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The Off Topic Topic

Started by Korea, March 10, 2009, 06:24:26 AM

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Savonarola

George Bernard Shaw once noted that fish, in English, could be written as ghoti using the gh from enough; the o from women and the ti from motion.  I was reminded of that this morning while listening to a Spanish language podcast about South Dakota where they tried to pronounce "Sioux."  The word is a French transliteration; and in English it's no problem to give it a French(ish) pronunciation (Sū); the Spaniards, though, kept on pronounced as though it was a Spanish word: See-o-ū-ex.
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Duque de Bragança

#82666
Yep, in French the x (plural mark) of Sioux is silent but not the i.

Portuguese adopted the French pronunciation, and adapted the spelling, i.e Siú. English or rather French spelling is sometimes used though.

PS: just checked the Real Academia dictionary and it also references the siux spelling for Castilian.

Syt

Worst offender remains queue which is just the letter Q with 4 silent vowels. :P
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops.
—Stephen Jay Gould

Proud owner of 42 Zoupa Points.

Duque de Bragança

Quote from: Syt on October 04, 2021, 08:39:50 AM
Worst offender remains queue which is just the letter Q with 4 silent vowels. :P

Letter Quê ?Quê ? :P

Savonarola

Quote from: Syt on October 04, 2021, 08:39:50 AM
Worst offender remains queue which is just the letter Q with 4 silent vowels. :P

There's a branch of mathematics which studies the behavior of queues (or lines in American English) called Queueing Theory.  "Queueing" is (to the best of my knowledge) the only English word with five vowels in a row.
In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace—and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock

Sheilbh

Quote from: Syt on October 04, 2021, 08:39:50 AM
Worst offender remains queue which is just the letter Q with 4 silent vowels. :P
It's primarily tonal.
Let's bomb Russia!

Grey Fox

Empty is bad offender too.

Empty
Mpty
Mty
Mt

Colonel Caliga is Awesome.

HVC

i pronounce the p... am i doing it wrong? :unsure:
Being lazy is bad; unless you still get what you want, then it's called "patience".
Hubris must be punished. Severely.

Razgovory

Lost 8 pounds in two months. :D
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

grumbler

Quote from: HVC on October 04, 2021, 09:54:51 AM
i pronounce the p... am i doing it wrong? :unsure:

Not in American English.  We "p" on empty.
The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.   -G'Kar

Bayraktar!

