Eating words
Photo: Confit de canard at Lusso. Those ‘in the know’ will say “kohn-feee-duh-kah-naaaarhrhrdh” but I like to call it Duck con-feet.
Robert Sietsema has compiled a list of the 43 Most Mispronounced Food Words. The pronunciation guide is for Americans, hence the “Eh” becomes “Aay” and “Rrrr” has to be stressed. I take issue with his pronunciation of chorizo—Chore-eetz-zo?! That’s just pretentious, it’s not Italian. Wait, if it’s Spanish there’s a lisp. Cho-ree-tho? Tho in Thpain I am Jethica Thafra?
Usually I don’t mind being corrected about my pronunciation, but it drives me nuts when the correction is wrong and I know I’m right. For instance when you order Salade Nicoise and pronounce the S, Neeshwaz because there’s an E after it, no, and the waiter snottily replies, “Neesh-WA.” Aaaaaa! Repeat after me: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. (Huwag mag-marunong.)
When people say “Fer-nay” Branca I want to start yelling “Fernet! Fernet!” (As friends will attest I am more combative when I hear people say “MTV” when they mean “music video” or “pictorial” when they mean “photo shoot”. “Pictorial?! Pictorial?!” is a running joke.) Some words are read as spelled, do not faux-Frenchify. Why are we so self-conscious about our French pronunciation, you think the French get this anxious about their English? I can’t find my photo of a Paris cafe menu where “charcuterie” was described as “assorted pigment”.
Recently I couldn’t sleep because I said “creme de cassis” with the final S and my friend said, “Isn’t it cassee?” Which ticked me off because it’s the one thing I know about mixing drinks (Ca-CEASE! Ca-CEASE!), but he’s frequently right so I checked first, and I ended up texting a counter-correction at 2am. Yes, it’s a neurosis.
Best policy, I think, is to leave people’s pronunciation alone. Try correcting your ancient aunt’s pronunciation of “mille feuille”, see if you don’t get bopped on the head. When it’s your turn to say the word, say it the right way and hope the correction sticks. Don’t be so snooty about food, we all know where it’ll end up tomorrow. (But don’t cut your pasta with a knife!)
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
February 27th, 2010 at 06:16
http://www.forvo.com is always my friend, if nobody believes me, I let the voice a frenchman emanating from my phone back slap them.
Bubble Gang’s “Misspelling Gee” skit always cracks me up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmkYesPKaIY
February 27th, 2010 at 07:13
Aren’t both kasee and kasis correct? Or is one more correct than the other?
February 27th, 2010 at 09:34
I have the same neurosis. *sigh*
February 27th, 2010 at 11:36
Ca-CEASE! Ca-CEASE!
February 27th, 2010 at 17:29
and ALMONDS should be pronounced with or without L, both pronunciation are accepted
February 27th, 2010 at 21:07
My stand on this is if you make a living out of writing, that is, if your bread and butter comes from writing words that people memorize, or copy onto their notebooks, or wrap in tissue paper, or press between the pages of a book, like Ms Zafra or Butch Dalisay, you have a right to be persnickety about words, grammar, and pronunciation. If not, chill. The persnicketiness just comes across as annoying snobbery. In fact to annoy my pals, I sometimes order a creep or an omelay or a fill-it. (Ok the last one’s correct if you pronounce schedule as shed-yool, but still…)
February 28th, 2010 at 00:15
it’s ca-CEASE, according to somebody french that i live with.
and i don’t really want to sound snotty or something, but i wouldn’t want to eat at Lusso even if the waiters pronounce the french dishes correctly. because that confit in the picture looks like a fastfood meal to me compared to the confit that my bf cooks. and it’s even a canned one.