Author Topic: A holiday poll (Read 6754 times)

Jonathon · « **on:** December 07, 2008, 06:14:51 PM »

Be prepared to defend your answer.

rivka · « **Reply #1 on:** December 07, 2008, 07:04:16 PM »

Because that's what the street two blocks from my parents is called.

And the other way is just silly.

pooka · « **Reply #2 on:** December 07, 2008, 08:31:36 PM »

I'm never sure which one to actually say. But when my confidence is bolstered by wielding an unloaded shotgun, it was definitely tough talk toward Mr. Poinsetta. I was thinking the other day that a cool name for a villain would be Vito Poinsetta.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #3 on:** December 07, 2008, 09:01:11 PM »

"poin-sett-a"

I love them about as much as I love chrysanthemums, which is not very much. They're cliche plants.

Brinestone · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2008, 09:13:55 PM »

Yeah, they can look nice when there are a whole bunch of them in a public building or something, but I don't care for them individually much.

They're not as bad as mums, though, which are the world's ugliest flower. Okay, probably not, but definitely the floral industry's ugliest.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2008, 10:20:21 PM »

A holiday pole is what Frank Costanza had for Festivus.

Just sayin'.

The Genuine · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2008, 09:39:26 AM »

I call them Christmas Stars because I'm not sure what the "right" answer is. But I chose the second option because that's how my family says it.

Ela · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2008, 01:00:01 PM »

Poin-sett-i-a.

That's the correct botanical pronunciation. It's also the way my family always pronounced it.

They grow nicely here in Florida. My mom once stuck the potted poinsettias from her office in the long garden box we had out back and they took over the whole box quicker than any weed.

We were also taught, as kids, that the plant was toxic.

Narnia · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2008, 02:50:23 PM »

My spelling of it has been misinformed...so I guess I should change my pronunciation. I probably won't though.

pooka · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2008, 04:56:06 PM »

It's not a word I see the proper spelling of from a trustworthy source very often. Like, they only come out in the holiday season, and then the word is usally scrawled in sharpie on a neon colored sales poster. Maybe if there were a famous book with a memorable title, like The Christmas Poinsettia, I'd remember it better. I've never yet failed to spell "Box", "Jar" or "Sweater" correctly, and I thank Christmas books.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #10 on:** December 08, 2008, 10:07:59 PM »

Yeah, Jar was pretty tricky.

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They're not as bad as mums, though, which are the world's ugliest flower. Okay, probably not, but definitely the floral industry's ugliest.

I nominate the carnation. We should get used to them, though, because after the nuclear holocaust, all we're gonna have left are roaches, carnations and Cher.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #11 on:** December 08, 2008, 10:15:53 PM »

I like carnations. I think they are undervalued. They smell nice, unlike mums, which kind of smell like urine.

I plan to appreciate them in the anteapocalypic days, since I have no plans to be around postapocalyptically to smell the flowers, eat the roaches or marvel at how well-preserved Cher is.

rivka · « **Reply #12 on:** December 08, 2008, 10:41:50 PM »

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I like carnations. I think they are undervalued.

Me too.

pooka · « **Reply #13 on:** December 09, 2008, 06:53:04 AM »

I like carnations because they were the only flowers I got when I was young, and then when I was in Greece I rode my bicycle past a carnation farm a few times.

The Genuine · « **Reply #14 on:** December 09, 2008, 09:12:48 AM »

Since I became of the age to buy girls flowers, I've had the understanding that carnations were a cheap and unflattering choice. Nevertheless, I've always liked them because of my strong positive memories of the Carnation restaurant at Disneyland.

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #15 on:** December 09, 2008, 09:21:42 AM »

And that instant breakfast thing.

Ela · « **Reply #16 on:** December 16, 2008, 03:11:56 PM »

So, Jonathon, are you planning to tell us the correct answer? In your considered opinion, of course.

Porter · « **Reply #17 on:** December 16, 2008, 03:19:39 PM »

I'm guessing that he'll say the one with the superfluous syllables.

Assuming I'm right, how many syllables are in "comfortable" and "vegetable" when you say them, Jonathan?

pooka · « **Reply #18 on:** December 16, 2008, 03:35:50 PM »

One of our children used to say "vengtable". I still say that sometimes, and my husband tries to correct me when he catches it. They also said "pitsfa". This child did not have the sound pattern of English wired into their language acquisition device. They parsed "woof woof woof" as "fwoo fwoo fwoo" and "Rub rub rub" (from washing hands) as "bru bru bru."

Jonathon · « **Reply #19 on:** December 16, 2008, 04:54:31 PM »

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So, Jonathon, are you planning to tell us the correct answer? In your considered opinion, of course.

The traditionally correct form is the one with four syllables, not three. I say comfortable and vegetable with three syllables each, but those aren't really analogous to poinsettia. In those two, schwas are deleted, reducing the number of syllables. It's very uncommon to delete the vowel /i/ in English, as is done in poinsettia. I'm not positive, but I think the three-syllable version of poinsettia is a holdover from an old rural American accent where /i/ and /i?/ in final position were reduced to /?/.

And here's the honest truth: it's a pet peeve of mine, but a rather mild one. I'm just a hypocrite like that.

rivka · « **Reply #20 on:** December 16, 2008, 08:24:34 PM »

Remind me to never give 9 of you directions to my parents' house.

pooka · « **Reply #21 on:** December 16, 2008, 08:32:06 PM »

Why, is there a street named poinsetta close by the one named poinsettia?

The Genuine · « **Reply #22 on:** December 16, 2008, 09:20:58 PM »

Do you pronounce Wednesday like Wednesday (Woden's day) or like Wendsday (Wend's day)? Or some other way?

Tante Shvester · « **Reply #23 on:** December 16, 2008, 10:24:23 PM »

I pronounce poinsettia with three syllables, but vegetable and comfortable with four syllables each. Wednesday, I pronounce "WENZ-day", or "WENDZ-day".

Porter · « **Reply #24 on:** December 16, 2008, 11:51:28 PM »

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I say comfortable and vegetable with three syllables each, but those aren't really analogous to poinsettia.

Of course not they're not -- you don't pronounce them with superfluous syllables.

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Wednesday, I pronounce "WENZ-day", or "WENDZ-day".

And February?

Poll

How do you pronounce "poinsettia"?

Author Topic: A holiday poll (Read 6754 times)