mongers

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Josquius

Å̸̛̟̖̝̯͒͑̆̀l̷̡̳̯̰̥͕̟̱͌̉̈͂l̶̥͔͙̿ ̵̨̫̰̰̤͇͉̃̌̅͊̍̄͊̒̚h̴̞̤̗̳̹̦͒͌a̸̞̠̟̜̟̱͐̌̋̆̽͐͆̍̕͜͝ͅi̷̛͉̓͗̀͛͋͛͝l̷̩̩͉͈͍̮̥̝̓̀͑ ̸̨̼̩̮̮̙͇̘̕͠ͅc̷̢̰̦̳̪̆̓̿͆͒̔̕̕t̷̢͉̜̺͉̼͑̑͜ȟ̶͓̗̓̐̋̚ú̴̲͚͌̽͝l̵̲̳͍̩̩͙̞͛̍͠ü̵͉̋̊͗͊̚.̵̧̘̪̞͔̻͕́̂̋ ̴͚̘̖̻̀̑̌̉̔͒̓̃Ǫ̷͓̘̣̬͔̼̲̣̅͗̀͘ṵ̴̡̫̞̖͍̫͒̀͊͌͗̐͘ͅr̸̢͇̙͈̲̦̔̈́̒̚̕ ̶̭̹̣̬̤̲̆͒̈́̍́̓̈̍͒̄g̴̛̮̪̠͙͓̎̾l̷̲̆͂̎͒̒̐͑̈́͑ǫ̸̰̥̠͍̗̱̺̓̈́͐͊̅̽̑̋͝r̸̬̦̥̗̮̲͉̤̎̔̚i̷̫̲͉͚͈͑̿͋͒͠o̴̠̫̭͔̖̜̰͜͝ͅǘ̷͉̲̫͖̠͎̱̻͉̊̈́̉̕s̵͕̞̹̫͎̏͆ ̶̡͉͈̰̟̾ͅo̶͚̦͇̪͉̝͌̊v̸̧̛̳͔̪͍͕̼̻͌́͋̏̃́ȩ̴͓̬͔̗̭͇͍̭̐̅̅̔̉̒͐̚͠ř̶̛̟̘̲͙̾͐͠l̸̫͍͙̀̃̎̽̊̏̀̏͝ȍ̶̧̩̖͉̲̘̩͍̬̪͊̏̒̍̇̒͌r̴̛̭̗̭̹̮̘̭̀̽͌́́͒͜͜d̵͈̬͔̥̬̣͗̃̆͠͝.̴͈̞́̊̽̄̐̆̓͗͒̈ ̴̳̭̬̥̍̾̃͊̀̓̈͜Ṃ̴͈̱̺̩̓̓͊͆̊͌̕͝a̶̭͈͚͖̲̤̭͙̕͠ͅͅy̵̨̮̱̻͖͇̯̣̙͊̅̎̊̊̃͆͘ ̷̯̝͕̪͙̯̰̙̹͂ǫ̴̣͕̞̰̣͖̜̗̔̆̽͆͜ũ̸̗͇̖̙͎̝̜͉̥̏͝r̴̺̫̣̬̣̣͊̋̀̀̅͑͆͜͝ ̸̞̟̬̱̈ͅs̵͇̄̅̊̂̑́͝͝o̷̩̼̯͈͕̺̫͕̳͛͛̽̏̄̊͜ů̷̩̜͎̓̇̆̈́̆̓̿̕͝l̸̹͇̩̗̺̠̳̀̀̾̐̊͂s̷̗͕͋̀́ ̴͕͓̐̄̇̾̕͜b̶̡͚̭̯͓̼̗̖̟̱͂̕ȩ̶̧̨͇̳͔͔̤͙͓̔͐̚ ̵̨̱͉͍͎͚̱̬̙͋̓͌͗̊̊͛̐͘d̴̥͖͔͎̿̾̃̈͝e̴̻͕̓͑v̸̢̛̱̠̰͚̎͑̈́̽̅̏̈͌ò̷̜̙͍̦̮̓͐̐͌̀́̓͘̕u̸͇̮̭̐̀r̴̲͔̘̜̬̩͗̑͐͝ͅe̶̜̻̙̼̗̱͓̋͗̂͛͜͝d̶͍͉̞̤͓͉̥̣͝ ̷͔̯̲̥̞̊͗́̆̈́̃̽̄f̴͎̱͚̳͇͛̋̽̍͌ò̸̫̫̖̼̰̰̞r̴̛̟̒̊͒̍̊̋͝ ̸̧͙͕͉̞̩̮͈̝͐̀̉̐̆͠h̸̡̟̘̙̪͖͐̈͗̀̉͛͝i̴̧̹͔̝̜̿̿̇̈́̀̌̆͘͝s̵̹̆͆́̐̋̂͑͌ ̵̘̬̀̈́ͅs̵͕͛͠u̷̧̧̼͓̟̺͋̓͑̔̒̈́c̶͙̳̐́͆̂͌̿̆͌̎c̸̼͓̖̝̠̱͓̦̩̖̀u̴̠̗̮͍̗̩̥͆͠ṛ̷͉̂͛͐
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██████

