Lieutenant: Brits vs Yanks. Who is right?

[MSIC]

I can't let another minute pass without addressing this important issue any more.

Are we right to insist dogmatically (and because we were here first?) the "Lieu" is correctly pronounced "leff"?
Or is it time for us to cave and and concede the wisdom of our American chums?

PS I was playing some old 70s tunes, when i came across this "treasure".

[kopite]

I chose the british ways.

Those yanks have ruined enough words that they arent taking this one as well

[Stewart]

Several thoughts.

1 - Nobody cares.
2 - When attempting to speak English, the English are correct.
3 - 'American' and 'Wisdom' are not words that should be placed in the same sentence.
4 - It's probably a French word anyway.
5 - Nobody cares.

[0iD]

4 - It's probably a French word anyway.
5 - Nobody cares.

[Middle English, deputy, from Old French : lieu, lieu; see lieu + tenant, present participle of tenir, to hold (from Latin tenēre; see ten- in Indo-European roots).]
lieu·ten'an·cy n.

there you goes

[Saracen]

Much though I hate to admit it, the Americans are right on this one.

As OiD said, the etymology is French.

And it's lieu as in (sort-of) loo, certainly not lef.

After all, we don't pronounce "in lieu of " (meaning in place of or instead of) as "in leff of", now do we?

Just because we've been pronouncing it wrong for years, or hundreds of years, doesn't make it right and, this time, the Yanks have got us cold. Now, America, having finally had a concession on that, will you PLEASE stop calling the cars "Jagwarrrs". They're "Jag-u-ars".

And as for Pall Mall, it's "Al" as in Al Jolson, not "awll", as in ball, call, fall, maul, etc. I mean, it's simple. Init?

[Stewart]

As OiD said, the etymology is French.

As who said?

[G4Z]

I have probably been conditioned a bit by my time in the TA, but as far as I am concerned it's 'leff'. I certainly wouldn't consider taking pronunciation lessons from the land of 'alooominum'.

[Saracen]

As who said?

OiD.

Someone else, dunno who, said it's "probably" French. Oid gave the etymology, as opposed to just guessing.

I though Oid deserved the mention, seeing as how he obviously dedicated gruelling seconds of back-breaking labour to research it .... and of course took the extra risk of the strain to his typing finger to do it. Such effort deserves it's just reward .... hence my 'accolade'.

[Stringent]

I vote Loo. Probably because I watch too many US films! LOL!

[Stewart]

OiD.

Someone else, dunno who, said it's "probably" French. Oid gave the etymology, as opposed to just guessing.

I though Oid deserved the mention, seeing as how he obviously dedicated gruelling seconds of back-breaking labour to research it .... and of course took the extra risk of the strain to his typing finger to do it. Such effort deserves it's just reward .... hence my 'accolade'.

Aye, but I knew it was French, but not wanting to appear a bit of a know-it-all type, said probably.

OiD used his well documented cut 'n paste skillz to confirm my 'guess'.

[Saracen]

Aye, but I knew it was French, but not wanting to appear a bit of a know-it-all type, said probably.

In which case, by raising it, I think you just failed.

Gotcha.

[Stewart]

Yes, but this was before you gave credit to the cut 'n paste merchant.

It's an organ grinder \ monkey sorta situation...

[Saracen]

But .... if you want to hide your light under a bushel (whatever one of them is, and whyever we'd want to hide a light under it ..... and there's another opportunity for cut'n'paste) I can't be expected to know you're hiding it. After all, I don't go about hunting under bushels for lights.

And, if you're hiding it, it's hardly rational to object when people fail to acknowledge your light, and notice someone who's got his light hung on a pole, waving it about out in the open.

Also, by raising it, isn't this not so much hiding your light? It's more like taking out a TV advert.

Still gotcha.

[Stewart]

But I built my bushel, and apart from a sign next to it reading 'probably', it was quite obviously a bushel I'd built.

OiD simply stood next to my bushel, dropped his trousers and fell asleep.

Under such circumstances, I do not expect you to wake him from his slumber so you can say 'nice bushel'.

[Saracen]

You might have built a really nice bushel, but then you deliberately painted it in camouflage paint. Hardly surprising I walked past it. I did, however, trip over OiD's bushel.

And thanks (not) for the mental image of OiD minus trousers. Anyone want a slightly second-hand chicken sandwich? For some reason, I've gone off it.

[Pob255]

It's an organ grinder \ monkey sorta situation...

what it's a pile of minced primate offal?

This is one case where the Americans have it correct as has been said.

But the wrong one that really really gets to me (esp when listening to audio books) is "urbs" it pronounced "Her-b-s" because there's an H at the front.
If you're going to drop your h's then at least do it correctly don't just drop it from one word.