# Pronunciations which are legit but sound pretentious to outsiders **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939 "2018-11-03T18:17:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/181 "2018-11-07T23:00:31Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I think we stray into slightly different territory there with that level of wrongness but it does remind me of a game of Trivial Pursuit with some friends many many years ago. > > The answer to a question on the subject of airlines had us stumped, when we asked for the correct airline name answer to be read out we received the baffling response… > > “eee one ay one” > > cue furrowed brows for a little while until realisation dawned… Oy vay, such a _goy_! :smack: I once knew a guy so dumb, he though cunnilingus was an Irish airline… ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/182 "2018-11-08T03:11:51Z")
I remember snickering at/about Aer Lingus when I was 10 or 12. I pronounce forte as in “something I am good at” as “fort” but have been “corrected” so many times it is depressing. So maybe they think I am pretentious. Or wrong. Some nurses I know use Saaawnt-uh-meters for centimeters, and I find that pretentious. I don’t get eee one ay one. ---
**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 8, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/183 "2018-11-08T03:20:16Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > I don’t get eee one ay one. I didn’t get it the first time around, but looking at it again, and catching the goy reference, it’s El Al. ---
**Author:** ![TheMightyFro](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themightyfro/32/20081_2.png) [@TheMightyFro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMightyFro)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/184 "2018-11-08T12:21:35Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Not just Minnesota. Carmel was the prevailing pronunciation until at least the late 70s. > > [Cite](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRkqGzCC4s). (YouTube link) Ugh, that hurts my brain ears! I have never heard anything “care-A-mel” in Massachusetts, except someone referencing a geographical location, like “Mount Car-Mell”. ---
**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 8, 2018, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/185 "2018-11-08T12:34:15Z")
I grew up with the “Carmel” pronunciation being standard here in the 80s. In my estimation, it’s still the dominant pronunciation. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “caramel corn,” but only “Carmel corn.” “Sherbet” is another one of these words. Three weeks ago was the first time I ever noticed someone pronouncing it with one r. Otherwise, I’ve only ever heard “sherbert.” ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/186 "2018-11-08T15:37:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > “Sherbet” is another one of these words. Three weeks ago was the first time I ever noticed someone pronouncing it with one r. Otherwise, I’ve only ever heard “sherbert.” “SHERb’t” to much of England, but I guess that’s understandable in a non-rhotic accent where the r serves merely to modify the preceding vowel. ---
**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 8, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/187 "2018-11-08T15:43:24Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > “SHERb’t” to much of England, but I guess that’s understandable in a non-rhotic accent where the r serves merely to modify the preceding vowel. Heck, the first few times I noticed “sherbet” in print, I thought it was some kind of error with the writer conflating sherbert and sorbet. I don’t really buy sherbet, but I would have sworn up and down to you that it’s spelled “sherbert” on the packaging. Nope, it isn’t. A bit of a Manella Effect-type moment for me (though there’s probably a better name for this particular type of realization.) That said, it apparently [has become an accepted variant spelling.](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/sherbet-vs-sherbert) Looks like when the word entered the language, it entered with a few spellings, _sherbert_ included, although the source language did not have an “r” in the second syllable. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939/188 "2018-11-08T17:52:53Z")
> [@mundylion](#): > > I do recall, long ago, a young lady ask me what I thought of the then newly popular scent Estay Lawday. she was quite young. Arrr, that’s right, Squire, get 'em while they’re young, eh? 😉 **Whoops!** Sorry, Squire, I just gobbed on your carpet! ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciations-which-are-legit-but-sound-pretentious-to-outsiders/823939.md?page=9)