Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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:
NoNoNanette · 12/12/2023 22:08

WickedSerious · 12/12/2023 22:07

'Confusement'instead of confusion.

We say 'confuzzled' just to annoy our teacher friend.

purplehair1 · 12/12/2023 22:08

'Rook' sack instead of 'rucksack'
'Pit za' instead of peeetza'

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 12/12/2023 22:08

But ON-velope is a correct pronunciation. It's they way I've always been brought up to say it. I'm not trying to be smug just saying a word in a way I always have and so do many people around me. EN-velope is fine too, but nothing wrong with ON-velope!

I'm not saying that YOU (or most) people are saying it smugly, as it's just normal for you; it's just that some people will sneer at and upbraid others for not pronouncing the first syllable of that French word in the French way but then go ahead and pronounce the third syllable in the English way themselves.

Isittimeformynapyet · 12/12/2023 22:09

maddiemookins16mum · 12/12/2023 21:38

Our neighbour says Covis, has done since March 2020.

And they're still alive?

You have shown admirable restraint @maddiemookins16mum 😌

Flyingwithmytoddler · 12/12/2023 22:11

I-pure-oh-fen for Ibuprofen, pronounced by my sister. Drives me insane!!!

JudgeJ · 12/12/2023 22:12

Bernadinetta · 12/12/2023 21:16

When I was applying for Uni about 18 years ago my dad insisted on pronouncing UCAS (as in UCAS points for getting into Uni) as UH-cuss (to sort of rhyme with ruckus) rather than YOU-cass. Still haunts me to this day

Before UCAS there was UCCA, pronounced Ukka, rhyming with pukka so maybe that's where it comes from.

Flyhigher · 12/12/2023 22:12

There's envelope (onvelope) and envelop I think I say onvelope. I'm even confused now!

UndertheCedartree · 12/12/2023 22:13

FatMumSlimDad · 12/12/2023 21:47

My dad's dead so can't ask him why and would happily hear him annoy me with it now.

But he would never ever use the word purple.

Always mauve.

Not sure why it was weird and annoying to me. But it was.

Also we knew someone called Alistair. And he always pronounced it Alist-AIR. Heard the bloke call himself 'Alistahr' like how the rest of us pronounced it. Probably drove him more made than me. Grin

My mum always says mauve too!

WickedSerious · 12/12/2023 22:13

Theeyeballsinthesky · 12/12/2023 21:14

This this!! Most especially adding an extra s on to shops that end in A eg Marks & Spenceres or Evanses

Edited
Show quote history

My mother's friend pronounced it 'Marks suspense'.

Original poster
Notsurehwhattdo · 12/12/2023 22:14

Flyhigher · 12/12/2023 22:07

@Notsurehwhattdo how old are you? My daughter hates the way I pronounce a few things. One weird one is I say Efisodes rather than episodes. Bizarre and I can't stop.
She hates the way I say the phone. I hate loads of hers, pro cess in the American way. Advertisement rather than advertising. Anything really northern and a bit scally.

Late 30's.

OP posts:
Thighdentitycrisis · 12/12/2023 22:14

My dad used to say mar-ga-rine for margarine. (That’s what we used to call soft stuff we spread on bread in the olden days)

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 12/12/2023 22:14

Toodles at the end of a phone call
Bubble juice for fizzy pop

I actually really, really like both of these!

My dad said ‘otel for hotel too.

He was speaking a French word in an authentic French way - he was smart.

'Rook' sack instead of 'rucksack'

That's a lot closer to the proper German pronunciation than the much more common 'ruck' (when said in a southern English accent).

winowin · 12/12/2023 22:14

St pancreas instead of St Pancras.

JudgeJ · 12/12/2023 22:15

NoNoNanette · 12/12/2023 21:38

We have a friend who is a junior school teacher, and she thinks that gives her the right to correct people. DH and I have little jokey things we say to each other e.g. 'sheeps' for 'sheep', 'pusscat' for 'cat' She once corrected me when I said 'sheeps' by mistake, forgetting who I was with. Now DH and I say it in her presence as often as possible. She once moaned that it was an uphill struggle getting her Bristolian pupils not to say 'go a toilet' so we say that too.

I wouldn't be able to resist that either! I wonder if all these correcting their parents and friends can pronounce patronising prats?

purplehair1 · 12/12/2023 22:16

ToThineOwnSelf · 12/12/2023 21:23

My mum says Mars BAR, dee-JAY, Bel-FAST and dis-CO

Um...isn't that correct?

Original poster
Notsurehwhattdo · 12/12/2023 22:17

AllAroundMyCat · 12/12/2023 22:06

I agree .. it's from the French which we all learned from , from the Middle Ages, when all posh and middle classes spike French!

En = on .

Much of the complaints on here are at best, colloquial, at worst are daft.

Show quote history

But they aren't 'complaints' ... I'm reading them more as examples of observational humour! Which quite honestly, is the angle I was going for.

OP posts:
FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 12/12/2023 22:18

Before UCAS there was UCCA, pronounced Ukka, rhyming with pukka so maybe that's where it comes from.

Wasn't it originally two bodies - UCCA (pronounced to rhyme with pukka) and PCAS (pronounced PEE-cass) - that became UCAS? On that basis, saying 'UCK-ass' makes perfect sense.

snottymcsnotface · 12/12/2023 22:18

Cerstificate
Pooley (poorly)
Witherspoon's

JudgeJ · 12/12/2023 22:18

FatMumSlimDad · 12/12/2023 21:50

Oh and even though she's been and has American friends and I've emphasised it many a time.

My wonderful mother always pronounces it

New Or-Lee-Ans

3 syllables just for the second word!

The locals make the entire thing 2 syllables. Why is she adding in extras?!?

Maybe she sees a French word and pronounced it correctly, N'orleens isn't used all across the US.

LakeTiticaca · 12/12/2023 22:18

I dont get the Mac Donald's one. How is that wrong? How should it be pronounced?

Veryangryboy · 12/12/2023 22:19

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 12/12/2023 22:04

Sospan instead of saucepan.
That sounds very like the pronunciation of the Welsh word for saucepan - is she bilingual and maybe confusing similar-sounding words?

Tuth instead of tooth.
Again, this is regional and very common, in the West Country among other places. It's a bit like when MNers assume somebody writing 'Mom' must be American, when most Brummies call their mums 'Mom.

Yes, but my mother is neither Welsh, nor from the west country. She is from South East England. That is why it is annoying.

Original poster
Notsurehwhattdo · 12/12/2023 22:20

Veryangryboy · 12/12/2023 22:19

Yes, but my mother is neither Welsh, nor from the west country. She is from South East England. That is why it is annoying.

Show quote history

They were clutching at straws there 🤣

OP posts:
Goldiex · 12/12/2023 22:20

My mum says 'ROZZBRY' for Raspberry and only ever says 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' and never KFC.

UndertheCedartree · 12/12/2023 22:20

Projectme · 12/12/2023 21:53

"My husband says woomd for womb which makes me feel sick."

My DM says something similar..."woon/woonm". I cringe everytime and want to scream "its part of your own anatomy woman!!! At least know how to say it!!!"

A friend pronounces falafel as fal-A-fel.

I think I say falafel like that! How do you say it?

Jewnicorn · 12/12/2023 22:21

I feel a bit mean commenting as neither of my parents have English as a first language but…
my dad could not pronounce the name Jeremy. Came out something like ‘Germably’ and he used to get a real bee on his bonnet about Germably CO-bin. Amused me greatly.
My mother often rings to ask about my daya-BEET-us which is less amusing and makes me want to throw my phone out the window.