|
|
Rant: Ordering French named food in the US
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status:
Offline
|
|
So, some restaurants think they need to name their food "creations" with French verbs and nouns.
Ok, fine.
But: once I order them, I pronounce them the correct way, as you would in France.
Shit, no dice. No server ever gets it. They just look at you like you spoke Greek or something.
No, you need to pronounce it how an uneducated American would pronounce it.
F$&@ it, what's the point then.
-t
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2001
Status:
Offline
|
|
Your missing the point turtle. It's about inner city folk feeling classy & culturally sofiscated without having to go to France.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
Status:
Offline
|
|
Just call everything "Freedom Fries"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Shaddim's sock drawer
Status:
Offline
|
|
|
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Irvine, CA
Status:
Offline
|
|
Hmm. I'm on the fence with this one. I do substitute teaching in a Mexican American area. I don't speak Spanish whatsoever. A student comes up to me to ask to for a pass to use the restroom. I ask the name of the student to write on the pass. The student tells me his/her last name and/or first name with a Spanish accent (or pronunciation). Most times, I have no idea what he/she said. I often ask to repeat and/or have the student spell out his/her name for me to look at the attendance chart.
I wish for the student to dumb down the pronunciation of the name so an average American can understand it. BTW, I do not look like I speak Spanish.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by mindwaves
I don't speak Spanish whatsoever.
Not even a poco?
¿Donde esta el cuarto del baño?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
So, who here consistently uses the proper French pronunciation for the word "Paris"?
I assume no one here is that big of a le sac de douche.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Irvine, CA
Status:
Offline
|
|
Reminds me of Giada on the Food Network. People complain how she doesn't pronounce Italian words in English (and also how she over enunciates many of them and her big smile doing so).
(
Last edited by mindwaves; Oct 31, 2015 at 02:28 AM.
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
Status:
Offline
|
|
Not to derail, but have you noticed that every time Giada does a show, she takes a handful, then another handful, and then puts the whole thing in *anyway*?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
Wouldn't having a bunch of students with Spanish names be a perfect environment to learn the basics of pronunciation?
Isn't it bad form for teachers to desire having things dumbed down for them?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status:
Offline
|
|
It would seem prerequisite for a teacher to be prepared to edumacate hisself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status:
Offline
|
|
Most restaurants I've been to that put french things on the menu seem to have staff that know the right way to say things. I can't even think of another way to say crème brûlée. (I did struggle with the accent marks there though). Cream Brooley? Cram Brooleee? brrr.
Escargot? I can see someone messing up, even if they silly enough to order it.
Also, please do use Parisian pronunciation in Quebec.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by subego
Like what?
Potatoes "au gratin" is a classic.
Slightly different but related:
Yesterday, I ordered a Belgium beer called "Petrus".
Needless to say, the French pronounciation didn't get me far.
-t
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
I'm not in any way doubting you, but "oh grotten" and "ow grattahn" are so similar, I wonder what else on the menu they think it could be. I also note one sounds much tastier.
My French is weak enough I'm not sure how to pronounce "Petrus". Is it "peh-true"?
I realize now my unconscious desire to point at what I'm ordering on the menu may have successfully navigated these waters throughout my life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
Une petit histoire...
What an animal is called tends towards Germanic roots, while what an animal as food is called, tends towards French.
Fowl is Germanic, poultry is French.
Almost positive there's a class angle here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Irvine, CA
Status:
Offline
|
|
Perhaps I phrased it incorrectly. I want the students to say their name slower. They say their name so fast and mumble that I often miss their name the first time and sometimes the second time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status:
Offline
|
|
Oh. That, on the other hand, makes sense. I believe it's "more slowly", though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Irvine, CA
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
Oh. That, on the other hand, makes sense. I believe it's "more slowly", though.
Correct!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by mindwaves
Perhaps I phrased it incorrectly. I want the students to say their name slower. They say their name so fast and mumble that I often miss their name the first time and sometimes the second time.
