Simon Willison has a rather important question about the pending Yahoo!/Microsoft search partnership that will see Microsoft’s Bing engine powering Yahoo searches.
Archives for July 2009
Words you probably pronounce incorrectly
Here are some words you probably pronounce incorrectly.
Beijing
You probably say: “bay-ZHING”
You should be saying: “bay-JING”
Seriously… it’s just “jing” like in “Jingle Bells.” To be completely correct, raise the pitch of your voice one octave for the “jing.”
Gyros (sometimes spelled “Gyro”)
You probably say: “GUY-roh” “HEE-roh” “GEE-roh” “ZHEE-roh” or any number of variations
You should be saying “YEE-roh”
This one varies so much that even people who sell them won’t recognize the correct pronunciation. “Gyros” is the correct word. The “S” is silent, and does not designate a plural.
Bruschetta
You probably say: “Bru-SHEH-ta”
You should be saying: “Bru-SKEY-ta”
Americanized Italian restaurant chains will argue against this until your food gets cold. They’re wrong.
Niche
You probably say: “Nitch”
You should be saying: “Neesh”
Do you say “Kitch” for “Quiche” ? Then you shouldn’t say “Nitch” for “Niche.” I expect to receive much protestation against this one.
Espresso
You probably say: “ex-PRESS-o”
You should be saying: “es-PRESS-o”
Especially
You probably say: “ex-PESH-uh-lee”
You should be saying: “es-PESH-uh-lee”
“Especially” is a cousin of “espresso” in that they are both similarly mispronounced.
Et Cetera/Etc
You probably say: “eck-SET-era”
You should be saying: “et-SET-era”
February
You probably say: “FEB-yoo-ary”
You should be saying: “FEB-roo-ary”
Like “Et Cetera” above, this is a pandemic of selective dyslexia.
Tract
You probably say: “track”
You should be saying: “tract”
Digestive tract. A tract of land. A track runner. Track a fugitive. Different words, but both pronounced exactly as they are spelled.
Zoology
You probably say: “zoo-AH-luh-gee”
You should be saying: “zoh-AH-luh-gee”
Count the Os in the first grouping. It it were pronounced “zoo-AH-luh-gee,” there would be three Os.
Pundit
You probably say: “PUN-dint”
You shoulud be saying: “PUN-dit”
What makes this worse is that it is primarily pundits on television who mispronounce their own occupation!
Your turn!
What are some of your pet peeve mispronunciations? Did any of you make it all the way through the list without finding one word you were mispronouncing?
Cut the Cord—Use That Laptop Without Plugging In
James Kendrick calls laptop users out on their mostly-irrational fear of running out of juice: Cut the Cord—Use That Laptop Without Plugging In.
I have observed mobile workers for years and it is uncommon to see one working on a laptop in a mobile venue without plugging into the nearest available outlet. I have asked hundreds of these workers why they don’t use the laptop unplugged and almost always get the same answer. They are afraid they might be in a situation where there are no power outlets and they want to make sure the battery is full.
The Pushbutton Web: Realtime Becomes Real – Anil Dash
Anil Dash on the technology that could finally usher in realtime push data over the web: The Pushbutton Web: Realtime Becomes Real.
8 Steps to Developing a Better Workflow in Aperture
I typed up my Aperture photo workflow for Digital Photography School: 8 Steps to Developing a Better Workflow in Aperture.
Olympus PEN stop motion photography ad
Olympus created this beautiful promotional video for their new PEN E-P1 digital camera. I was already excited about the camera; it seems that Olympus is, too.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9Et7UQh1tg]