Gransnet forums

AIBU

Wrong and utterly stupid pronunciations...

(170 Posts)
HollyDaze Wed 03-Sep-14 17:41:02

My stepfather was Welsh and he adored my son. When my son was about 4 years old, my stepfather, when we went to visit, said, as he usually did, 'come here boyo' and he'd hold his arms open ready to scoop my son up for a cuddle. One particular day, my son said 'Granddad, why do you call me a boil' grin

granjura Wed 03-Sep-14 17:30:48

When on holiday in France or Switzerland when our girls were little, people often invited us for an 'apéritif' - our youngest asked once why people asked us round for 'a pair of teeth'! Still often used in our family.

For me, as a native French speaker, 'th' was always my bugbear. Either came out as a 'f' or a 'v'- and of course used to put 'h's everywhere they shoudn't be. First day in London, I went to the cornershop to buy some 'cloth hangers' pronounced 'cloff hangers'- they of course didn't understand me- so I explained, clutching my jacket 'hangers to hang my cloffs on'- then had to point to said hangers. oh they laughed. Also told future OH I wanted to become a 'hairostess' in the past. I had to learn, and fast!

Ana Wed 03-Sep-14 17:07:20

Having only read the word and never having heard anyone say it, I thought the wor picturesque was pronounced 'picture-skew'. I still use it to myself sometimes!

Pamaga Wed 03-Sep-14 17:04:02

A friend's father used to call bikinis 'binkies'.
My son used to say vigenar instead of vinegar and beetroop instead of beetroot.
I read the names Penelope and Imogen in school stories before I ever met anyone with those names. I thought the former was Pen-elope (as in the words pen and elope) and the latter I-mo-gen (with a hard g).

CariGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 03-Sep-14 16:59:58

It was a sad day when hosdible became hospital.

The one that winds me up (and it's so common) is "new killer" instead of nuclear

HollyDaze Wed 03-Sep-14 16:56:54

Some of them I find amusing - my eldest GD could never say cucumber but would always say 'cumcuber', the youngest one couldn't say shoulders, that came out as 'soldiers'.

My Dad would deliberately mispronounce words (with a gleam in his eyes and a grin) - when on holiday, he would ask me to fetch the newspaper and to ask for the Maily Dirror (it was years before I realised that wasn't what it was called), he would ask if everyone would like chish and fips. A local road, Haunch Lane, he always called Hunch Lane - and so it went on grin

Two I really dislike: aks (instead of ask) and pacific (instead of specific).

TriciaF Wed 03-Sep-14 16:55:44

"old station dog"? smile
Alsation of course.
My work involved talking to children, and I often asked them if the family had a dog and if so what kind?
One little girl replied "an old station dog" and that stumped me for a while.

Agus Wed 03-Sep-14 16:37:50

Yes, what is the old station dog?

Agus Wed 03-Sep-14 16:35:31

That is so sweet gillybob. Both GDs entertained us when they got words wrong or in GD2s case still puts an N in front of the word use as in, I can't nooz this grin

gillybob Wed 03-Sep-14 16:09:51

A bit off topic but my 4 year old grandson can't pronounce the letter "G"
therefore his sisters are called The Dirls, I am Drandma, DH is Drandad etc.

Had to giggle diddle on Monday evening when at dinner he asked;

"Drandma, can me and the dirls go to the park with drandad? I will be a dood boy ". [drin]

Galen Wed 03-Sep-14 15:59:01

Alsatian dog?

suebailey1 Wed 03-Sep-14 15:07:06

Loved the Map and Lucia series - they always said Au Reservoir.

We say serpently for certainly- silly but a family tradition.

DelBoy was best at it of course mange tout mange tout!

Soutra Wed 03-Sep-14 15:05:26

Duh! What is "old station dog" ?

petallus Wed 03-Sep-14 15:02:05

My grandfather used to say 'sparrow grass' for asparagus and old station dog for the obvious but I think it may have been deliberate.

rosequartz Wed 03-Sep-14 15:00:12

Oh dear.
There was me thinking that the younger generation couldn't pronounce words correctly and all the time it is we DPs!

Sometimes we mis-pronounce words deliberately in this family because the DC pronounced them wrongly when they were tiny. People must think we don't know any better.

KatyK Wed 03-Sep-14 14:54:17

I used to work with someone who said olive war instead of au revoir when trying to speak a bit of French smile Shades of Del Boy.

Agus Wed 03-Sep-14 14:08:47

Instead of saying gracias, my elderly uncle would say, grassy arse grin

Greenfinch Wed 03-Sep-14 13:59:42

The saddest one of all I think is that of WW1 soldiers sent to Ypres . Not able to pronounce it(most never having been outside of England and with no knowledge of French) they called it "Wipers" (Y-pers).sad

Pittcity Wed 03-Sep-14 13:40:58

My Grandad was one for the French too. He used to say "Silver Plate" instead of "Please".

solonan Wed 03-Sep-14 13:26:12

Just saw this over on mumsnet and it did make me laugh. Al Paseeno? My dear old grandfather used to pronounce the z in Chez Fred his local fish and chip shop. Such a funny memory.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/a2172634-Al-Pacino-has-ruined-my-day?msgid=49212042#49212042