I just realized that I say the word "exiled" thusly: "eggs-aisled."
We all have weird linguistic tics like that; I was teased mercilessly in high school because, for some reason, I pronounced "Tuesday" "choose-day." I once knew a woman who said "aigs" (for "eggs") and "laigs" (for "legs"). It was endearing. Those tics of our significant others often are, and remain things we hold onto long after the person herself is gone.
What weird things do y'all—or do y'all's significant others—out there in TV land say?
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
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There's a guy here at work that's an old trucker. He often talks about he needs to get his employees "skeedjeweled" for training. He also prounounces two particular midwestern cities as such: "Chicargo" and "Indanapolis."
I once knew a man who made a point of distinguishing the difference between eating barbeque and having a barbeque. While it isn't a linguistic difference similar to the 'eggs', I was still made aware of my inability to use the word properly. I thought it weird at first, but I get it and use it now.
Oh, and my dad says "carbohidrit".
Here's an argument between my wife and I that you might be able to settle: She says "all of THE sudden", but I am pretty sure it's supposed to be "all of A sudden." Also, my dad says "Meaofus" instead of "Memphis" - it really sounds more like a cough though. Oh yeah - you know how, when you are playing with a little baby and you make fart noises on their stomachs with your mouth? What do you call that? My wife calls it a zerbert.
-all of "a" sudden
-Meaofus is acceptable
-zerbert is correct
I pronounce "on" kind of like "o-when", but said really quickly. Also, in Puff Daddy's remake of "Every Breath You Take," he pronounces "strength" as "strimpf." It's true.
Also, Hunter cannot pronounce the word "playground."
I prefer:
Memphrica
Hotlanta
Detroit
I guess that last one's not weird.
Anyway, I also say "mess-cloon" (as opposed to "mesc-lun") lettuce; zerbert (spelling?) is correct; and "monkeys" I pronounce "Detroit."
Another oddness is how, in NYC, they say, "I'm waiting on line" as opposed to "I'm waiting in line." No one's ever been able to give me a good explanation for whence the difference, but you can always tell a New Yorker by whether they use "in" or "on." For example, a New Yorker would say, "Get out of my fucking way, fuckface, I was on line first over here" — whereas a tourist would say, "Get out of my fucking way, fuckface, I was in line first over here."
You see the diff'rence? It's subtle, but there.
I do the "aigs" and "laigs" thing, but so do most people I know from Nevada and California. Maybe it's a West Coast thing? As for the "all of a sudden" v. "all of the sudden," I was taught in my Fundamentals of Journalism course back in Fayetteville that both are improper and incorrect; only "suddenly" should be used. But I guess people don't usually speak in standard Associated Press English. And if they did those people would be annoying.
simliar to H's last comment: Los Angelenos refer to their highways and interstates with the article "the." As in, "the 405 is backed up all the way to the 105 interchange in Inglewood." "Inglewood, Inglewood, Inglewood always up to no good."
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