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Brand pronunciations


Graham
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[quote name='mart' timestamp='1331400783' post='1572457']
My favourite mistake like that was when a friend of mine saw some cake she fancied and ordered "gato chocolate".
[/quote]

:lol:

the error I referred to earlier was a bit less family-friendly.

"caña" is a small measure of beer. It's not an exact measure, but loose, it varies from bar to bar, and it can be roughly half pint, or more. It's like asking for "a glass of beer", it will depend on what glasses they have. The price will vary accordingly too. I dont know why smaller measures are more popular in Spain than here, but maybe it's a way to ensure you drink it while it's cold; most Spanish beers are of the Pilsner type, which is not very nice warm... The first time I went to a bar near London I was in heaven, since back home you usually got one type of beer, and maybe even just one brand per bar. So I walk into a pub and look at all those taps and their colourful labels... chose one at random, and waited for the pint to be poured. I had a great big smile on my face... then I noticed there was barely any foam... people will return a beer in Madrid if it did not have a decent head. Then, the waitress filled it up to the brim... what? I'm going to get my hand wet when I pick that up... I almost asked her to pour some of that off, but I'm glad I didn't as now I know I'd have probably been kicked out for blasphemous. I shrug, grab the pint of beer and take sip... what? it's almost warm, and no bubbles... it's like soup that has been let to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes! Is she giving me this horrible concoction because she realised I was foreigner and she thought I would not know any better? I look around, but people are happy drinking the same kind of tepid beverage... and they call it ale... hmmm... Once I overcame the initial shock, I liked it. Very soon I had tried all the beers on sale in my area (we call them all "beer", whether an ale, bitter, etc etc...).
Yum. One of my favourite things in this island :lol:

But I digress... "caña"... a small beer.
My friend is learning Spanish, but still veyr much a beginner. We are in a small local bar with a bunch of my friends, and she wants another beer. She wanted to practice what she was learning, so she asked the waiter in a very loud voice whether he'd refill her "coño".
We stopped talking.
The waiter, very calmly and naturally replied "I'd be happy to, I finish in two hours".
Then the bar erupted in laughter.
While "caña" is a small beer, "coño" is slang for female genitalia.

She was embarrased at first, but she always drank for free there after that :lol:

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1331493327' post='1573749']
in Spanish anywhere "gui" will be closer to "ghee" than "gwee". Unless there is a couple of dots (much like the German umlaut) over the "u", then it would be "gwee".

Pronounciation of the "s", "c" ("ce" and "ci"), and "z" varies a bit regionally. Generally "z", "ce" and "ci" sounds like a "th", and "s" sounds like an "s". Except in some parts of Southern Spain and in the Canary Islands, where "z", "ce" and "ci" is more like an "s". In addition, in some areas in the South of Spain, they will pronounce the "s" as "th"... but NOT for every word :rolleyes:
So people are less likely to correct you on those, as you could always claim you speak with a regional accent ;)
[/quote]

If in doubt, "Aggie" will suffice..

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1331494642' post='1573777']
But I digress... "caña"... a small beer.
My friend is learning Spanish, but still veyr much a beginner. We are in a small local bar with a bunch of my friends, and she wants another beer. She wanted to practice what she was learning, so she asked the waiter in a very loud voice whether he'd refill her "coño".
We stopped talking.
The waiter, very calmly and naturally replied "I'd be happy to, I finish in two hours".
Then the bar erupted in laughter.
While "caña" is a small beer, "coño" is slang for female genitalia.

She was embarrased at first, but she always drank for free there after that :lol:
[/quote]

:shok: :shok: :laugh1: :laugh1:

Classic


Also:

When Italians talk about the italian amp maker (yellow coned speakers, you know the one), they talk about Mark Bahss, like the delicious (if a little expensive) fish...The potayto-potahto game is truly international, and works both ways.

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[quote name='mart' timestamp='1331310733' post='1571252']
So how should I say Adidas? In the '70s it was simply ADDY-das, and then sometime (in the '90s? the decades started blurring then) it seemed to become a-DEE-das. And then (in the '00s?) Wikipedia said that it was short for Adi Dasler, so it should be Addy-DAS.

Or have I got that all wrong?

And, in any case, should I just go and buy Puma instead?
[/quote]

Adidas stands for All Day I Dream About Sex

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[quote name='BRANCINI' timestamp='1331227612' post='1569910']
Not far from where I live, theres Warton, Pronounced Waaarton by the locals, and Wilnecote, which is Wincutt. mah duck.
[/quote]

Actually, Wilnecote gets pronounced at least three different ways by people who live there. I favour Wincut meself, but there's the Willun Coat and Wilny Coat schools of thought. At least Tamuff itself is a pretty standard pronunciation.

Dunno why icastle is so bothered by Scotlandshire, coming as he does from Lie Sester Shire.

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[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1331734256' post='1577940']
Actually, Wilnecote gets pronounced at least three different ways by people who live there. I favour Wincut meself, but there's the Willun Coat and Wilny Coat schools of thought. At least Tamuff itself is a pretty standard pronunciation.

Dunno why icastle is so bothered by Scotlandshire, coming as he does from Lie Sester Shire.
[/quote]

Lie Sester Shire is a fairly new location for me - I'm actually from Bedfordshire. :)

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[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1331253038' post='1570474']
It gets confusing round here because Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire all join together just down the road at No Mans Heath - the pub (now an Indian Restaraunt) is on three levels to reflect the county boundaries it's built on.
[/quote]

Um, and Derbyshire. That's why the pub is called the Four Counties.

An inhabitant (of the village, not the pub) told me that the reason for the name was that in the far-off days of highwaymen (before they started running banks), the village wasn't actually in any of the four counties, and so highwaymen would head there as none of the constabularies attached to the counties had jurisdiction there.

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[quote name='billyapple' timestamp='1331331561' post='1571676']
Tries to make Laverda joke, fails, but notices nod to the meanest triple ever built.
[/quote]

Don't forget that famous Welsh motorcycle company Benethli.

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[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1331740141' post='1578081']
Being Northern Irish there are certain words which I just cant pronounce but the thing thats causing me the most problems is saying Tower of Power - I really want to do a cover of" what is hip " but as soon as I say their name the rest of my band start laughing before I can finish the sentence :lol: :lol:
[/quote]

Slightly worse than the local version "Tooer of Pooer"

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[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1331737528' post='1578009']
Um, and Derbyshire. That's why the pub is called the Four Counties.
[/quote]
I knew I was missing one when I wrote that but for the life of me couldn't remember which one it was... I don't get out much... :)

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1331737528' post='1578009']
An inhabitant (of the village, not the pub) told me that the reason for the name was that in the far-off days of highwaymen (before they started running banks), the village wasn't actually in any of the four counties, and so highwaymen would head there as none of the constabularies attached to the counties had jurisdiction there.
[/quote]

That'd sound about right.
There are stories about locals in the Four Counties Inn climbing out of the rear windows when the authorities came in through the front door.

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I always find Aria difficult to say- is it 'are-ear' or 'air-ear'? Or 'arry-er'?

And Mesa Boogie- 'may-sa', 'mee-sa' or 'mess-a'?

'Dee-Addario' is one that always does my head in, but not as much as a friend of mine who says 'Les Gibson Paul'.

Edited by jackduran
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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1331750674' post='1578326']
I've always pronounced Aria and D'Addario the Italian way ("arry-er" and "daddario") and been perfectly understood...
[/quote]

I've always pronounced D'addario that way too, 'Dee-Addario', however, makes it sound like that long-forgotten sports make nobody dares to wear anymore- Diadora!

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