# It is vet-er-in-ar-y dammit! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952 "2005-12-16T18:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**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 18, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/21 "2005-12-18T01:43:18Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > My realator is always adding extra syllables to words, and it drives me crazy… On I-80 coming into Davis from Sacramento, you can see (if it’s still there, of course) a billboard that the local realtor association put up. They have _realtor_ in quotation marks. I still can’t figure out why they do. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/22 "2005-12-19T00:00:49Z")
I was pitting people who pronounce the word "jewelry "-- note the spelling, which is the correct way Americans are supposed to spell it – as something that it isn’t. The way we write the word, it should be pronounced “joo’el-ree.” If you spell ie “jewellery,” then obviously a differing pronunciation might be correct. Or if you’re returning to the word’s roots. But the latter, especially, strikes me as a real stretch to excuse what is basic American English mispronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/23 "2005-12-19T00:25:30Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Meh, for all intensive purposes I could care less. It is kind of a mute point. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/24 "2005-12-19T02:33:40Z")
For the life of me, I can’t understand why so many people pronounce jaguar as “jag-wire”. Haven’t they ever seen it written down? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/25 "2005-12-19T03:03:03Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Just send him an email to go look it up in the libarry. He probly won’t get around to that until Febuary, when the cold Artic winds are blowing. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/26 "2005-12-19T03:45:51Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > I can’t understand why so many people pronounce jaguar as “jag-wire”. Because the British invented a language they cannot speak. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/27 "2005-12-19T04:08:02Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > For the life of me, I can’t understand why so many people pronounce jaguar as “jag-wire”. Haven’t they ever seen it written down? This is one I really, _really_ despise. (And I hate joo-lery and ree-lator, as well! _shudder_) ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/28 "2005-12-19T05:19:42Z")
pacifically, it should be said as ‘vet-rin-ree’ I maintain that there is no greater nails-down-blackboard conversational torture than listening to people replace ‘specific’ with ‘pacific’. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/29 "2005-12-19T05:39:19Z")
Pshaw. You want to experience the language being folded, spindled and mutilated by a master, come to Boston and meet that fair city’s mayor, [Mumbles Menino.](http://mumblesmenino.us/) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/30 "2005-12-19T05:49:15Z")
Here we also have a vet-run’s hospital and a local politician insists on referring to our Co-cola bottlin’ facility. I had to call security last week to escort out a lie-berry patron who was obviously stoned and making loud inappropriate comments to other patrons. The security officer had me sign her report on which she remarked, among other things, that the “suspsect seem disorientated”. Officer rite reel good. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/31 "2005-12-19T09:29:23Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > I’m glad I don’t live near you - I pronounce it vetin-ree, and I like having a head. I say it that way too. So does my cousin, who’s a vet. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Lie-berry. Lie-bree, anyone? > [@Mama Tiger](#): > > joo-lerry Jool-ree? > [@](#): > > There are just too many mispronunciations creeping into everyday usage for my comfort! These ‘mis’-pronunciations aren’t creeping in, they’ve always existed. You’ve just not come across them often, for geographic reasons. Oh, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “Jag-wire”, so nobody pin that one on the Brits, thank you 😛 ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/32 "2005-12-19T14:47:07Z")
I like the commercial for Jaguar where the lady calls it a ‘Jeg-you-are’ all the time. That’s always cute. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952/33 "2005-12-19T22:37:48Z")
> [@Bites When Provoked](#): > > I maintain that there is no greater nails-down-blackboard conversational torture than listening to people replace ‘specific’ with ‘pacific’. I’ll agree with the sentiment, but express the feeling of rage that overwhelms me every time a certain member of my family says “atypically” when she means “typically.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-vet-er-in-ar-y-dammit/335952.md?page=1)