So, which words did you mispronounce and how embarrassing was it when you were corrected?

"Penelope" is like "epitome." And "segue" is just plain weird.

I pronounced "claret" properly and my college roommate laughed, called me a hillbilly, and said, "Oh my god, you mean 'cla-RAY'?"

No, actually, I don't. And when I showed her the damn dictionary, she just shrugged and said "Well, *I* don't say it like that!" Dude, fine. YOU be wrong.

She also mocked how I said "Aigner" (as in the designer). I worked with someone who worked part-time at an Aigner store, and she pronounced it AY-gner. I assumed she had it right, because she worked there. Roommate said no, you hillbilly, it's ahn-YAY.

Anyone know which one is right? I never bothered to check, seeing as how it's not a staple of my wardrobe. (And if the proper French pronunciation is different from the designer -- for whatever weird-ass reason -- I just want to know how the designer label is pronounced.)

Also, half my office says Chipotle wrong whenever we order there. (Chi-POL-tee, oh my god. It drives me batshit. And then *I* start saying it that way, too.)

OK, that site says in-koh-ate for both British and American, so .

Is that wrong? I'm starting to think I don't know how to pronounce anything!

Hee. I think less "brah" and more "b," right?

Also, half my office says Chipotle wrong whenever we order there. Chi-POL-tee, oh my god.

Yeah, that makes me bonkers.

There are no police reports, and the writer spoke to no one (or didn't quote anyone) from DYFS or anyone who could possibly refute the father's claims.

There are enough references to what "they" say for me to infer that they believe in "spare the rod and spoil the child" and probably have enough other wackaloon theories of child care to constitute abuse. It's not being Christian that's the problem; it's being crazy. I don't think it's unusual to ask parents not to talk about when the family is back together, because it may be giving the children false hope and keeping them from moving forward where they are. Poor kids.

The first word I recall mispronouncing was lapel. After more than 70 years, my mother is still mad about being mocked by a teacher for pronouncing "choir" as "chore."

Speaking of things I generally try to have a good public face for: So, the goth musician Voltaire. I like his work, but I will admit that outselling his "What Is Goth?" book is/was one of my goals.

Apparently in 2009, he had Alchemy Gothic design a key pendant for him to sell as merch: [link]

Heeeeeey, that bat design looks kinda ... familiar. Like, really familiar. But, no way to prove it.

Ugh. And now, "christians aren't allowed to adopt in the UK!"

"Seque" and "epitome" for me, too!

What drove my sister bonkers was that I'd pull out words like that in third and fourth grade and use them correctly. I might mangle to pronunciation sometimes, but I knew what they meant. She was older than me, so it was a good way to annoy her endlessly, which is a younger sister's sworn duty.

Okay, Cambridge dictionary says "in-co-ate". Phew, I'm good. [link]

Merriam-Webster says "in-KOH-ut." Phew, I'm good. [link]

Hee. I think less "brah" and more "b," right?

The "ah" is basically an exhalation of breath. But it sounds wrong if you stop at the r.

Steph, we were discussing that unpronouncable designer just yesterday. This chick, calls him "On-yay." [link]

Hee. I think less "brah" and more "b," right?

I thought it sounded like you were about to do the whole brah sound but then you sort of stifle on the br bit.

I gave up on trying to pronounce Louisiana names until I heard them. Hebert, anyone?

Here's a thing I have about being wrong. I try to not unequivocally say I am right unless I've seen enough facts that I'm convinced. If I'm kinda unsure, or haven't read enough or don't know enough to interpret what I've read, I do the whole, "I'm pretty sure it's this, but I could be wrong." And I like to discuss things and still argue my point of view.

However, if I'm convinced, I am immovable. This often leads people to tell me, "You always argue when you think you're right." Which, no, I argue when it's interesting just not as intensely. Why would I argue intensely if I didn't think I was right?