I just love it when people mispronounce common words. And by love I mean, it irritates the crap out of me, but yet it provides hours and hours of hearty chuckling when I’m making fun of them on my blog.
My most favorite mispronounced word was one I heard last week. The lady who was speaking said, “we’ll talk about all the scenarinos.” Scenarinos. As in scenarios. I looked at the other people sitting around me to see if anyone else was trying as hard as I was not to bust a gut laughing. Nobody was visibly shaking, but there is no way I’m the only one who heard her say “scenarino.” Scene-arino. Seriously. That’s comedy GOLD.
Tate and I have made it our goal to work this new word into our everyday vocabulary. “So Tate, which scenarino works best for lunch? Ham sandwiches or leftovers?” “Hey Jennifer, after the kids go to bed later, I imagine a scenarino with us going to bed early {eyebrow wag, eyebrow wag}.”
Other words that make me laugh/want to punch someone includes:
Supposebly. Supposebly you’re an idiot.
Irregardless. Irregardless of what you say, irregardless is not a word.
Warsh. I’m going to warsh your mouth out with soap if you say this stupid word ever again. (I used to hear this all the time when I was a kid and lived in Oklahoma. I don’t know if it’s an Oklahoma “thing,” but I’ve also heard a few people from St. Louis say warsh instead of wash.)
Ideals. I have lots of ideals about how I can torture people who use the word “ideals” when they really mean “ideas.” (I hear this ALL the time in Tennessee and it makes me want to punch somebody.)
Any words that people totally botch that make you cringe or giggle with delight?
Edited to add: Your comments are reminding me of words I didn’t even think about! Kindygarten! HATE that. Also, I lose intelligence points every time someone adds a plural ending to words that don’t need plural endings. Krogers, Meijers, Walmarts…THERE IS NO “S” ON THOSE NAMES, DAMMIT.
Katie, When we lived in Indiana, I remember someone telling me that about green peppers/mangoes. I was sure they were just trying to make me look like an @sshole. I guess they were telling me the truth!
April, It’s so annoying, isn’t it! I get so irritated when someone is speaking quite normally, but when they come to a Spanish or Italian word, they suddenly attempt to become native speakers.
Valerie, I’ve had to google “welps” vs. “welts” because so many stupid people have confused me, I wasn’t sure which one was right.
I can agree with many of the above. My favourite example was 15 years ago, when I was working as a waitress. A customer ordered a bottle of wine, and asked for the Street Vincent (instead of St Vincent). Cracked me up.
.-= 12ontheinside´s last blog ..Is it 5 o’clock Yet? =-.
Laura, One of my former coworkers had a son named Ethan. Her family only recently realized his name wasn’t Efan. The boy is three.
mep, ugh. EYE talian, it just gives me the creeps to hear that.
ragtopday, I hadn’t thought of that one, but yes, it’s very annoying.
In addition to the ones you mentioned? Lie-berry instead of library, sherbert instead of sherbet, real-a-tor instead of realtor, joolery instead of jewelry…and those are just right off the top of my head.
Hey, remember that commercial where some guy was talking about a “pair-a-diggem”? I think it was a Taco Bell commercial, since the theme was think outside the box.
One I don’t think has been mentioned yet – I can NOT stand it when people say “pitcher” instead of “picture”.
.-= punkinmama´s last blog ..wordless wednesday: camera play =-.
My mother-in-law mispronounces things constantly. I can’t even think offhand of specifics (or pacifics?
because I’m so used to it. But, I saw someone mentioned “cul-de-sac.” I know she has got to be the ONLY one who calls it this, but she refers to it as a “cooty sac.” (sp?) And she never has any idea she’s mispronouncing something…it’s quite entertaining for us kids, I must say.
.-= Amy F.´s last blog ..Summer Fun =-.
The one that drives me crazy here in Kentucky is “whelp” instead of “welt”. A whelp is a puppy, not a mark on your skin!!
Oh – and to the above commenter – it’s actually Loo-uh-vul. Or at least that’s one of the pronunciations!
.-= Jan Ross´s last blog ..Destination Wedding: Calabash Cove, St. Lucia =-.
When we were touring the hospital before Little Bird was born, the nice older gentleman leading the tour kept pointing out the “re-SPITE” room. I swear he said “re-SPITE” twenty times if he said it once. Every time he would say it, I would laugh louder. I finally just gave up and ducked into the bathroom, because I needed a little “re-SPITE” from the tour.
