British pronunciation

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Andrew Feist
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British pronunciation

Post by Andrew Feist »

A co-worker asked me, so I figured I'd ask all of you:
"valet" as a person: val-AY, or VAL-ett (or some other choice)?
(Apparently a TV show used the second pronunciation last night.)
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Alec Rivers
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Alec Rivers »

I say VAL-ay, but I have no idea what the most common pronunciation is.
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Jon O'Neill
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Jon O'Neill »

val-AY sounds a bit posh to me. I say VAL-ay.
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Charlie Reams
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Charlie Reams »

Jon O'Neill wrote:val-AY sounds a bit posh to me. I say VAL-ay.
I also say VAL-ay, and I actually am a bit posh, at least according to Jonathan "Salt of the Earth" O'Neill.
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Andrew Feist »

Well, in my Kansas accent (which, of course is really the lack of an accent at all ;)) it comes out with the syllables pretty equally emphasized. So I'll consider all those votes for the first option.
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Ian Volante
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Ian Volante »

VAL-ay, with a flat Yorkshire ay.
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Gavin Chipper
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Gavin Chipper »

It's not a word I've ever needed to use.
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JimBentley
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by JimBentley »

VAL-ay for the singular, but I think I'd go VAL-ett-ed and VAL-ett-ing (probably more like VAL-ett'd and VAL-ett'n, but that's the accent). No idea if that's how other people would pronounce it though. Although I used to work with a bloke who used to do it for a living, poor bastard. He said it like VUL-ett but he had a speech impediment or was from Cumbria, I could never work out which.
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Ian Volante
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Ian Volante »

JimBentley wrote:he had a speech impediment or was from Cumbria
Tautology shurely.
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Karen Pearson
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Karen Pearson »

Andrew Feist wrote:A co-worker asked me, so I figured I'd ask all of you:
"valet" as a person: val-AY, or VAL-ett (or some other choice)?
(Apparently a TV show used the second pronunciation last night.)
VAL-ay or VAL-it are both fine. Always with the emphasis on the first syllable though.
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Helen Andrews »

I'm a VAL-ay girl myself. It reminds me a bit of someone I know who pronounces 'melee' mell-EH, with all the emphasis on the second syllable. It sounds very strange to me.
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Charlie Reams
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Charlie Reams »

Helen Andrews wrote:I'm a VAL-ay girl.
Like oh my God!
Marc Meakin
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Marc Meakin »

Charlie Reams wrote:
Helen Andrews wrote:I'm a VAL-ay girl.
Like oh my God!
I heard you the first time :)
GR MSL GNDT MSS NGVWL SRND NNLYC NNCT
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Matt Morrison
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Matt Morrison »

Charlie Reams wrote:
Helen Andrews wrote:I'm a VAL-ay girl.
Like oh my God!
I don't know if this is what you were thinking, Charlie, but it's what you made me think. I'm sure, no way!
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Jon Corby
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Jon Corby »

Matt Morrison wrote:
Charlie Reams wrote:
Helen Andrews wrote:I'm a VAL-ay girl.
Like oh my God!
I don't know if this is what you were thinking, Charlie, but it's what you made me think. I'm sure, no way!
Would be a bit of a coincidence if it wasn't Matt!

(I lolled btw)
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Matt Morrison
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Matt Morrison »

Apologies. Don't really know how widespread Zappa knowledge is, and I didn't know much about the valley girl stereotype before I'd heard that song, so didn't want to make assumptions.

It's, like, totally bitchin' that we're all agreeing though, fer shur. Tre cool!
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Charlie Reams
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Charlie Reams »

Matt Morrison wrote:Apologies. Don't really know how widespread Zappa knowledge is, and I didn't know much about the valley girl stereotype before I'd heard that song, so didn't want to make assumptions.

It's, like, totally bitchin' that we're all agreeing though, fer shur. Tre cool!
Yeah, I'd never heard that song, it was just a general joke about valley girl English.
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Matt Morrison
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Matt Morrison »

That's Matt 1 - 0 Corby in my eyes.
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Jon Corby
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Jon Corby »

Haha, pwnt. I retract my lol.
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Ian Volante
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Ian Volante »

Matt Morrison wrote:Apologies. Don't really know how widespread Zappa knowledge is, and I didn't know much about the valley girl stereotype before I'd heard that song, so didn't want to make assumptions.

It's, like, totally bitchin' that we're all agreeing though, fer shur. Tre cool!
If this sparks anyone into discovering more Zappa, I highly recommend Joe's Garage. Aber beclecken nicht das sofa, sofa!
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Gavin Chipper
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Gavin Chipper »

I'd never heard of the valley girl stereotype before or even of valley girls.
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Charlie Reams
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Charlie Reams »

Gavin Chipper wrote:I'd never heard of the valley girl stereotype before or even of valley girls.
Thanks for this.
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Charlie Reams wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:I'd never heard of the valley girl stereotype before or even of valley girls.
Thanks for this.
No problem. There's loads more where that came from. I've just checked, and it isn't raining outside.
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Re: British pronunciation

Post by Helen Andrews »

There was me thinking 'valley girl English' was something to do with Wales, but a quick google has set me right. I feel like I should make it clear that my accent is most certainly neither "from the valleys" or "valley girl"!
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