fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2618 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2618 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 039 secrets from Secret Submission Post #374.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Aspartame. I grew up hearing "a-SPAR-ta-mee" but then started hearing "ASS-per/par-tame" and I don't know if the adults I knew as a kid just didn't know, if the people I know now don't know or if there are two ways to pronounce it.

Hiroshima. "Hiro-sheema" or "Hi-RO-shih-ma"? I really hate that I don't know that one, but again. I've heard it both ways.

The second way is correct for aspartame.

The first way is just the anglicised version of the Japanese word, much like people pronounce sake "sa-key". Neither is really correct, because in Japanese there is no real syllable stress.

The city of Genoa.

Is it jen-OH'-ah or jenoh-AH'?

I always trip up whenever I order Genoa salami at the deli.

I would have thought jen-WAH. Or je-NWAH.

I've always been torn between jen-O-a and JEN-o-a.

Re: Words you're not sure how they're pronounced

(Anonymous) - 2014-03-05 02:42 (UTC) - Expand

inkdust - 2014-03-05 03:00 (UTC) - Expand

It's "Hi-RO-shih-ma" in Japanese. "Hiro-sheema" is an Anglicized pronunciation, like "To-kee-yo" instead of "To-kyo". It's not wrong to use the latter, but the former might make you sound more knowledgeable of Japanese.

I can't help on the aspartame front, sorry.

It as-par-tame, fyi. Aspartame a brand name but it's taken from the parent compound, aspartate (the neutral form of aspartic acid) which is pronounced with the same conventions as any other chemical compound.

The funny story that gets told about this in organic chemistry is that the reason aspartame was discovered was that a lab assistant who was told to synthesize aspartame misheard his supervisor when he was told to test the compound. He heard "taste" the compound, and when he did, he found that it was sweet.

When he didn't die, they started selling it hahaha.

Niche. Neesh? Neech? Nitch?

I've heard both nitch and neesh. I say nitch, I've always felt like neesh sounds pretentious.

Neesh is closest to proper French pronunciation, although nitch is sometimes accepted usage ("there's a niche market for this overly specific thing").

inkdust - 2014-03-05 01:23 (UTC) - Expand

I pronounce it 'nitch' because of this:

There's an Asimov short story in which a criminal, called Stein, uses a time machine to go forward in time so the statute of limitations prevents him being charged/jailed for his crime. A court case ensues as it's argued he didn't live through that time so the statute shouldn't apply. The ruling judge decides that until the law is modified to cover time machines, the time *has* passed, so the criminal can't be charged. He sums up his ruling with:

"A niche in time saves Stein."

Every word.

EVERY. FUCKING. WORD.

Ev-er-ee Fuh-King Wurrd

Re: hope this helps

forgottenjester - 2014-03-05 02:02 (UTC) - Expand

caecilia - 2014-03-05 02:51 (UTC) - Expand

I always wanted it to be aspartamee. It sounds fun instead of evil. Alas.

Once you drink it, you can still regard it as part of me (you!). But the other version is too TAME to be evil. :P

inkdust - 2014-03-05 02:35 (UTC) - Expand

banal: BAY-nal or buh-NAHL?

mauve: rhymes with suave or stove? (might be a regional difference)

The latter, in both cases.

Mauve - like moth but with a V.

All are accepted pronunciations.

Scythe. I know it seems a stupid word not to know. I just avoid saying it, but pronounce it in my head skee-the even though someone once told me that was wrong.

It's like "SYE-th", but all one syllable.

It's pronounced sigh-th. The c is pretty much silent.

Guys, you need this:

forvo.com

It answers most of my pronunciation questions with audio :)

elaminator - 2014-03-05 03:35 (UTC) - Expand

Hiro-sheema is the more correct way (imo), the other way is Americanized pronunciation. Japanese has a set way of pronunciation whereas in English we have different ways to sound vowels and such.

The "Tso" in General Tso's Chicken. Is it tsoh? Tsow? Toh? Tahw?

inkdust - 2014-03-05 04:11 (UTC) - Expand