mongers

Quote from: Tyr on October 05, 2021, 06:55:20 AM
Å̸̛̟̖̝̯͒͑̆̀l̷̡̳̯̰̥͕̟̱͌̉̈͂l̶̥͔͙̿ ̵̨̫̰̰̤͇͉̃̌̅͊̍̄͊̒̚h̴̞̤̗̳̹̦͒͌a̸̞̠̟̜̟̱͐̌̋̆̽͐͆̍̕͜͝ͅi̷̛͉̓͗̀͛͋͛͝l̷̩̩͉͈͍̮̥̝̓̀͑ ̸̨̼̩̮̮̙͇̘̕͠ͅc̷̢̰̦̳̪̆̓̿͆͒̔̕̕t̷̢͉̜̺͉̼͑̑͜ȟ̶͓̗̓̐̋̚ú̴̲͚͌̽͝l̵̲̳͍̩̩͙̞͛̍͠ü̵͉̋̊͗͊̚.̵̧̘̪̞͔̻͕́̂̋ ̴͚̘̖̻̀̑̌̉̔͒̓̃Ǫ̷͓̘̣̬͔̼̲̣̅͗̀͘ṵ̴̡̫̞̖͍̫͒̀͊͌͗̐͘ͅr̸̢͇̙͈̲̦̔̈́̒̚̕ ̶̭̹̣̬̤̲̆͒̈́̍́̓̈̍͒̄g̴̛̮̪̠͙͓̎̾l̷̲̆͂̎͒̒̐͑̈́͑ǫ̸̰̥̠͍̗̱̺̓̈́͐͊̅̽̑̋͝r̸̬̦̥̗̮̲͉̤̎̔̚i̷̫̲͉͚͈͑̿͋͒͠o̴̠̫̭͔̖̜̰͜͝ͅǘ̷͉̲̫͖̠͎̱̻͉̊̈́̉̕s̵͕̞̹̫͎̏͆ ̶̡͉͈̰̟̾ͅo̶͚̦͇̪͉̝͌̊v̸̧̛̳͔̪͍͕̼̻͌́͋̏̃́ȩ̴͓̬͔̗̭͇͍̭̐̅̅̔̉̒͐̚͠ř̶̛̟̘̲͙̾͐͠l̸̫͍͙̀̃̎̽̊̏̀̏͝ȍ̶̧̩̖͉̲̘̩͍̬̪͊̏̒̍̇̒͌r̴̛̭̗̭̹̮̘̭̀̽͌́́͒͜͜d̵͈̬͔̥̬̣͗̃̆͠͝.̴͈̞́̊̽̄̐̆̓͗͒̈ ̴̳̭̬̥̍̾̃͊̀̓̈͜Ṃ̴͈̱̺̩̓̓͊͆̊͌̕͝a̶̭͈͚͖̲̤̭͙̕͠ͅͅy̵̨̮̱̻͖͇̯̣̙͊̅̎̊̊̃͆͘ ̷̯̝͕̪͙̯̰̙̹͂ǫ̴̣͕̞̰̣͖̜̗̔̆̽͆͜ũ̸̗͇̖̙͎̝̜͉̥̏͝r̴̺̫̣̬̣̣͊̋̀̀̅͑͆͜͝ ̸̞̟̬̱̈ͅs̵͇̄̅̊̂̑́͝͝o̷̩̼̯͈͕̺̫͕̳͛͛̽̏̄̊͜ů̷̩̜͎̓̇̆̈́̆̓̿̕͝l̸̹͇̩̗̺̠̳̀̀̾̐̊͂s̷̗͕͋̀́ ̴͕͓̐̄̇̾̕͜b̶̡͚̭̯͓̼̗̖̟̱͂̕ȩ̶̧̨͇̳͔͔̤͙͓̔͐̚ ̵̨̱͉͍͎͚̱̬̙͋̓͌͗̊̊͛̐͘d̴̥͖͔͎̿̾̃̈͝e̴̻͕̓͑v̸̢̛̱̠̰͚̎͑̈́̽̅̏̈͌ò̷̜̙͍̦̮̓͐̐͌̀́̓͘̕u̸͇̮̭̐̀r̴̲͔̘̜̬̩͗̑͐͝ͅe̶̜̻̙̼̗̱͓̋͗̂͛͜͝d̶͍͉̞̤͓͉̥̣͝ ̷͔̯̲̥̞̊͗́̆̈́̃̽̄f̴͎̱͚̳͇͛̋̽̍͌ò̸̫̫̖̼̰̰̞r̴̛̟̒̊͒̍̊̋͝ ̸̧͙͕͉̞̩̮͈̝͐̀̉̐̆͠h̸̡̟̘̙̪͖͐̈͗̀̉͛͝i̴̧̹͔̝̜̿̿̇̈́̀̌̆͘͝s̵̹̆͆́̐̋̂͑͌ ̵̘̬̀̈́ͅs̵͕͛͠u̷̧̧̼͓̟̺͋̓͑̔̒̈́c̶͙̳̐́͆̂͌̿̆͌̎c̸̼͓̖̝̠̱͓̦̩̖̀u̴̠̗̮͍̗̩̥͆͠ṛ̷͉̂͛͐

Has someone hacked into Tyr's account recently, as suddenly he's making more sense.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

garbon

"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

mongers

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"