail. Bottom line: know your audience – and the audience(s) for “nukyular” is/are: bumpkins, military brass playing tough, descriptivist keepin’ it real. - I lived damn near every day of my life from the time I was born until I was 21 in southern Alabama and my accent is nothing on his (fakers pour it on thick). \*\*note: I think there are some real legitimate reasons for some of Bush’s policies; however, I do not think he highlights those reason because I think that those reason might prove unpopular – what does he do? The old end around. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/59 "2005-12-07T23:52:10Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > And according to them, there is no law. One of those “I should have previewed” goofs. This was supposed to imply, “And according to them, there is no law requiring him to tell the truth, and forbidding him from lying.” As it stands, it is definitely a strange statement. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474/60 "2005-12-08T00:46:48Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > actually _that_’s what spawn this rant in the first place 😃 I guess I can only say that any man who can do what Jack Bauer has done can pronounce that word any damn way he wants to 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-nukuler/334474.md?page=4)