VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

Bruce · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:26 pm Post subject: Words That Have Surprised Me

I've been a consumer, student, and user of the English language for many decades now and I've been paid nicely to recite these words pleasantly and accurately into recording devices. I'm familiar with tens of thousands of words used on both sides of the Atlantic, so when I hear a common word that I've never heard before, or a pronunciation that's 90º from the way I've always said it, it really surprises me.

It's only a few years ago that I heard the word "boffin", now British slang for scientist. It was popularized during WWII, but it has history as a name going back to Tolkien in The Hobbit and even a late Dickens novel. How could I have missed it? I just can't guess. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boffin

Then there's how to pronounce "dour" as in glum or sullen. I've always heard it and read it aloud rhyming with "sour". But just the other day, for the first time in my decades I heard it pronounced like "tour". Lo and behold Dictionary dot com supports this! I can hear a Scotsman saying, "I felt rather dour so I had a wee dram of Dewar's", but everyone else?? I've since found sources that say both are valid.

Have you had any words or pronunciations leap out and surprise you, words you were quite sure of or never heard of and should have?

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:25 pm Post subject:

A few years ago I had a client on the West Coast who had me doing some commercials for a couple of places whose names I thought I knew how to pronounce, but turned out to have been mistaken. I was under the impression that these California localities with names derived from Spanish would be pronounced in a way that at least were Spanish-ish. I always thought San Luis Obispo was pronounced San Loo-ee Obispo, but I was told it's San Loo-iss Obispo. And I thought Pasa Robles was pronounced Passa Robe-lace and was surprised to be told that Robles rhymes with Nobles.

By the way, Bish, or Philip, or Darren, or one of our other Brits can correct me, but I was under the impression a boffin is an enthusiast, perhaps with a degree of expertise, rather than a scientist.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
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Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:59 am Post subject:

While living in Austin TX between 1994 and 96, I worked for a short time as Metro Networks' first news anchor in the city. Like Lee's story, Texas also has many references that are "Spanish-ish." One I had encountered is a busy thoroughfare in the city, San Jacinto Blvd., which they pronounce with the American "J" sound. I don't remember messing that up on the air; I think I just heard it pronounced by others. But one I did completely screw up on-air was in a news story I was reading, referring to one of Texas' 254 counties: Bexar county... which is pronounced "bear."
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:01 am Post subject:

"Let's wait to hear what the Boffins have to say" would usually be a reference to the qualified experts; Professors, Doctors, Bsc brigade as opposed to the 45 year old Nerdy Kid who never grew up. It's thanks to the latter that I have bite marks on my desk.

ricevoice · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:45 am Post subject:

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

My Ohio mid-western accent has served me well for the most part until I had a session with producers from the great state of Kentucky. The word they got hung up on? Home. That's it. Home. They brought to my attention that my "Yankee accent" would add an L in the world: Holm.

paddyo · CM Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 975 Location: New York City

todd ellis · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:19 pm Post subject:

i live 40 minutes from western kentucky. "home" is a 3 syllable word.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

Philip Banks · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:36 pm Post subject:

My late mother pronounced soldier "soul dee urrr"

Bruce · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:44 pm Post subject:

We have preachers over here in ‘Merica that put five syllables in Jesus: Juh-HEE-zus-uh-huh.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Jack Daniel · Cinquecento Joined: 23 Jun 2016 Posts: 577 Location: SoCal

todd ellis · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:44 am Post subject:

same with illi-NOISE
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

George · Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 4:46 pm Post subject:

the endless debate between

washington and warshington
missouri and missouruh
oregIN and oregON

Dan-O · The Gates of Troy Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 1638

Uh, it's actually Or-eh-gun.

Bruce · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:48 am Post subject:

You definitely get a derisive snicker out of locals when a voiceoverist misreads a cherished local place name. Our big river running through the state is the Willamette, pronounced like “dammit” or “Janet”, not the other way. Couch Street is pronounced COOCH, unless you knew someone who knew someone in the Couch family.

The big “tell” in Arizona was the city of Tempe. The Greek temple it was named after is pronounced TEM-peh, but everyone in Arizona calls it tem-PEE.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .