Favorite and/or least favorite words

[MrsZ]

Saponification, bergamot (and up until recently I pronounced the t!).

Wait, the t isn't pronounced? I've been saying it wrong forever!

 

[AliOop]

To help with bronchial infections when they were infants and toddlers, my grandsons always slept with a humidifier on in their bedroom. They would always remind my daughter as she tucked them in, “Mommy, don’t forget to turn on the clah-midifier.”

Although that was years ago, we still find it very hard in our family to say “humidifier” without laughing.

 

[AliOop]

Wait, the t isn't pronounced? I've been saying it wrong forever!

You can say it either way. I do lean towards “berga-moe” because I can still see my high school French teacher’s face if someone pronounced the “t” in words like that. She’s probably flipping out at all the people who drink “Le Croy” (proper French would be pronounced “Le Kwah”).

 

[Zing]

Wait, the t isn't pronounced? I've been saying it wrong forever!

I called it bergamoT for years until my brother in law told me it's berga-moh as in low or row or toe.

 

[TheGecko]

Certain of my kids' mispronunciations stick with me.

My my oldest daughter was first learning to talk, she'd forget the "l" in 'clock'.

 

[user 56151]

More favorites: Lake Okoboji

Saponification, bergamot (and up until recently I pronounced the t!). I will say that Mrs. Zing was really caught off guard the first time I said "I'm going to go masterbatch."

Our kids called Corned Beef Hash 'tosh' and 'coffee cash.'

Tusen Takk. Uff da -- perfectly captures a feeling.

You mean the t in bergamot is silent? Well there you go, I’ve been pronouncing it with the t, and here is me saying how much I dislike words being mispronounced.

 

[AliOop]

You mean the t in bergamot is silent? Well there you go, I’ve been pronouncing it with the t, and here is me saying how much I dislike words being mispronounced.

It really is pronounced both ways. I've also heard VAN-illin and Vuh-NILL-in. I like the second one much better, myself!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Speaking of French pronunciations...
"Viola!" instead of "Wah-la!" for Voila! Makes me giggle.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I called it bergamoT for years until my brother in law told me it's berga-moh as in low or row or toe.

Tsk tsk... for all us bergamoTers here:

 

[Zing]

@Zany_in_CO , I am LM kitten-loving A off over here! Too funny! My BIL had a bit of a haughty 'tude when he corrected me on berga-mow! How do you find this stuff?!

One of my favorite character names from literature is Tea Cake from Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God (one of my top 5 faves). Tea Cake and his wife Janey also make an appearance in one of Alice Walker's books.

 

[Marsi]

Voilà ... with the French accent

A word I've always liked the sound of, is a town called Coonabarabran. I first heard of the town on an early episode of neighbours, where one of the characters came from there. I can't remember who it was. When I went looking to find the character, it turns out the town is where one of the early directors was born to

Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire, and The Warrumbungles (again, can't find the reference) was featured in one of the brumby books.
Warrumbungle rolls off the tongue too

Australia's first International Dark Sky Park is in the Warrumbungles
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/conservation-and-heritage/our-parks/dark-sky-parks

 

[Vicki C]

ScenAAAAHHHHRio. Do not like.

 

[Vicki C]

It really is pronounced both ways. I've also heard VAN-illin and Vuh-NILL-in. I like the second one much better, myself!

VAN-illin? Sounds like a bad guy in a van.

 

[Carly B]

My grandmother liked to tell the story of the boy who had a crush on her when she was quite young. He gave her a little wooden hinged box. To this day I have "Walter McAmish's box" on the shelf. What a great name.

Terry Pratchett had a knack for character names. I always loved Ponder Stebbins and secretly wish I'd named one of the boys "Ponder."

Certain of my kids' mispronunciations stick with me.
Ubba: umbrella
Mogozygo: motorcycle
Fire digengin: fire engine
My mother, when she was very small, would go visit her mother working at the "po poshes," or post office.

My favorite was my little son's attempt at caterpillar---padderliller. I still call them that, after more than 30 years!

 

[VikingChick]

Reminds me of Lakes that are fun to say -- Titicaca and Okeboji

We used to go Lake Okoboji when I was a kid! Good memories.


Among others that I can’t think of ATM, I like the word “obsequious.” And there are a lot of words I hate, but as a conglomeration I HATE corporate-speak and all the overused phrases that go along with it. Like when you get told to “ reach out” to someone if you need their help. The other day I was scheduled to listen to a webinar that was going to tell me how to “ leverage the synergies” of something.

 

[VikingChick]

I will say that Mrs. Zing was really caught off guard the first time I said "I'm going to go masterbatch."

My husband laughs like a seventh-grade boy every time I say “masterbatch.”


My daughter used to pronounce washcloth as ”closhloth” and she would take her “vitalins” inst of vitamins. I use both words to this day.

 

[artemis]

@Zing

And I had the opposite experience-- I called it bergamoT until I had been corrected. I wonder if it's a regional thing.

 

[Zing]

My wife and I still frequently refer to our laptop as the 'peewooter,' which is what our son called it as a toddler.

My husband laughs like a seventh-grade boy every time I say “masterbatch.”

And I would never dream of using my 12-year-old voice every single time I mention masterbatching.... Ever.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

My husband laughs like a seventh-grade boy every time I say “masterbatch.”

PS: I will never be able to see that word again without laughing! It's a good thing I don't masterbatch.