One approach is to mispronounce what you hear (or maybe just pronounce what you hear) and see what happens. That's probably not a good approach for students you want to be cooperative.
The bit about saying one's name quickly has two roots. The first is that, if you're "attuned" to a particular dialect, you can pick up what's being said much more easily than if you aren't. By "attuned," I mean (generally) that you're able to speak that dialect, at least to some extent.
The second root is that Spanish is almost always pronounced very quickly. To say something in Spanish takes many more syllables than to say the same thing in English, but that's not the issue. To express anything in Spanish takes a lot of syllables, so Spanish is often spoken very quickly - at the cost of enunciation. Picture Ricardo Montalban speaking...now invert that and you have typical Spanish enunciation. If you add in the patois that is "Tex Mex" Spanish, you wind up with "garble slur schwa rolled 'r'" instead of anything recognizable to someone who isn't fluent in the local dialect.
When stationed in Panama, one of our acquaintances was a substitute teacher in the DoD schools, which were pretty thoroughly bilingual. The problem was that the kids would toss both languages together so freely that neither language was actually spoken - just a mish-mash of the two. Our friend told one class: "I can teach in English, or I can teach in Spanish - PICK ONE." The kids were pretty cool with that.
|
Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status:
Offline
|
|
One of the joys of meeting for school reunions is the wonderful mid-sentence mashing of languages we grew up with, and that you just don't get with other people.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Standing on the shoulders of giants
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by subego
So, who here consistently uses the proper French pronunciation for the word "Paris"?
I assume no one here is that big of a le sac de douche.
When in Rome ....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Standing on the shoulders of giants
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants
pommes frites
Fried apples?
Originally Posted by turtle777
Slightly different but related:
Yesterday, I ordered a Belgium beer called "Petrus".
I read that quickly and thought that you'd ordered Château Pétrus wine. Not quite in the same price range I'd imagine. For the wine you pronounce the 's' at the end. I imagine its the same for the beer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by mattyb
I read that quickly and thought that you'd ordered Château Pétrus wine. Not quite in the same price range I'd imagine. For the wine you pronounce the 's' at the end. I imagine its the same for the beer.
That's an interesting exception, I have no idea if it applies to the beer.
-t
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Standing on the shoulders of giants
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by turtle777
That's an interesting exception, I have no idea if it applies to the beer.
A town near Biarritz spelt Anglet, you pronounce the 't' at the end. I had a colleague called Prost (like the F1 driver) but he insisted it was pronounced Pro.
They do it just to fcuk with you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mac Elite
Join Date: Apr 2001
Status:
Offline
|
|
One time I ordered Singha beer (pronounced Sing*ga ). They acted confused so I pointed on the menu and they chuckled at me saying "he's pronouncing it wrong, he wants SingHAAAAA".
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
Now I'm vaguely recalling a fight with a waitress about whether Riesling was "re-zling" or "rice-ling". The person in our party ordering it worked for a wine distributor on top of it all. Things got a little heated. The host finally stepped in, sent her away, and comped us the bottle.
I was just a bystander, though. The stuff is horrid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by mindwaves
Perhaps I phrased it incorrectly. I want the students to say their name slower. They say their name so fast and mumble that I often miss their name the first time and sometimes the second time.
Okay... this I get.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Isle of Manhattan
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by subego
Now I'm vaguely recalling a fight with a waitress about whether Riesling was "re-zling" or "rice-ling". The person in our party ordering it worked for a wine distributor on top of it all. Things got a little heated. The host finally stepped in, sent her away, and comped us the bottle.
I was just a bystander, though. The stuff is horrid.
I thought it was pronounced "Reez-ling"...
btw there are some excellent Rieslings, however many are far too sweet for me.
pet peeve: people who pronounce Sake as "Sa-key"... it's pronounced "Sa-kay", same for shiitake (it's shee-takay not shee-tah-key) etc.... oy vey
|
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Isle of Manhattan
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by andi*pandi
Most restaurants I've been to that put french things on the menu seem to have staff that know the right way to say things. I can't even think of another way to say crème brûlée. (I did struggle with the accent marks there though). Cream Brooley? Cram Brooleee? brrr.
