#3942145 - 04/20/14 10:18 PM
Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
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Plainsman
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I'm talking about common names of businesses, not the usual differences say between Brits and Americans. I was in a department store in Sydney couple of months back looking for a baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes while I walked around Sydney between rainstorms. So I asked this young woman employee where I could find one. After scratching her head once or twice, she said "oh, if you go up one (level) you'll find Nike. Try Nike."
The problem is she pronounced Nike like "bike" or "hike" or "like." I've always called the athletic apparel company 'Ni-kee." In fact, I've been in Nike's headquarters in Oregon. It was a business trip. They pronounced their own company as 'Ni-kee' not 'Nike' as in 'bike.' I think they know how their own company name is supposed to be pronounced.
Still, I was thrown off by this young woman in Sydney. Twice I said to her "oh, you mean Ni-kee? Correct? You mean Ni-kee?" She replied again with the 'Nike." She thought I was crazy.
Paranoid about it, I asked my team members. I have an international team that works for me. A person in Singapore, a person in London, a person in Colombia, and other people in the USA. I asked my international team how they pronounced the company name. They all got it wrong.
Why do foreigners insist on calling Nike "Nike" instead of the correct "Ni-kee?"
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#3942161 - 04/20/14 11:12 PM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Plainsman]
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Joined: Jul 2006
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mugwump
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Vancouver, Canuckistan
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Dunno.
Why can't 'Muricans properly pronounce karaoke, pokemon,Hyundai, kilometer, or the letter Z? Why can't Brits properly pronounce samurai, or massage?
S = k ln W
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#3942169 - 04/20/14 11:48 PM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: mugwump]
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Mace71
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Dread pirate Mace
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Dunno.
Why can't 'Muricans properly pronounce karaoke, pokemon,Hyundai, kilometer, or the letter Z? Why can't Brits properly pronounce samurai, or massage? Sam-you-ry is how I pronounce it, never heard any different from anyone else. How do you pronounce it?
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#3942175 - 04/21/14 12:23 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Plainsman]
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bonchie
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I get stuff like that a lot traveling.
My name is Anthony…not Antonio. Yet, when I'm in latin countries they call me that. My first name is George. Not "Hor-hey."
Since we don't generally do that in America, it's always seemed weird to me. Juan in America is still Juan. We don't just assume to change it to John.
Last edited by bonchie; 04/21/14 12:25 AM.
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#3942177 - 04/21/14 12:30 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: bonchie]
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Mace71
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I get stuff like that a lot traveling.
My name is Anthony…not Antonio. Yet, when I'm in latin countries they call me that. My first name is George. Not "Hor-hey."
Since we don't generally do that in America, it's always seemed weird to me. Juan in America is still Juan. We don't just assume to change it to John. You have 2 names?
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#3942179 - 04/21/14 12:37 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Priceyplanecrasher]
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Jayhawk
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Actually Nike is named after the greek godess of victory, AFAIK it should be pronounced as nekay. Funniest I found how Deus Ex is pronounced, douche ex. Yes, Nike should be pronounced (roughly) like this: knee-ke ("ke" as in "ketchup") "Deus ex" is latinized greek, from deus ex machina: day-us (as in "us", the plural of me) muck-ee-nah.
Why men throw their lives away attacking an armed Witcher... I'll never know. Something wrong with my face?
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#3942181 - 04/21/14 12:44 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: VF9_Longbow]
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Jayhawk
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the entire world pronounces nikon incorrectly. (should be knee-kon. japanese company)
The "entire world" here being Canada and the US, I suppose? Most of Western and Central Europe pronounces all of the above more or less correctly. Not exactly like a native Japanese speaker would, but close enough.
Why men throw their lives away attacking an armed Witcher... I'll never know. Something wrong with my face?
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#3942189 - 04/21/14 12:54 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Plainsman]
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Joined: Oct 2012
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ColJamesD
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USA
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In the land of Oz, Thong means Sandals.
So if you say you are going to the beach and you don't want to forget your Thong, it doesn't mean G-String.
I was in Australia a couple of years ago and I emailed my friends in the U.S. and told them I was going to email them photos of me wearing a pair of Thongs.
LOL!
What's in the box? C'mon, what's in the boooox?
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#3942285 - 04/21/14 06:16 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: ColJamesD]
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kadiir
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In the land of Oz, Thong means Sandals.
So if you say you are going to the beach and you don't want to forget your Thong, it doesn't mean G-String.
I was in Australia a couple of years ago and I emailed my friends in the U.S. and told them I was going to email them photos of me wearing a pair of Thongs.
LOL! I assume that you're talking about the footware that is a flat soul with 2 straps that come up to hold it to one's foot that terminate in between the big toe and the 2nd toe. I'm a native Californian and I've heard it as flip flops, thongs, and zorries but rather rarely sandals.
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#3942295 - 04/21/14 07:54 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: kadiir]
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Joined: Oct 2012
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ColJamesD
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USA
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In the land of Oz, Thong means Sandals.
So if you say you are going to the beach and you don't want to forget your Thong, it doesn't mean G-String.
I was in Australia a couple of years ago and I emailed my friends in the U.S. and told them I was going to email them photos of me wearing a pair of Thongs.
LOL! I assume that you're talking about the footware that is a flat soul with 2 straps that come up to hold it to one's foot that terminate in between the big toe and the 2nd toe. I'm a native Californian and I've heard it as flip flops, thongs, and zorries but rather rarely sandals. That is correct: the footwear, which has been around since the Egyptians. Not sure when the word was used for underwear and bikini bottoms.
What's in the box? C'mon, what's in the boooox?
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#3942298 - 04/21/14 08:32 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Plainsman]
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Para_Bellum
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Germany
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It's always fun watching english speakers try to correctly pronounce my given name, Jochen. They usually end up with either Yok-ken or Yo-han because english speakers often have problems with the ch sounds like in the scottish loch.
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#3942307 - 04/21/14 09:16 AM
Re: Funny How People in Other Countries Pronounce Names
[Re: Para_Bellum]
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Mace71
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It's always fun watching english speakers try to correctly pronounce my given name, Jochen. They usually end up with either Yok-ken or Yo-han because english speakers often have problems with the ch sounds like in the scottish loch.
Wery good
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"There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing." Aristotle
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CD WOFF
by Britisheh. 03/28/24 08:05 PM
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