1.”on-ree”= ornery (having a difficult and contrary disposition)
2.Drives me NUTS when someone has to be at work/at an appointment and some some says “I have to be there for 5″
3. Thought I had more, but I’m pulling a blank.
(I hate the “s” on the end of places too. We had a grocery store called Cub Foods. Folks would say “I’m goin’ to Cubs. Hate that.)
.-= kj @ Where my boys at?´s last blog ..7 Days :: day 7 =-.
Crowns. You know, for Crayons. WTHeck?
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..Chess Cake – A recipe =-.
oh IRREGARDLESS drives me nuts. I’ve corrected my husband for this before. And WARSH is also a Pittsburgh thing. My dad even says WARSHINGTON. gag!!!!!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..weekly winners, volume 22 =-.
Warsh makes me want to vomit..the other word is LIBERRY. Really? They can’t say it right? I have to say that one of my dear friends has a tendency to mispronounce all big words. I don’t usually correct her, but my brain is screaming at her the whole time she is talking. It drives me nuts!And my FIL says he works in a “war” room. He means wire room, but you’d never know. We laugh at him, he can’t figure out why.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Six Months Old =-.
Libary instead of Library. Nuke-you-lur instead of Nuclear. This list could be endless.
.-= Amanda of Shamelessly Sassy´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Adam! =-.
PS. one of my cousins always needs to “warsh” some clothes. GAG!
.-= Amanda of Shamelessly Sassy´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Adam! =-.
My mom says “idears”.
I also hate, hate, hate “pacific” when it’s supposed to be SPECIFIC!!!
.-= Mommy Cracked´s last blog ..Facebook- Gereatric Style =-.
I do this all the time. Mostly because I’m an idiot.
.-= Whit´s last blog ..Madness, Bubblegum and What It is I Do =-.
Well I live in “Washington” which makes me go all pissy when I hear it called “Warshington” or “Warshinton”(seriously there is a G in there people, ahem, excuse me) so I get it.
.-= Mackenzie’s Momma´s last blog ..Day 4 in a row… =-.
Sorry Tara, your husband may be a rocket scientist, but nuclear does have 3 syllables, not 2 – check dictionary.com. Sorry, but that bugs me to no end! My peeves got covered pretty well by earlier posters, especially the one that makes me want to scream and yell and shake the person who just said it: the word is “ask” not “axe” unless of course, you really do want to go all Lizzy Borden and “axe your momma”.
One that I just don’t understand is “chemotherapy”. Chemo comes from the word chemistry, so why is it not pronounced “chem-o-therapy” instead of “key-mo-therapy”?
My biggest pet peeve though is “De-troy-it”. It’s De-troit…just 2 syllables.
.-= mapsgirl´s last blog ..the more things that you read =-.
Sing it sista! I am so with you.
Irregardless makes me want to punch a baby.
Mike pronounces Illinois as Illi – noise … HATE.
and when people say Libarry instead of Library. OMFG.
Also? Mavis — when people say M-ah-vis.
I could go on and on….
Though, I still catch myself saying Kay-cer for Kaiser. I can’t help it… LOL
My students are constantly turning in papers that talk about how they will “prolly” do something. As in, “You will prolly lose points on your essay if you don’t spell out the word, ‘probably.’”
.-= Country-Fried Mama´s last blog ..I’m not afraid of cliches; Kids grow up so darn fast. =-.
I can agree with many of the above
I know you already touched on this in your editor’s note, but if I hear one more person in Nashville squeal, “We’re getting a Nordstroms soon.” I will punch them. Adding the “s” to Nordstrom CHEAPENS it, people. I am also annoyed with hearing the phrase, “Redd up” which is Pittsburghese for “cleaning up.”
Ironcially, I find all other Pittsburghese to be amusing and have been known to use it liberally.
.-= misfithausfrau´s last blog ..Hypothetical Question =-.
punkinmama, Oooh! That’s a good one. I remember have a long argument with a 5th grader in my speech class about that very word.
Amy, Cooty sac? Seriously? Sounds like a place I wouldn’t want to live!
misfithausfrau, Oops, I didn’t realize Nordstrom didn’t have an “s!” I assumed it was like Dillards!
Going to the “liberry” to “borry” a book?
There was a woman in my class last term who said she couldn’t see how people could be against euthanasia when they were OK with corporal punishment. I almost lost my mind trying not to laugh. Class ended early.
I cringe at mispronunciations. I can’t help it. I love your examples. Here in atlantic Canada you hear:
Acrost. As in: I live acrost the river. Or I’m going acrost the street to the store.