Escargot? I can see someone messing up, even if they silly enough to order it.
Also, please do use Parisian pronunciation in Quebec.
La croissan'wich mossier
|
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by osiris
I thought it was pronounced "Reez-ling"...
btw there are some excellent Rieslings, however many are far too sweet for me.
You've got it right. The waitress was insisting on the rice version. I won't quibble where to bust up the syllables.
I've never found one dry enough to not make me go "blarghhh". Friend of mine loves it, but has switched over to Moscato. Blarghhh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Isle of Manhattan
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by subego
You've got it right. The waitress was insisting on the rice version. I won't quibble where to bust up the syllables..
You need to channel your inner Larry David.
Originally Posted by subego
I've never found one dry enough to not make me go "blarghhh". Friend of mine loves it, but has switched over to Moscato. Blarghhh.
I picked up a Honey riesling that actually tasted ok during the tasting, but drank like raw corn syrup when I actually opened a bottle... christ I still get chills.
|
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by osiris
I thought it was pronounced "Reez-ling"...
btw there are some excellent Rieslings, however many are far too sweet for me.
pet peeve: people who pronounce Sake as "Sa-key"... it's pronounced "Sa-kay", same for shiitake (it's shee-takay not shee-tah-key) etc.... oy vey
It's actually pronounced more like "sah-keh" rather than "sah-kay", which in turn is a particular pet peeve of *mine*.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Isle of Manhattan
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
It's actually pronounced more like "sah-keh" rather than "sah-kay", which in turn is a particular pet peeve of *mine*.
partially true, depending on where you are in Japan and how much of the stuff you had. The important thing here is that it's not ****ing sah-key.
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot
which in turn is a particular pet peeve of *mine*.
one of many, I'm sure.
(
Last edited by osiris; Nov 4, 2015 at 10:15 AM.
)
|
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Shaddim's sock drawer
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by osiris
one of many, I'm sure.
You get that impression too, eh? He's a real joy to be around.
|
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Isle of Manhattan
Status:
Offline
|
|
oui oui
|
"Faster, faster! 'Till the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - HST
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Montréal, Québec (Canada)
Status:
Offline
|
|
The same can be said about Mexican restaurants.. I try to use the correct pronunciation, like "poyo" for pollo (chicken) but the waiters often repeat with the wrong pronunciation..
The catch with French is that most of the time, the final letter is silent. So gratin is not "grattan" but like this (the UK one). Filet mignon is not pronounced "filett mignonne" but more like "filay mignong" ( like this).
Originally Posted by subego
So, who here consistently uses the proper French pronunciation for the word "Paris"?
I think it's normal for people to pronounce names in their native tongue. In Québec we say Londres and not London, we say Christophe Colomb and not Cristobal Columbus, États-Unis and not United States, Mexique and not Mexico, etc
Originally Posted by mattyb
Fried apples?
Potatoes can be called either "patates" or "pommes de terre" (ground apples).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status:
Offline
|
|
But patates is a very quebecois term, right? Would a Parisian know it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
Status:
Offline
|
|
...I think a Belgian would, but that may be simply because it's similar to the Waloon word for potatoes.
|
Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Shaddim's sock drawer
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by mattyb
Fried apples?
I missed this. Yeah, those are delicious too.
|
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Standing on the shoulders of giants
Status:
Offline
|
|
Originally Posted by FireWire
Potatoes can be called either "patates" or "pommes de terre" (ground apples).
Cheers. After 14 years of living in France, I've managed to grasp that.
Frites is the word used for Those slices of potatoes deep fried in oil/French Fries/Freedom Fries in France. In my house, I call them chips. The French call crisps chips.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forum Rules
|
|
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|