Rachel's pronunciation
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:13 pm
Rachel's pronunciation
My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this
- Matt Morrison
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 7822
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Yes, and yes. It's annoying but what can you do?Mike Thompson wrote:My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this
It's better to get your kids playing along and have to remind them how to pronounce the letters properly than ban the show entirely because of it.
- Ben Hunter
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1770
- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:54 pm
- Location: S Yorks
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Correct grammar doesn't appear to enjoy the same lofty position in your totalitarian regime's list of priorities.Mike Thompson wrote:the letters have to pronounced correctly.
Last edited by Ben Hunter on Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Ian Fitzpatrick
- Devotee
- Posts: 620
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:23 pm
- Location: Wimborne, Dorset
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Yes it has been commented on several times and I belive it stems from an early show of Rachel's when a contestant misheard an F for an S. She now makes a point of accentuating both letters in addition to Mmmmmmmmmmm and Nnnnnnnnnnn.Mike Thompson wrote:My class of 11 year olds love to play the countdown numbers game (it can be downloaded) BUT when they play the letters game, the letters have to pronounced correctly. To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this
It is perhaps slightly over done and she could probably back off a bit now - I hope so, because SWMBO is always complaining about it too - as if I could do anything about it!
I thought I was good at Countdown until I joined this forum
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
The visually impaired struggle to differenciate, so it was an intentional thing on our part, but over the coming weeks it disappears...........z
- Rosemary Roberts
- Devotee
- Posts: 555
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:36 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
This continuing harping irritates me beyond bearing. This is not a personal foible on Rachel's part. The letters and numbers are intended to be pronounced in such a way that blind and partially sighted people can play the game as well. She pronounces S and F as "esser" and "effer" to make sure they are perfectly clear and unambiguous. Which they are. I was extremely impressed that she managed to get this exactly right from her very first show.Mike Thompson wrote:To hear Rachel say "esser" and "effer" is really irritating. Has anyone else noticed or commented on this
It would be nice if you would all show as much consideration!
- Rosemary Roberts
- Devotee
- Posts: 555
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:36 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I do hope not, Damian, it really is extremely useful!D Eadie wrote:The visually impaired struggle to differenciate, so it was an intentional thing on our part, but over the coming weeks it disappears...........z
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Stop being so freaking anal?Matt Morrison wrote:It's annoying but what can you do?
- Matt Morrison
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 7822
- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: London
- Contact:
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Glad you agree.Jon Corby wrote:Stop being so freaking anal?Matt Morrison wrote:It's annoying but what can you do?
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Effer off.Matt Morrison wrote:Glad you agree.Jon Corby wrote:Stop being so freaking anal?Matt Morrison wrote:It's annoying but what can you do?
- Phil Reynolds
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3329
- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:43 pm
- Location: Leamington Spa, UK
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Understood but I think it's a question of degree. It's possible to pronounce the names of the letters S, F, M, N and L perfectly distinctly by emphasising the final consonantal sound - e.g. essss, effff - without adding the ugly-sounding "uh" at the end, which I must admit is starting to irritate me as well. You have to remember that when she began this job, Rachel had absolutely no TV experience whatsoever; she is still learning and improving and no doubt her style will quickly settle down to a happy medium.Rosemary Roberts wrote:This is not a personal foible on Rachel's part. The letters and numbers are intended to be pronounced in such a way that blind and partially sighted people can play the game as well.
- Kieran Child
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 355
- Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:48 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Her first couple of shows she could NOT stand up in those shoes and flicked between looking like a zombie to looking like a hobo.
She's improving. Hopefully the letters will get there.
She's improving. Hopefully the letters will get there.
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Geez, some of you guys are very easily irritated by the looks of it..........
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1269
- Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:57 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Carol did the same, but I don't recall anyone objecting. It's an attempt to make sure the letters can be differentiated. If you want to be irritated, so be it, but it's done for a good reason.
What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel. If she's so perfect her supporters would just ignore or laugh off criticism, surely.
What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel. If she's so perfect her supporters would just ignore or laugh off criticism, surely.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13330
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
The funniest one for me is her pronunciation of some of the vowels - O in particular. I'm not sure how to put it into text but it's the way she goes up at the end. It's just hilarious. I suppose thinking about it, it's not entirely dissimilar to the S and F thing.
- George Jenkins
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:55 am
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are. The fashion People decree that women will now be perched on a pair of three or more inch stilts. the fact that few women will be able to walk gracefully, and that many of them will soon be filling Doctor's surgeries complaining of crippled feet, does not matter, there is money to be made. This includes my own two daughters and four granddaughters. they don't take a blind bit of notice of my lectures. If you ladies refused to buy these torture instruments, the people who control you will have to design comfortable shoes, and which will still look smart and fashionable.Kieran Child wrote:Her first couple of shows she could NOT stand up in those shoes and flicked between looking like a zombie to looking like a hobo.
She's improving. Hopefully the letters will get there.
As to Rachel's accented letters, I think that she has been instructed to do this, and I don't find it irritating at all.
-
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:32 pm
- Location: Petersfield (Hants)
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I think Rachel should use the phonetic alphabet and she can tell us to Foxtrot Oscar!
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
David Williams wrote:Carol did the same, but I don't recall anyone objecting. It's an attempt to make sure the letters can be differentiated. If you want to be irritated, so be it, but it's done for a good reason.
What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel. If she's so perfect her supporters would just ignore or laugh off criticism, surely.
