Gosh

Gosh I was drinking warm horchata (which is my new favorite beverage) over at College 8 and so I was really happy and I was telling my friend this and he’s like “YOU MISPRONOUNCED IT” and it sort of ruined my day. =(
Guys “horchata” is from a different language, and lots of words we take from different languages are totally pronounced wrong, okay. No one is actually going to spend time saying “-tta” instead of “-da” just to prove some sort of point so just as long as you’re not pronouncing it “hot dicks” I think you’re okay in saying whatever you want so that people understand you.

17 comments

  1. I never even thought about pronouncing it with a “-da” sound instead of “-tta”.
    Honestly, I don’t even bother pronouncing other languages’ words correctly. I went to a taqueria with Roy a day or two ago and wanted some watermelon drink but the only way to order would involve me saying “aguas frescas, sandía.” Far too much effort for me to say. So instead of being an inconsiderate mispronouncin’ American asshole, I got Roy to order for me.
    Isn’t horchata like the poor man’s thai iced tea?

    1. Well, by “-da” I don’t mean an enunciated “duh” sound, but more like a nearly-voiced, almost-silent “t” sound – “horcha-a.” I’d give you a more phonetic description but I haven’t taken that class yet.
      The guy was like “it’s horchat-TAH,” as if you really have to spit that last consonant to pronounce it correctly.
      When I go to Thai restaurants and I want some pad ba mee I don’t say “I’d like some pad ba mee,” I said “I’d like 42, please” and point to the number on the menu.

  2. I got flack for “jalapeenos” a few months back.
    More recently, I composed a reply to something similar, internet spelling/grammar. In this particular case, some guy was being taken to task for writing “cds” and not “CD’s.” What I said in that was basically “what you are reading is an intellectual product, written voluntarily. Like most free things, random comments on blogs and forums aren’t always going to have a lot of quality or effort put into them. If you want to understand the ideas expressed, the burden is on you to read better, not on the writer to write better.”

    1. And even in that case there’s a lot of debate as to whether it’s “CDs” or “CD’s” – either way it doesn’t even matter. Yeah.
      What’s ironic is that the guy I was talking to is sort of infamous for typing rather dyslexically, but no one cares and we love ‘im anyway.

  3. damn that sounds yummy.. i want one
    and all this pronounciation stuff goes against my linguist heart. is it understood? yes! then can you say it? OF COURSE YOU CAN. ughwhatever

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *