Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
>   Examples of other commonly-used words loaned into English from French,
> and which can be quite difficult to pronounce for someone who has never
> heard them: genre, lingerie, entrepreneur, facade.

  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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On 22 Apr 2008 08:50:19 -0400, Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:

>
>  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
>natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.

Don't remind me :)
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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Stephen wrote:
> On 22 Apr 2008 08:50:19 -0400, Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> 
>>  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
>> natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.
> 
> Don't remind me :)
...let's all discuss this over a drink in a pub near Leicester Square :-)

John

-- 
I will be brief but not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the
world's shortest speech. He said, "I will be so brief I am already
finished," then he sat down.

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On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:14:08 +0100, Doctor John <doc### [at] gmailcom>
wrote:

>Stephen wrote:
>> On 22 Apr 2008 08:50:19 -0400, Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
>> 
>>>  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
>>> natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.
>> 
>> Don't remind me :)
>...let's all discuss this over a drink in a pub near Leicester Square :-)
>
Sounds good to me :)
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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>  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
> natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.

I don't think many English natives would find that hard to pronounce, there 
are several (3?) counties in England that finish in -cestershire, and plenty 
more towns and cities that end in -cester.

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Invisible wrote:
> http://blog.orphi.me.uk/archives/268
> 
> How many of these words can *you* figure out, without looking them up?
> 
> Am I just supremely illiterate, or are these words actually rare?
> 

Knew all but Defenstration / Defenestration, and I swing a hammer for a 
living. You're not knowing these words supports my low opinion of geek 
television and literature [1], which I have found to be typically inane. 
What I can't figure out is why? Why are such an intelligent group of 
people drawn so strongly to children's books and poorly written pulp 
magazine serials?

  -Shay


[1] I read /Mote in God's Eye/, /Ringworld/, /The Hobbit/, and a few 
others when I was on a cardio (10.5 elliptical trainer hours a week) 
kick a few years ago.

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On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:41:54 -0500, Shay <sha### [at] nonenone> wrote:

>What I can't figure out is why? Why are such an intelligent group of 
>people drawn so strongly to children's books and poorly written pulp 
>magazine serials?

My guess is arrested development. ;)
-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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Shay wrote:
> 
> Knew all but Defenstration / Defenestration, and I swing a hammer for a
> living. You're not knowing these words supports my low opinion of geek
> television and literature [1], which I have found to be typically inane.
> What I can't figure out is why? 
I'm sure that you'll get a few flames over that comment but no need to
don fireproof underwear yet :-)

I would hardly call Iain M. Banks' compositions inane. atm I'm also
re-reading Haldeman's The Forever War. Definitely not inane tho' the
ending is a fraction weak.

John

-- 
I will be brief but not nearly so brief as Salvador Dali, who gave the
world's shortest speech. He said, "I will be so brief I am already
finished," then he sat down.

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Invisible wrote:
> http://blog.orphi.me.uk/archives/268
> 
> How many of these words can *you* figure out, without looking them up?
> 
> Am I just supremely illiterate, or are these words actually rare?
> 

The only one I didn't know the meaning of right off was catharsis.

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scott <sco### [at] laptopcom> wrote:
> >  OTOH, sometimes even "native" words are hard to pronounce, even to
> > natives. One example which comes to mind is worcestershire sauce.

> I don't think many English natives would find that hard to pronounce, there 
> are several (3?) counties in England that finish in -cestershire, and plenty 
> more towns and cities that end in -cester.

  Ok, I was thinking about Americans, actually. British people probably
have little problem with that name.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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