Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Words your parents pronounce/use that drive you CRAZY!!!

632 replies

Notsurehwhattdo · 12/12/2023 20:25

My parents say ON-velope. Rather than EN-velope. Cin-a-MAR, rather than Cin-a-ma.

Slightly differently, they also say 'trod on' rather than 'stepped on'. I know it's not incorrect, I just hate the posh way they say trod and think it's a horrible word!

All the above drives me crazy! Aaaaarrrghhhh

Inspired by the theatre thread!

OP posts:
SweatyAmy · 13/12/2023 18:27

My Dad is another one who says 'vay-gan' instead of vegan. It's bothered me since i had a vegan friend at primary school. I've had 25 years of hearing him talk about the day he managed 'to find vay-gan ice cream for that little vay-gan girl at your birthday party' 😬

My MIL pronounces tooth as 'tuth' which goes through me. However, I pronounce window as 'win-duh' (Lincs accent) and that goes through DH's entire family!

MercyChant66 · 13/12/2023 18:42

Mull · 12/12/2023 20:47

Brew-fen for Ibuprofen. Although I know a couple of older people who say that so maybe that was an old brand name?

It's a brand name. My sister's a nurse and always refers to brufen.

PaulaPocket · 13/12/2023 18:55

@Isittimeformynapyet

My dear Dad passed away in June, so I will never have to hear him say "Syusan" and "syoot" instead of Susan and suit again.

Did he come from the East Midlands? Mine said those things. And syootable etc. Born near Derby, went to Loughborough Grammar School, and spent most of his adult life in London.

IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism · 13/12/2023 19:00

Toddlerteaplease · 13/12/2023 14:27

@IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism the same way we always call paracetamol Calpol. We do have the branded stuff.

Yes but have you ever actually held a packet with Brufen on it (ffs spellcheck I did not mean Bruges, or Bruce…)? I don’t think I’ve seen one since the mid 80s, and certainly only the prescription-only version is Brufen. The first brand that went to general sale was Nurofen.

It fascinates me that the name persists. Maybe because ibuprofen is a bit of a mouthful.

A relative of mine calls it Eye-Brufen which makes me think it’s an Apple product spelled iBrufen.

Toddlerteaplease · 13/12/2023 19:03

Actually, no never!

MrsMoastyToasty · 13/12/2023 19:10

I watch a lot of American home make over programmes. None of the presenters seem capable of pronouncing the word mirror.
It's usually a "mee-ah" .
I pronounce it "mirr-ur" (with a west country accent).

IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism · 13/12/2023 19:17

Toddlerteaplease · 13/12/2023 19:03

Actually, no never!

Weird isn’t it?

Wick55 · 13/12/2023 19:39

Mataland!! This one popped straight into my head when I read the post - why does it annoy me so much? Probably because she has a Matalan card front and centre in her purse - and shops there regularly!

hot2trotter · 13/12/2023 20:28

So many, mainly from my (lovely) grandparents but occasionally my mother.

Haribo = Hareebo
Aldi = Oldi
Actimel = Actimol
Cemetery = Simitry
Book = Book with "oo" sound rather than "u"

Jitterybugs · 13/12/2023 20:31

Book = Book with "oo" sound rather than "u

But surely it is an oo sound and a u would be buck ?

Waitingfordoggo · 13/12/2023 20:37

@Jitterybugs I think that poster means like the sound in ‘put’. Depends on your accent though of course! In my accent, book and put have the same vowel sound.

Waitingfordoggo · 13/12/2023 20:40

My Mum had some funny pronunciations. The two that come to mind straight away are
‘voool-a-von’ (vol au vent) and Bon-gee-la (Bonjela). With that one you’d have thought the fact that it’s literally a gel would have been a clue 😂

purpleyberet · 13/12/2023 20:42

Dotcheck · 12/12/2023 21:53

Nasty thread, but hey, it’s about old people, so who gives a shit?

You've really misjudged the sentiment behind this thread

DuesToTheDirt · 13/12/2023 20:42

Jitterybugs · 13/12/2023 20:31

Book = Book with "oo" sound rather than "u

But surely it is an oo sound and a u would be buck ?

I think they mean "oo" as in "ooh", or "choose", a common Lancashire pronunciation for book and look, as opposed to the "u" in "put" (which is what most accents use in book/look).

Jitterybugs · 13/12/2023 20:43

Waitingfordoggo · 13/12/2023 20:37

@Jitterybugs I think that poster means like the sound in ‘put’. Depends on your accent though of course! In my accent, book and put have the same vowel sound.

Edited

I think you’re right, a lot of these perceived wrongly pronounced words are due to regional accents 😊

tillytoodles1 · 13/12/2023 20:49

My dad called the cinema the pictures.

Wishbone436 · 13/12/2023 20:50

Ah I love this thread! So many remind me of my mum! It drove me crackers when she was alive, but she passed 18m ago & now hearing any of these just makes me remember her really fondly 😍 her best, to memory, was “I believe in milko ..” instead of “I believe in miracles..” I always mentally sing her version when I hear the song!

BIossomtoes · 13/12/2023 20:50

tillytoodles1 · 13/12/2023 20:49

My dad called the cinema the pictures.

Everyone my age calls it that.

Polis · 13/12/2023 20:52

My Dad is another one who says 'vay-gan' instead of vegan

My husband pronounces vegan like that. To him it is how it should be pronounced so he doesn’t see an issue

Kwazikitten · 13/12/2023 20:54

I am from Newcastle. My mum and 55yr old brother both pronounce it Nyu-castle instead of Newcastle.

grumpycow1 · 13/12/2023 21:00

ShirleyPhallus · 12/12/2023 20:47

My MIL says this and it drives me crackers

Show quote history

Me too!!!

SoTired12 · 13/12/2023 21:04

Sauvblanctime · 12/12/2023 22:54

My mum says fisted instead of punched 😭

😂😂😂

LyndaSnellsSniff · 13/12/2023 21:09

My parents also of the persuasion. See also;
MarmaLADE. Drives me crackers.

RiverCartwright · 13/12/2023 21:21

My late FIL always pronounced Loughborough as loogie ber oogie. He knew the correct pronunciation but it made him laugh. It kind of stuck and DH and I often call it that.
Also when DS was small he had a ‘dressing down’ rather than a dressing gown so that kind of became language as well.

Newtonianmechanics · 13/12/2023 21:22

Plice for the police

Med sun for medicine

Swipe left for the next trending thread