# Pronunciation of Empire Waist Line... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016 "2009-11-10T06:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/1 "2009-11-10T06:40:27Z")
On shows like “What Not to Wear,” and other clothing/design-themed shows, the hosts/designers pronounce it “ahmpeer,” which sounds completely pretentious and even wrong to me. What’s the deal? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/2 "2009-11-10T07:42:46Z")
They are trying to make it sound French. “Empire” as a mode of fashion is named after the French empire under Napoleon I. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/3 "2009-11-10T14:18:03Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > They are trying to make it sound French. “Empire” as a mode of fashion is named after the French empire under Napoleon I. And if [this source](http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071005053620AADtgJm) is correct, the term “empire waist” to designate this sort of just-under-the-boobs waistline originated in early 20th-century England. So there is really no reason at all to pronounce it “ahmpeer” unless you happen to be having a conversation about fashion with French people in French. > [@Hazle](#): > > […] the hosts/designers pronounce it “ahmpeer,” which sounds completely pretentious and even wrong to me. We will charitably assume that all of them are of French origin and accidentally slip back into their native pronunciation even when using an English fashion term while speaking English. Otherwise we might have to infer that they’re just ill-informed pretentious snobs, and heaven knows we would hate to think any such thing about fashion show hosts. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/4 "2009-11-10T14:22:24Z")
It is true that the furniture style called “Empire” is often pronounced “ahmPEER.” So maybe these cats are operating by analogy. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/5 "2009-11-10T18:50:06Z")
I’ve never heard it pronounced any other way besides “ahmpeer”, and I don’t travel in particularly hoity toity circles. Now, can someone tell me how “Rhys” is pronounced, specifically in the case of Mr. Jonathan Meyers? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/6 "2009-11-10T18:56:08Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I’ve never heard it pronounced any other way besides “ahmpeer”, and I don’t travel in particularly hoity toity circles. Well, anecdote for anecdote, I’ve only heard the English pronunciation for “empire” for that dress style. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/7 "2009-11-10T19:09:56Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Well, anecdote for anecdote, I’ve only heard the English pronunciation for “empire” for that dress style. Fair enough. I only meant that I honestly didn’t know it was considered pretentious or even out of the ordinary to pronounce it the fancy frenchy way:) ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/8 "2009-11-10T19:50:19Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > On shows like “What Not to Wear,” and other clothing/design-themed shows, the hosts/designers pronounce it “ahmpeer,” which sounds completely pretentious and even wrong to me. What’s the deal? They’re twits. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/9 "2009-11-10T20:17:21Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I’ve never heard it pronounced any other way besides “ahmpeer”, and I don’t travel in particularly hoity toity circles. > > Now, can someone tell me how “Rhys” is pronounced, specifically in the case of Mr. Jonathan Meyers? It’s pronounced Reese (as in Reese’s Pieces). ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/10 "2009-11-10T20:53:39Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > It’s pronounced Reese (as in Reese’s Pieces). Thank you. And thank _you_, **Saintly Loser**. I haven’t been called a twit in some time 😛 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/11 "2009-11-10T20:55:31Z")
I call it “Hey, that dress makes you look pregnant.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/12 "2009-11-10T22:59:35Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > We will charitably assume that all of them are of French origin and accidentally slip back into their native pronunciation even when using an English fashion term while speaking English. > > Otherwise we might have to infer that they’re just ill-informed pretentious snobs, and heaven knows we would hate to think any such thing about fashion show hosts. At least they pronounce the R, unlike pretentious folks who leave off the final R in armoire as if that’s how the French would say it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/13 "2009-11-11T01:14:23Z")
There’s a distinct phenomenon in English of “frenchifying” the pronunciation of words which are either borrowed from French, or have French associations - \Empire\ in the fashion sense, \garage\, \envelope\, etc. These can be pronounced either according to common conventions (as it were, garridge, ennvelope) or with a pronunciation with a more-or-less accurate nod in the direction of a French pronunciation (garaazh, onvelope). It may be my imagination, but I do have the impression that US speakers are somewhat more prone to use “frenchified” pronunciation than are other speakers of English. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/14 "2009-11-11T03:10:01Z")
The empire waist was very popular back in the late 60s, and I always heard it as “ahm-PEER.” ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/15 "2009-11-11T04:35:40Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I call it “Hey, that dress makes you look pregnant.” And we have a winner! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/16 "2009-11-11T14:10:48Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > There’s a distinct phenomenon in English of “frenchifying” the pronunciation of words which are either borrowed from French, or have French associations - \Empire\ in the fashion sense, \garage\, \envelope\, etc. These can be pronounced either according to common conventions (as it were, garridge, ennvelope) or with a pronunciation with a more-or-less accurate nod in the direction of a French pronunciation (garaazh, onvelope). > > It may be my imagination, but I do have the impression that US speakers are somewhat more prone to use “frenchified” pronunciation than are other speakers of English. I don’t think it’s your imagination at all. I’ve been telling my (English) boyfriend for years that the reason he “mispronounces” words like “garage” and “massage” and “herb” is because he’s afraid of catching teh french if he says them correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-empire-waist-line/517016/17 "2009-11-11T15:18:36Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I call it “Hey, that dress makes you look pregnant.” **Thank you.** [Stacy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacy_London), you are so right about many things, but there are damned few women who can wear that style without looking pregnant.