To think if you are going to narrate a BBC science documentary

[FraidyCat]

involving nuclear physics, you should be able to pronounce "nuclear" and "nucleus." (Hint: "Nucular" and "Nuculus" are wrong.)

(Documentary was "Faster than the speed of light" on BBC4 last night, now on iplayer.)

To me that particular mispronunciation makes the speaker sound like a toddler struggling to get their tongue around a new word.

Oh dear, have just found a Wikipedia article that says this pronunciation is so established some dictionaries mention it, though none say it's correct. I suppose it's only a matter of time before this idiocy is legitimised.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular

erm ...okay!

I will keep that in mind if I'm ever called on to do such narrating.

It's infuriating, isn't it? I also feel the same about medical dramas - how hard is it to have someone give the actors a 5 minute lesson in how to pronounce basic terms?!

I've told them to stop asking me.

US president Bush jnr had his finger on the "nucular" button.

I know he wasn't the sharpest pencil in the box, but surely someone could have told him how to pronounce it.

Who presented it?

If it was some esy-on-the-eye journo then I'm with you.

If it was some Professor of Tricky Scientific Concepts then you're on your own.

I thought it was this fella.

In which case I think we can forgive him his shit pronunciation . I'd much rather have someone who knows what he's talking about than someone with only a C in O grade physics reading "nuclear" perfectly off the autocue

Me too, I hate when they have people masquerading as experts.

That floppy haired Neil Oliver winds me up when he's described as an historian. An undergraduate history degree does not an historian make.

I had no idea what his qualifications were. Now I'm bemused.

He specialises in science communication Just for giggles obvs.

That floppy haired Neil Oliver is actually my husband in my head and the subject of many a SirChen fantasy. Quite frankly, Neil can call himself whatever he likes in my book.

Maybe it was a conscious decision to get down with the masses?

Maybe I hallucinated the mispronunciation, and am going to be sued for libel?

this was making me want to throw a brick through the screen too.

du saveloy (as one of my friends refers to him!) is a real scientist and should know better. This mispronounciation is normally for those who think 'chemicals' are bad and that UV strength is related to temperature, not people who actually know their science.

Bit like Dara (sp?) O'Brien - I can harldly understand a word he says when he does science programmes.

This kind of thing gives me the rage.

News at ten the other night and the newsreader pronounces the word secretary and seck-uh-terry. Honestly, you're a fucking newsreader. You are being paid to read aloud. I was incandescent with rage.

DP was most bemused.

Last time I watch the news on itv that's for sure.

My sympathies to you SirChenjin for making such a poor choice of matrimonial partner.

I really, really hate "nucular". I don't even understand why people do it. These are people who have no problem with saying "new" and "clear". What's so heard about putting them together?

What do we think about "meteorology"? I pronounce it more or less as it is written, i.e. meaty-or-ology, but I have heard some including Jeremy Paxton saying meatry-ology. Paxton has close to national treasure status in my view, but that one makes me wince.

Sympathy from someone with such a poor recognition of genius is not required

Such rudeness.

In revenge I'm going to have a filthy afternoon tryst with your imaginary husband. Even though I'll sob and retch throughout.

(Apols for lowering tone of science thread)

You may think that you will retch and sob (because you have such obscure judgement...) but his prowess in bed is unrivalled. You will, in fact, come to thank me for pointing you in his direction. Oh yes.

I bet he'll be all dramatic and waft his silly hair everywhere.

Let me really get you worried.

If the last case on the list in the Great Crown Court in the Sky is Drunk in Charge of a Nuclear Weapon it won't matter how anyone pronounces it, will it?

Oh no - the hair is tied back

Was the person norther n ius northerners say nucleur , anyway sqoosh neil oliver lives in my town I see him quite a lot