# Let me axe you something.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2001, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283 "2001-11-14T06:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/161 "2001-11-25T17:46:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*How about “wolf” being pronounced “woof”? So annoying. \*\* Are you referring to audio speakers, if so it is “woof” being pronounced as “wolf”. ---
**Author:** ![WEW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@WEW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WEW)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/162 "2001-11-25T17:57:55Z")
Bring/Take. New Yorker with whom I used to work, “Will you bring this beer to table 20.” Me, “No, but I’ll take it” I worked for a company that had orientation for new employees, after which they were “orientated”. I think it could be argued that they had gone through the process of orientation, and that they were therefore orientated, but it bugged the hell out of me. I worked with a guy at the airport who would talk about “cancelated” flights. Something that I’m sure is correct, but sounds wrong to me… The sports casters make comments, or give commentary, so they should be called “commentors”, not “comentators”. Or is there some other base to the word of which I am not aware? Irregardless, it’s a mute point. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerdy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TheMerdy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerdy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/163 "2001-11-25T22:33:33Z")
How about, when accountants need to run some reports, not by the calendar year, but by the _physical_ year? ---
**Author:** ![TheMerdy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TheMerdy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerdy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/164 "2001-11-25T22:41:36Z")
When you don’t want to pay full (retail) price for something, sometimes you can try to buy it _ho-sale_. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/165 "2001-11-25T23:20:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Number Six \* > > \*\* > > > > If “fairy” is pronounced with a long /a/ sound (fay-ree), as you describe, it is indeed quite different. If “fairy” is pronounced with a short /a/ sound, as it is by most Americans, there is only a very slight difference, one that most people do not hear. The experiment I describe would be useless to someone who pronounces “fairy” with a long /a/. > > > > \*\* > > Ok, long /a/ sound was an incorrect way to describe it. But think of the difference between “fetch” and “fear” or “fair” and you may see how “ferry” can be different from “fairy”. > > Harry/carry /a/ as in Cat > Ferry /e/ as in set > > I suppose you’re going to say that cat and set rhyme to you guys too!! 😃 \*\* “Fear” has a long /e/, so it doesn’t apply. Short /e/ and /a/ have very distinct sounds most of the time, but when followed by an /r/, the distinction becomes muddled. Not exact rhymes, but very close. The same thing happens with short /i/ and short /u/ (shwa); very distinct in most instances, but become nearly indistiguishible when followed by /r/: fit and fat are quite easily distinguished, fir and fur are pronounced virtually the same. The general rules, however, apply only to American English. You may hear a clear difference in pronunciation where you live, but in the US, few would. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283/166 "2001-11-26T21:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DrFrasierCrane \* > **And my dear mother continues (to this day) to call her birthplace "Wa**r\*\*shington, D.C.". I keep asking her to point out the “R” in the word “Washington”. Her reply is always, “Well, that’s just what everyone calls it there.” Mother, that still doesn’t make it _right_. > > And she’s an English teacher! \*\* I’ve been in the area for the past 13 years during that time I don’t recall hearing _anyone_ call the place “Warshington.” I fact, the only person I know who pronounces it that way is my Wisconsin-raised dad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-me-axe-you-something/93283.md?page=8)