The phonetic alphabet was created to remove any doubt over what letter was being spoken, but obviously we can't use this, so the emphasising of certain letters becomes necessary. If this irritates some people, i can only presume they spend most of their lives irritated, because in the grand scheme of things, ie traffic jams, automated telephone services etc, it's really nothing, let's face it. Nobody is ever going to be perfect David, because perfection is judged in different ways by different folk.
As i said earlier, the situation rectifies itself over the coming weeks, but not to the detriment of the visually impaired. I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Oh and the heels thing is no longer an issue. We've shipped in a large order of Doc Marten boots, so keep your eyes peeled.
George, have to laugh at your comments about ladies shoes and lecturing your daughters. Whatever happened to letting them do what they want? It's not as if you can possibly know what its like to spend a day in high heels, is it?
George, have to laugh at your comments about ladies shoes and lecturing your daughters. Whatever happened to letting them do what they want? It's not as if you can possibly know what its like to spend a day in high heels, is it?
-
- Acolyte
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:59 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Well. Rachel certainly doesn't irritate me, I think she's lovely and like a breath of fresh air amongst all the doom and gloom of the world at the moment. I did notice that she puts a big emphasis on certain letters, but I imagined she had been trained that way in order that people at home with sight problems would still be able to play along. Before my mother died, she suffered from macular degeneration and couldn't see very well, but she was still able to enjoy Countdown because Carol also put a big emphasis on the letters she was placing on the board. There are lots of things which irritate me at times especially regarding politics, illegal immigrants and benefit fraud but Rachel's pronunciation of the letters is more a delight than an irritant.
-
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:32 pm
- Location: Petersfield (Hants)
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Well said Kathleen - I feel you are leaning against a rather large open door here.Kathleen Batlle wrote:Well. Rachel certainly doesn't irritate me, I think she's lovely and like a breath of fresh air amongst all the doom and gloom of the world at the moment. I did notice that she puts a big emphasis on certain letters, but I imagined she had been trained that way in order that people at home with sight problems would still be able to play along. Before my mother died, she suffered from macular degeneration and couldn't see very well, but she was still able to enjoy Countdown because Carol also put a big emphasis on the letters she was placing on the board. There are lots of things which irritate me at times especially regarding politics, illegal immigrants and benefit fraud but Rachel's pronunciation of the letters is more a delight than an irritant.
-
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:32 pm
- Location: Petersfield (Hants)
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
By the way - I could never go on The Weakest Link, as I can't understand half the rubbish that Ann Robinson comes out with. Her pronunciation is diabolical IMO.
Rachel is like Brian Sewell in comparison to Ann.
Rachel is like Brian Sewell in comparison to Ann.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13330
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.D Eadie wrote:I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13330
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?George Jenkins wrote:Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.
-
- Rookie
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:45 am
- Location: Surrey/London
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
She does have very noticeable diphthongs, like many an Essex girl. I find myself dwelling on Rachel's diphthongs every day [/frankie howerd].Gavin Chipper wrote:The funniest one for me is her pronunciation of some of the vowels - O in particular. I'm not sure how to put it into text but it's the way she goes up at the end. It's just hilarious. I suppose thinking about it, it's not entirely dissimilar to the S and F thing.
Somebody who's better than me with IPA could break the diphthongs (gliding vowels, such as "ai", a sound producing by transitioning from "ah" to "ee") down into their constituent parts. But at a rough guess, her O's sound almost like ah-oo. And her I's emphasise the "ah" of the "ah-ee".
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Gavin Chipper wrote:I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.D Eadie wrote:I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.
Is that often, or just 99% of the time?
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Gavin Chipper wrote:I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?George Jenkins wrote:Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.
Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Zing!D Eadie wrote:Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.
- George Jenkins
- Enthusiast
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:55 am
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I'ts an age thing. One has to impose one's authority on the young people who know no better. the fact that they ignore one's advice, and call one an "old git" shows that they have no respect for our superior knowledge. I have to confess that my lecturing and their reaction generates a lot of humour, and I wouldn't have it any other way, and as for being an old git, I love it. did you notice how posh I writ that.D Eadie wrote:Oh and the heels thing is no longer an issue. We've shipped in a large order of Doc Marten boots, so keep your eyes peeled.
George, have to laugh at your comments about ladies shoes and lecturing your daughters. Whatever happened to letting them do what they want? It's not as if you can possibly know what its like to spend a day in high heels, is it?
Last edited by George Jenkins on Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Andy Wilson
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2009 3:09 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I've just had a distorted vision of Rachel doing Rhianna's umbrella song at karaoke... Ella...ella...ella...
- Charlie Reams
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9494
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:33 pm
- Location: Cambridge
- Contact:
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I wasn't going to bother to reply to this thread, but having seen that it annoys you...David Williams wrote:What is beginning to irritate me is the reaction to any criticism of Rachel.
STFU everyone, Rachel is perfect.
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
That does remind me of Carol in a way!
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13330
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
I often think the same about you - after about 99% of your posts in fact. I hope this clears the matter up.D Eadie wrote:Gavin Chipper wrote:I often think the same about you after 99% of your posts.D Eadie wrote:I do wonder though for the sanity of the irritated. How do they get out of bed and cope with an average day in life, if something like this can be so annoying? Puzzles me.
Is that often, or just 99% of the time?
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13330
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Rachel's pronunciation
Still waiting for an insipid weed...D Eadie wrote:Gavin Chipper wrote:I'm not sure that weird Queen's head thing she wore the other day was due to being a victim of fashion. Was that for a bet?George Jenkins wrote:Unfortunately, Rachel is a victim of fashion, as most women are.
Was for a bet Gavin. We colluded and took money on which insipid weed would comment on it first. Thanks for the £20.