Erbs!

I always remember Mia Farrow saying 'erb' in Rosemary's Baby - I was quite young and couldn't understand what she was talking about ?

I mean the Paris, France etc... bit!

I like that grandetante ?

Not a send up, just the way Americans mispronounce herbs.

It is herbs for goodness sake. Surely erbs is a send up!

While on the subject the Americans, or at least some of them, talk about uman beings, not human beings and I think say umane instead of humane, but I believe they teach the humanities, like we do, not the umanities in their universities.

No, Bathseba, they go to Paris, France and Venice, Italy to distinguish these major European cities from their namesakes in the US of A!

Oh, and probably, Vienna, Austria as well, but I don't think they know that Boston, England exists!

When I was a child, some of the older generation (by which I mean my grandparents' generation) still said "an otel" instead of "a hotel" as they had been taught that some of the French words that had been incorporated into English should be pronounced in French.

I don't remember anyone talking about erbs, but that is probably because in the Glasgow area only parsley, chives and sage and onion stuffing every made their way to the table! Some people, not my family, used rosemary and thyme stuffing.

I say and write turmeric.

We're British and we pronounce the 'h', so it's herbs, not 'erbs.
If that lot across the pond like to retain the French pronunciation (even in words that aren't French ), I'm guessing that when they go on their 'grand tours', they visit Paree. I'll have to listen out for that on telly. Could be a while before I come across an example though might not live that long

I believe it was pronounced ‘erbs in Shakespeare’s day, and changed afterwards

Kittylester Your mum is absolutely right! An hotel (not pronouncing the 'h' is correct.

I live in 'Ull were it is it almost compulsary to drop your aitches. I don't think anyone ever calls me Helen. I am always Ellen. So the erb/herb debate is probably a non starter here!

kittylester ....that did make me laugh!
My mother acquired an 'r' in 'off' when she married my stepfatber!!

It's herbs for me. Erbs is how Americans say it, as mentioned above. Just one more Americanism creeping into our language. Like 'sucks' for something that people don't like, and 'butt' instead of bottom. It drive me mad.

I will continue to pronounce it with an H, although I do sometimes pronounce Quinoa, as quin-oh-ah just to be wicked and so that well meaning 'Waitrose types' will correct me!

In France the word is 'herbe', pronounced without the 'h'. In Britain the word is 'herb' pronounced as standard English with the 'h' pronounced.

I have never heard pronounced without the 'h' in Britain. Where have other people heard it pronounced without the 'h'? Except, of course, among those for whom in 'ertford, 'ereford and 'ampshire, 'urricanes 'ardly 'appen

My mum, aka Mrs Bucket, used to say an otel.

As far as I know 'herb' is not a French word - so it's Herb. If you say 'erb', then you should also be saying 'erbaceous' and 'erbage', and 'erbal' and 'erbalist'. (If you're a cockney, by all means carry on!)

'erb is the American pronounciation of herb. I didn't know it was catching on in the UK!

I remember reading so many references to cilantro and its “soapy” taste, nasty smell, and general unpopularity in American food writings for years and years. I kept thinking, I’ve never had this cilantro but it sounds rank.

I was outright astounded to discover around a decade ago that this horrible cilantro was in fact my adored fresh coriander which I could eat by the bush and smells so glorious.

Ever since I have approached certain food writers with great suspicion...

It's so much easier to say!

I sometimes say an hotel and also an historian, of which I have two in my family.

How many people say 'an hotel'?

I think 'h' in French is often silent. Personally, I pronounce it our way with the 'h' definitely not silent.

Parsley doesn't have the same ring to it somehow.

Nor Basil