I also can’t stand Biscetti (spaghetti) and sangwich.
My husband drives me MAD with Tagger (tiger) and Road-o-dun-drun (Rhododendron).
And that’s just off the top of my head.
.-= karen @agentninety9´s last blog ..A mother is a mother is a mother… =-.
I was a kid before “ain’t” made it into the dictionary. Even as a young child, hearing the word was like fingers down a chalkboard to me. I was SO upset when it finally became a real word. Still sounds ignorant to me when I hear people use it.
I want to punch somebody in the throat every time somebody says “SHRIMPS”
ARGH. It is *not* plural. Please stop that.
.-= Lynette´s last blog ..Overheard =-.
When I moved Down South, I first heard people call Massachusetts, Mass-uh-too-shiss.
WTF, right?
But I kinda like saying The WalMarts. Enforces the hickish atmosphere, don’t you think?
What bothers me?
“I gots to go.” Gots isn’t a word.
“Sundy, Mondy, Tuesdy …” There’s supposed to be an ‘a’ in there, people!
“Shedule” I know this is deliberate and not really a mispronunciation, but who are you kidding? You are not British, you are just pretentious.
Although when my kids mispronounce words I think it’s adorable. I guess that I’m willing to make allowances for age. And being my offspring.
.-= Amber´s last blog ..Why Organic? =-.
I’m too scared to read the comments on this post because I am a highly irritable person and there are only so many mis-pronunciations that I can stomach at one time.
My favorite was a mis-expression that I heard of an information one. The woman had lost some weight and boasted that “I am feeling very attractive about myself”. I love it and use it all the time.
.-= Marinka´s last blog ..The Husbandrinka-Nicki Relationship =-.
My grandmother said warsh. She was from the south though. My younger brother still says libary, as does my five year old. Somehow I find that one kind of cute.
Mine is Chicago, when pronounced, Chit-cago. Where did the t come from, I wonder?
.-= Issa´s last blog ..Thank you Julie & Julia =-.
I work with a lady that is habitually saying “surpose” instead of suppose. It certainly is a running joke at work.
My parents call a FUTON (you know that couch thing that pulls into a bed if you want it too) a Foo EN.
I’ve been saying Realtor wrong.
.-= Connie @ Young and Relentless´s last blog ..Why Girls Night Out is better than Date Night =-.
Illinois, as in “noise” I always compared that to saying I lived in Alabamas….
.-= Angie´s last blog ..Only Child for a Day. =-.
karen, Ha! I hadn’t thought of acrost. That one is quite annoying. I haven’t heard it lately, but I know I used to hear it all the time in Missouri.
Lynette, When we lived in Alabama there was little hole in the wall seafood stand that always had a sign that said “Shrimps. $4.99/lb.”
I seriously considered vandalizing that sign.
Misty, I actually very much enjoy “The Walmarts” kind of humor! It is funny to say stuff, knowing that you’re doing it in a mocking tone. It’s just annoying when someone doesn’t even realize it’s wrong.
“I seen it”. No, people, you saw it, or you have seen it!
Febuary (February)
Trana (Toronto)
“I’ll axe him” (ask)
This post & subsequent comments are making me queasy…
Amber, Growing up in the Ozarks, 45 minutes north of Arkansas, I shamefully admit to sometimes saying Sundy, Mondy…
I really try to watch myself!
Tiffany, I think I’ll add “surpose” to my list of fun, yet idiotic words to say. Tate is gonna love this one!
Can’t STAND Reel-a-tor (instead of Real-tor).
Also — it’s JEWEL-ry, people!! NOT Jew-le-ry. HATE that!
And I can’t stand when people say “man-uh-facture” instead of man-yoo-facture (manufacture).
there are SO many more!! I couldn’t believe when recently, BOTH a well-respected physician AND a bank manager said “pacifically” to me in conversation instead of “specifically”.
My husband likes to say “voisterous” instead of boisterous. WHAT!?
.-= Lori´s last blog ..New website, and Barefoot Books Discount! =-.
Oh, glad that I’m not alone in this.
I love/hate “sammich” or “sanwich”…it’s SANDWICH stupid.
.-= Mommy Daisy´s last blog ..Got chocolate? I could use some. =-.
Hoosiers commonly say Torlet…sheesh.
Pacific for specific makes me chuckle.
Illinoise
.-= Have the T-shirt´s last blog ..Mr. "I Own a Lake" =-.