to think that people who pronounce theatre the-Atre are just snobs

[lukewarmcupoftea]

My mother and my MIL both do this. I have no idea why. Is it a generational thing or do they do it just because they think going to the theatre (pronounced theeter by any body sensible) is so amazingly cultural and posh that you have to pronounce it the-a-ter to show that you know how amazingly cultural and posh it is, but you go all the time so are totally au fait with that?

I had no idea Poppity. Wondered what you were on about, googled and came across thetans .

YABU

How can it be 'snobby' to pronounce a word a certain way?

As for 'theetre', I've never heard this in my life. In fact I've never heard anybody mispronounce the word theatre.

I'm Scottish and say thee-it-urr, have never had anybody look at me blankly.

My DH says thee-ET-er, which I hate. Makes it sound like some sort of Victorian music hall, don't know why.

I say the -EH - tre and I'm a colossal snob, trust me.

My friends say Thee- ET- er and they are colossal snobs, yet somehow manage to still be nice people. They fully admit they hate the proles though.

thee-ay-ter is a relatively common Irish/Dublin pronunciation of the word (becoming less so though). I don't really care how it's pronounced as long as i don't have to go (so at least I'm a philistine rather than a snob )

My mum pronounces it The-ay-ter,and she isn't as posh as I am.I'm considerably posher than she is,but she is far more cultured than me. I'm a philistine who doesn't enjoy the theatre anyway.

Thank you ShowofHands, megapixels, poppity et al for explaining what I mean far more eloquently than I did! Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it sounds odd and forced. BTW its not to do with the 'natural' pronunciation of where mum/MIL are from - they are both from working class backgrounds in very different areas of the country (Norfolk/Berkhampstead) - which is why it sounds like more of an affectation to me and winds me (and DH!) up so much.

If it makes any difference, I'm from Surrey

HA haaaa!

My mum says thee-etter and drives me nuts with this pronunciation.

I say thee-a-ter and wish I could remember to say theeter which I think sounds nicer and more normal!

I have a similar problem with cinema. Most people say cinemuh, I say cinemaaah. Urgh.

for all the peasants in here and their hillarious pronunciation of theatre.

'I have a similar problem with cinema. Most people say cinemuh, I say cinemaaah. Urgh. '

My gran used to call it 'the pictures'.

We used to laugh our arses off at that when she wasn't around.

I call it "the pictures"! Can't bring myself to say "cinema" or even "cinemah".

Expat I still call it the pictures. But my dd laughs at me when I say it.

I say thee-a-ter. Am not posh and quite happy about the fact.

I also say gar-ridge as opposed to gar-aaaazjh. I always think mange tout Rodney when people chuck a bit of french pronunciation partout.

I say garridge! Not garrrraggge.

What's wrong with the pictures?

We say garridge. And my dad says nuggit for nougat and yoggit for yoghurt!

surely it's a silent t

I had a lovely drama tutor who said
The-AY-ter usually accompanied by a flourish of her hand, she also said Ac-toor not Acter.
I say The-ur-tre and 'the pictures' and also Garage to rhyme with Fromage and Scone to rhyme with bone not gone.

arf

What about finance

FIN-ance or FINE-ance

I say 'garrige' and pictures instead of cinema.DD1 has started calling the pictures 'the movies' which is annoying me for some reason.She has also been saying 'grarse' instead of grass,but I think that is because she has made friends with some children who have moved here from London and is copying them.