Comments on: English brands: a user’s guide

By: Theresa

Theresa — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:57:55 +0000

THanks Sarah. Chespir is a hell of a lot easier to spell!

By: Sarah Clark de Garcés

Sarah Clark de Garcés — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:50:37 +0000

Great article, and you may be interested in an article I wrote for my blog on a similar subject: http://sarahclarkgarces.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/chespir-in-love/
My favourite particular example of Spanish pronunciation is Bogay, or Vogue to you and I…

By: Dom

Dom — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:05:42 +0000

Any of the English speakers here say “Paree” rather than “Paris” when speaking English. The Spanish – when speaking Spanish – are *not* mispronouncing these words. After all, even Catalans will say “Barcelona” in the Castilian style when speaking that language.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:02:26 +0000

H yes, ee-the-ber-gay as they say here! It washes off on you, though. I think of R-E-M as REM (one word) now. And I once embarrassed myself with English-living-in-England friends by talking about Harvey Kettle, rather than Kai-TELL! He’ll always be ‘Kettle’ to me!

By: Zophya

Zophya — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:40:57 +0000

I’m very impressed on how spaniards pronounce so badly most of english words. Such as:

U2 – I come from Mexico and we’ve always said it as in english, but here they literally translate “u-dos”. The same happens with ACDC.

And what about “iceberg”!?!? If they would like to say it properly, they would say “glaciar” rather than “i-seberg”!!!!!

Trident commercials are also a must!! No wonder why they are sooo bad at languages, you can see it on TV. That’s the education they get on how spelling is here in Spain.

PS. So far, in my opinion, Frank Sinatra (Flan sin nata) is the winner!

By: Valerie

Valerie — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:22:04 +0000

@ Sandra: ha ha ha! Love them!

By: Theresa

Theresa — Mon, 31 May 2010 09:04:14 +0000

Had never heard of the picú. Love it! Polan is brilliant of course – and reminds me of where I grew up: Rugby (where there is a massive Portland Centemt factory). Oh yes, make mine a flan sin nata every time.

By: Sandra Méneaud

Sandra Méneaud — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:56:36 +0000

Just remembered also :

Yonbainey – John Wayne

Flan sin nata – Frank Sinatra

By: Sandra Méneaud

Sandra Méneaud — Mon, 31 May 2010 08:51:33 +0000

I have a piece of furniture from the 50s or 60s , which is a record player and radio combined. I was given it by a Spanish family who always called it a `picú´. I thought this was the word for a combination of radio and record player and was surprised when someone told me that `picú´was an English word. It´s the Spanish pronunciation of `pick up´, the stylus on the arm of the record player.
A woman from the Canary Islands told me that in Tenerife they have a lot of `kinkeiwei´ potatoes, or in English, King Edward´s potatoes.
My Spanish friend always thought the word for `cement´ in Spanish was `polan´, since that how everyone referred to the cement which came from the local Portland Company cement factory.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Fri, 28 May 2010 07:19:28 +0000

Now that is a mouthful! Reminds of the pronunciation of McDonalds in Japan: Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do. ..