What would you say to a friend/colleague who pointed out, kindly

[MadameCastafiore]

That you were mispronouncing a foreign word?

Just wondered if I am touchy or this is another time when she says something to me and I should stand up for myself?

Was I BU correcting my mum who was about to order a Mulatto In a coffee shop

Colleague I used to work with was helping his PILs renovate a barn in France that was going to be their extended family holiday/retirement home. He said he was getting pretty good at French from having to speak it for a few weeks at a time (we agreed, reminiscing about gap years blah blah).

Then he gave some examples.

Vinn Rogue was the best. Had us laughing for weeks.

ordering a mulatto

It is pew in Peugeot! It's just you English pronouncing it incorrectly!

Pronunciation of 'herbs' as 'erbs' comes from the French. The French for grass is 'l'herbe' - with a silent 'h'.

What on earth that has to do with the Americans pronouncing it that way I have no idea

Arf @ I'll have a chicken and mozzarella poonani please love.

I know BIWI - but I don't get why they choose to treat it as a French word, when he have the word herb in English.

have you worked it out/has she rang back? Was I even vaguely right?

i think quite a few of the american/british differences come from french

they use 'pants' too because of the french i think (pantalon, pantaloon in english).

possibly also pitcher for jug (pichet in french), but i don't know the etymology of that word

I'd be soooo tempted to say something wrongly when talking to her next

My mum gets a bit huffy when I correct her pronounciation of St Pancras (she says St Pancreas) - I try to let it slide, but just can't let it go.

Also when Americans say 'math', maybe they're right but I can't stand it.

I did used to know a Russian girl who said 'hairs' instaed of hair eg. 'I'm off to get my hairs cut'. I always thought that was quite charming...

I was in the States once and was asked if I wanted Wers-sesss-ta-shire sauce in my bloody mary.

My mother was Irish and she used love Thai (pronounced Thaigh) food. She also said Thaighland, not Tie-land!

The reason Americans pronounce herbs with an unaspirated H is because originally that is how it was pronounced in English - like lots of other words beginning with h that were assimilated into the language from Norman French - honour for example. It wasn't until the 19th century that we started pronouncing the H in Britain (and think of words like hotel which didn't gain an aspirated H until the early 20th century). American English had obviously been long separated from British English by then. So technically their pronunciation is 'correct'.

OP I'm like you - if you'd corrected me I'd have laughed at myself, thanked you profusely and possibly got into a discussion about etymology.

Not everyone can laugh at themselves though - sounds like she takes herself way too seriously. Move on, and only deal with her about work stuff in future, that way you're safe.

Oh thank you so much for that Amph. I shall never complain again. I love learning things from clever people.

Oh thank you so much for that Amph. I shall never complain again. I love learning things from clever people.

So much I posted it twice.

Or did you just google that?

Glad it was helpful. I didn't google it, I'm a language geek! Also I'm half Irish/half American so have a special interest in non-standard varieties of English.

I went on a date with a wanker who insisted on ordering for me!! He asked for a bottle of Rioja (and said Rio-ja) the waiter and I were discreetly pissing ourselves. I even had to go to the loo to tell the waiter to stop. He asked us when brought the food if we'd like some JA-lapenos. My cue to crumple into hysterical laughter.

He never got another date.

Gnocchi is pronounced "nyocki", surely? Not "g-nocki"?

Why is it not Los Angeleeeeees? Should it not be Los Anheles if you want to give it correct Spanish pronunciation?

[even more now]

The mention of mongey toots has just reminded me of a wedding I attended as a child.

The woman sitting next to my DM nudged her husband whilst perusing the menu and said, 'What's man-gi toot?' Myself and younger DB had great difficulty keeping straight faces.