# Post Something Interesting About English **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836 "2017-03-23T15:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/121 "2017-03-24T18:05:12Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I dunno. > > “Diphthong” is commonly misspoken “dip-thong.” It’s “diff-thong,” no hard P. > > This is just a product of the fact it’s spelled weird, but the spelling does show you how to say it" **diph** thong. > > Same with diphtheria. It’s “diff-theer-ee-ah.” Actually, at least according to Merriam-Webster, it’s slightly different. Both pronunciations are noted as acceptable for ‘diphthong,’ but the ‘dip-theria’ pronunciation is marked with an obelus, indicating that that ‘some people’ frown upon that pronunciation. No such notation on ‘dip-thong’. And Merriam-Webster notes in their pronunciation guide that order of pronunciation is not to be taken as order of preferred pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/122 "2017-03-24T20:03:00Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > How many people (like me) have been sitting here going?: > > Angry > Angry > Pedigree > Pedigree > Angry > Pedigree > Pedigree > Angry > > 😃 My dragon has an angry verdigris pedigree. But it is always well-fed. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/123 "2017-03-24T22:56:51Z")
My favorite fact that I’ve learned from the excellent “Lexicon Valley” podcast is the etymology of “cockamamie”, as described [here](http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-coc1.htm) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/124 "2017-03-24T23:02:53Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > A tutor who tooted the flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutor, “Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?” A canner, exceedingly canny, One morning remarked to his Granny, “A canner can can anything that he can, but a canner can’t can a can, can he?” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/125 "2017-03-24T23:03:22Z")
From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com): ang-gree huhng-gree ped-i-gree Now can we all uh-gree? mmm ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/126 "2017-03-25T00:22:11Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Okay, I gotta ask, do you pronounce pedigree pedigry, or do you pronounce angry and hungry angree and hungree? Because those words do _not_ end with the same sounds in any dialect I’ve ever heard. From now on I’m making a point to pronounce all of these words with an “ee” sound at the end. That includes “Okay,” “I,” “gotta,” and “ask.” Somebody has to stop this madness. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2017, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/127 "2017-03-25T00:31:44Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Yes, by “short” and “long”, I’m speaking temporally. Fair enough. Apropos of nothing, I used to work as a short order cook, and my specialty was strawberry shortcake. I mean, of course, that I would only cook if you ordered me to do so using very short words, and I made a strawberry cake that was half an inch high. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/128 "2017-03-25T01:17:56Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There was this one time I was talking with Bishop Desmond Tutu, and he was complaining to me about a time he has to wait for a train: it was supposed to arrive at 1:58, and it was four minutes late. I commiserated, having experienced the same problem: “I had to wait from two to two to two two too, Tutu!” Nice, but… in speech, isn’t it kind of unusual to say 2:02 as “two two”, as opposed to “two oh two”? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/129 "2017-03-25T01:19:55Z")
> [@JR\_Brown](#): > > Nice, but… in speech, isn’t it kind of unusual to say 2:02 as “two two”, as opposed to “two oh two”? You just made the baby Jesus cry. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/130 "2017-03-25T02:10:40Z")
Oh, here’s one: “It’s all downhill from here” can mean it’s getting better or it’s getting worse. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/131 "2017-03-25T03:15:26Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Oh, here’s one: > > “It’s all downhill from here” can mean it’s getting better or it’s getting worse. Hurry up down! ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/132 "2017-03-27T22:29:09Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Dictionaries break these words into syllables as an-gry and hun-gry because of slavishly applying the rule that the syllable break comes between two consecutive consonants. But the ng in each is really one sound: ang-ry and hung-ry. > > Or, alternatively, ang-gry and hung-gry, maybe. The IPA spellings that I’m finding on-line are /'æŋgrɪ/ and /'hʌŋgrɪ/ or maybe /'æŋ.grɪ/ and /'hʌŋ.grɪ/ /'æŋ.grɪ/ and /'hʌŋ.grɪ/ seems common to me. Can anyone provide a cite of someone pronouncing those as /'æŋ.rɪ/ and /'hʌŋ.rɪ/? There’s like a hundred billion videos on youtube. If there’s an English dialect that pronounces them that way, there oughta be video of it. Side note to those posting in this thread: If you’re discussing pronunciation _in text_ and you’re not using the phonetic alphabet, there’s approximately zero chance that you will reach any kind of consensus. It is not possible to clarify confusion over which words have which sounds by referencing _other words_ when you start from a position of disagreeing on the fundamental sounds that words have. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/133 "2017-03-27T23:01:06Z")
Since I _don’t_ know the phonetic alphabet I don’t know if this links show what you want or not, but there is [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWE_a8S7zo), which pronounces hungry the way I’m familiar with it (that doesn’t have the end sound of pedigree that I’m familiar with.) ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/134 "2017-03-27T23:39:00Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Since I _don’t_ know the phonetic alphabet I don’t know if this links show what you want or not, but there is [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWE_a8S7zo), which pronounces hungry the way I’m familiar with it (that doesn’t have the end sound of pedigree that I’m familiar with.) Oops, and now I see that I just quoted the previously offered IPA spellings rather than verifying them. What they say in the Hungry Hungry Hippos video is /ˈhʌŋ gri/, and that’s the sound I’m familiar with for the final vowel. And the sound for angry is /'æŋ gri/ Here, for reference, is the [IPA vowel chart with audio on wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA_vowel_chart_with_audio). Which sound does the word “pedigree” end in for you? It ends in “i” for me, just like hungry and angry. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/135 "2017-03-27T23:49:53Z")
I’m on a slow speed connection right now and can’t do much media browsing, but as I’ve mentioned before, it is the end sound of tree, bee, knee, DVD, I gotta pee, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/136 "2017-03-28T00:16:46Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > A tutor who tooted the flute tried to teach two young tooters to toot. Said the two to the tutor, “Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?” Cool. I haven’t heard that in awhile. The way I heard it, though, was “to tutor two tooters” rather than “to teach two young tooters.” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/137 "2017-03-28T00:21:29Z")
This is NOT a direct quote from “Deliverance,” but I know I’ve heard it IRL as well as other TV/movies: Take 'em _right on off_. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/138 "2017-03-28T00:23:59Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I’m on a slow speed connection right now and can’t do much media browsing, but as I’ve mentioned before, it is the end sound of tree, bee, knee, DVD, I gotta pee, etc. Just a few posts later, and we’re already lost in the weeds. > [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > It is not possible to clarify confusion over which words have which sounds by referencing other words when you start from a position of disagreeing on the fundamental sounds that words have. All those words you listed, and the words hungry, and angry, and pedigree, end in /i/ in my dialect. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/139 "2017-03-28T00:26:09Z")
English can be hard. It can be understood through tough, thorough thought though. Also if you tell someone a pond is “deceptively shallow” no two people will agree on whether you mean it is more or less shallow than it looks. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836/140 "2017-03-28T02:10:08Z")
If today is Tuesday, is “next Wednesday” tomorrow, or Wednesday of the following week? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-something-interesting-about-english/782836.md?page=8)