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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: March 01, 2026, 08:05:50 AM »
I just heard a newscaster say "tampening down." Pretty sure that's not a thing.
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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day
« on: January 29, 2026, 06:04:35 PM »
Oh, yeah, I saw several PubMed things about the genetics of Ashkenazi Jews.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Eggcorns
« on: January 29, 2026, 06:03:32 PM »
Yeah, absolutely, rivka.
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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day
« on: January 29, 2026, 03:04:44 PM »
Yes, that's my assumption, too.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Eggcorns
« on: January 29, 2026, 03:02:46 PM »
That made me laugh out loud.
However, when I listened to the video, I never heard anyone say "sicko fan" so I'm not sure what the tweeter's comment is mean to say. I heard sycophant, not sicko fan. Where did you see it transcribed as sicko fan?
I wouldn't put it past them, mind you, my friend who used to do close captioning says automated closed captioning in use now makes these kind of mistakes all the time.
However, when I listened to the video, I never heard anyone say "sicko fan" so I'm not sure what the tweeter's comment is mean to say. I heard sycophant, not sicko fan. Where did you see it transcribed as sicko fan?
I wouldn't put it past them, mind you, my friend who used to do close captioning says automated closed captioning in use now makes these kind of mistakes all the time.
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English & Linguistics / Re: The random etymology of the day
« on: January 29, 2026, 02:55:41 PM »
Yeah, it's definitely interesting.
This discussion about it is interesting, not sure how accurate is is:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/hqehsm/what_are_ashkenazi_jews_and_where_did_they_come/
This discussion about it is interesting, not sure how accurate is is:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/hqehsm/what_are_ashkenazi_jews_and_where_did_they_come/
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: May 27, 2025, 09:52:26 AM »
Just sounds wrong. 
In other news (and another GBBO pronounciation fail), in Mexican week (several years ago, I'm behind watching) they made "tackos" with "pico de gallow"!
In other news (and another GBBO pronounciation fail), in Mexican week (several years ago, I'm behind watching) they made "tackos" with "pico de gallow"!
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: May 25, 2025, 03:39:33 PM »
A newscaster just said "asterick" for asterisk. In what world is "asterick" a word? 
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: January 30, 2025, 09:26:50 PM »
Yeah, apparently it was a legit pronounciation. And it is close to the French pronounciation. But I've never heard it pronounced that way by an American before.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: January 07, 2025, 07:11:57 PM »
Yeah, I wondered if she'd studied French, as well. Can't remember anymore who said it.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: January 07, 2025, 01:43:32 PM »
I don't think it's an accepted pronounciation for malaise in English. But the way she said it was very close to the way it's pronounced in French.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: January 05, 2025, 09:54:44 PM »
There's was a story on NPR about President Jimmy Carter's malaise speech and the NPR reporter pronounced it ma-lez, which I guess is close to the French pronounciation, but not the way I've ever heard it pronounced in English.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: August 27, 2024, 11:25:40 AM »
I didn't realize it either till I saw the meme about it.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: August 19, 2024, 06:22:55 PM »
Thanks for your thoughts on it.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: August 18, 2024, 08:59:26 PM »
I pronounce it the way Merriam-Webster says. So does my spouse.
Maybe the pronounciation differences are regional?
Maybe the pronounciation differences are regional?
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English & Linguistics / Re: Strange Proununciations
« on: August 18, 2024, 11:26:56 AM »
So I saw a meme asking why we pronounce the "g" in "longevity" twice. Pretty sure I don't.
So what's the correct pronounciation?
So what's the correct pronounciation?
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English & Linguistics / Re: New column-type thingy
« on: June 18, 2024, 03:47:19 PM »
Ha, I had the same questions as rivka.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Dear Expert
« on: February 07, 2024, 08:50:52 PM »
Ha! Yeah, something like that.
Folks use commas inappropriately a lot.
Folks use commas inappropriately a lot.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Dear Expert
« on: February 06, 2024, 06:49:49 AM »
Why on earth would someone use a comma after "include" in this sentence? (Including only the part of the sentence leading up to and after "include".)
"...pain treatment strategies during procedures for newborns and infants include, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin and..."
Am I wrong to think no comma is needed after include?
It's a quote pulled from another publication and quoted in an article I'm reviewing, so if it's wrong it was probably published wrong. Unless the article writer typed the quote incorrectly.
"...pain treatment strategies during procedures for newborns and infants include, breastfeeding, skin-to-skin and..."
Am I wrong to think no comma is needed after include?
It's a quote pulled from another publication and quoted in an article I'm reviewing, so if it's wrong it was probably published wrong. Unless the article writer typed the quote incorrectly.
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English & Linguistics / Re: Dear Expert
« on: August 23, 2023, 05:07:26 AM »m-w conjectures:Spoiler: hiding my shame in using the literal dictionary (click to show/hide)
Interesting, pooka. Which dictionary did you check?
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English & Linguistics / Re: Dear Expert
« on: August 20, 2023, 08:37:19 PM »
Why is a canard an unfounded rumor in English and a duck in French?
Is there a relationship between the two words?
Is there a relationship between the two words?
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English & Linguistics / Re: Funny English and Linguistics stuff...
« on: June 28, 2023, 07:51:02 PM »
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English & Linguistics / Re: Dear Expert
« on: June 26, 2023, 10:46:01 AM »
I only know the ones Tante mentioned.
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English & Linguistics / Re: I hate journalistic writing
« on: March 03, 2023, 10:25:12 AM »
Not only is it poorly written but full of misinformation.
News flash: antibiotics are not used to treat norovirus. It's a virus. Antibiotics don't work against viruses.
News flash: antibiotics are not used to treat norovirus. It's a virus. Antibiotics don't work against viruses.