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Pedants' corner
Original poster

Funny mispronunciations

249 replies

coochicoo · 21/04/2009 19:15

I had to have a giggle at my lovely friend the other day. Not only did she describe someone as being 'lapsidaisy', but she also said they'd taken 'humbridge' at something. Thankfully she can laugh at her self so wasn't offended when I corrected her!

What mispronunciations have you heard...and do you correct people?

OP posts:
CherryChoc · 23/04/2009 20:32

Oh I forgot earlier to add DH's best mispronunciation - "obeast"!

swimmingmummy · 23/04/2009 21:34

Just read the post about the chicken disks and have tears pouring down my face from laughing!

My sister used to live in South Africa and had a strong South African accent. When she came over for a holiday one year, we were in a market and she asked us what the tex was on the clothes. We looked at her blankly and said "what's tex?". "Tex," she said. "You know, like VAT."

Oh god, I'm still laughing about the chicken disks!

missmiss · 23/04/2009 21:57

ImpatientGriselda, dp and I call both Canaletto and Caravaggio, Canelloni...perhaps it was us you heard?

feralgirl · 23/04/2009 22:18

My gran used to pronounce aubergine "orbergeeny".

DH says "munster" instead of monster and "sangwich" instead of sandwich which drives me loopy!

fulltimeworkingmum · 23/04/2009 22:22

My 3yr old DD calls Pomegranate Juice "Probly Granny Juice" which delights my mother!

duchesse · 23/04/2009 22:49

My son used to ask for a "jamwich" when he was about 3. We thought it was cute. I've never to this day known whether he thought a jamwich was a jam sandwich...

melpomene · 24/04/2009 00:05

The other day I meant to call my dd 'twinkle toes' and it came out as 'treacle toes'...

NoWookinFurries · 24/04/2009 09:08

Not read all the posts - but my DH says 'sustificate' for certificate and 'distructions' for instructions....

Also my DS (age 3) can't say massive and says maffis

ImpatientGriselda · 24/04/2009 09:59

thought of 2 others overnight:

"off your own bat" - so many people say back, rather than bat

moot point - I often hear mute point said at work

StealthPolarBear · 24/04/2009 10:04

isittooearlyforgin, how do you pronounce broccoli?
A friend of mine at school talked about her french pronoun-ciation!
My mum says "on-velope" and "churry" instead of cherry.

StealthPolarBear · 24/04/2009 10:05

I hate secuterry too - always on the news

clumsymum · 24/04/2009 10:19

Ever since ds was tiny, any chap with no hair will be described in this house as 'blad'

heavenstobetsy · 24/04/2009 10:50

My other half once thought he had discolated his knee. I was quite disappointed to find he hadn't actually had some bizarre dancing accident ..........

KirstyJC · 24/04/2009 12:25

Not really a mispronunciation, but our 5 year old is convinced the Xmas song 'Most wonderful time of the year' includes the line 'It't the moles' wonderful time of the year'. Gets quite upset when we correct him! (Nice to think moles enjoy Christmas too though! )

I have problems with n and l as I get them mixed up sometimes - I have asked for callenonni in a restaurant, and sometime watch the comedian Billy Colonny on telly!

Housemum · 24/04/2009 12:43

I agree sekkertry is annoying - also joolery.

DD1 used to call ostriches "orshits" which has stuck.

I'm sure in the 70's you had a garaaahhge on your house but now it's a garridge?

Swimmingmummy - my favourite mishearing of a South African accent was when someone said her colleague had a problem with his arse (so I thought) - she looked at me blankly when I asked if he needed a special chair, "what's that got to do with his aahsight (eyesight)"

now, can anyone agree on skonns or skones??!!

StealthPolarBear · 24/04/2009 12:49

skonns!

thumbwitch · 24/04/2009 12:49

skonns and skones is regional and possibly class-ish. There is no "more correct" pronunciation of the 2.

garaaage here but with a hard g (i.e. garardj); I don't like it being frenchified with the soft g (gararzh)

DadInsteadofMum · 24/04/2009 12:50

Jelly Bean "the crack of sparrows" for crack of dawn is a London thing I think rather than a mispronounciation. Any very early time being referred to as Sparrow's Fart, your colleague was just too polite to complete the phrase.

YouKnowNothingoftheCrunch · 24/04/2009 13:00

Can I do place names?

I was once completely flummoxed by an Australian asking how long it would take to get to Looga Barooga.

I finally had to get him to write it down as I couldn't think of anywhere even remotely sounding like that.

Turns out he meant Loughborough (pronounced Luff-borough for those unsure)

Still makes me chuckle

Takver · 24/04/2009 13:42

Yep, crack of sparrow perfectly normal.

Love the Australian trying to get to Loughborough.

Good thing he didn't want to go to Towcester (aka Toaster)

Original poster
coochicoo · 24/04/2009 14:39

Looga Barooga is brilliant!

OP posts:
Lotstodo · 24/04/2009 16:34

My work colleague tells me that she always puts basmatic vinegar on her salad at home but can't at work because it will be soggy by the time it's lunch time. She tells me at lunch time at least twice a week and every day during summer!

Fimbo · 24/04/2009 16:36

My mum was in the chemist and an old dear came in and asked for "by yourself" tablets, after much questioning by the pharmacist it turns out she meant Bisodol tablets.

Fimbo · 24/04/2009 16:39

I hate brought instead of bought.

Kayteee · 24/04/2009 16:42

ds once asked for a boomerang from the cake shop. Meringues are always called that in our house now