We all know those words or phrases that people say wrong and it gets on our nerves. And we also have those words that we say, and we're just not sure if we're saying it's right. And where do some of these seemingly nonsensical words and idioms come from?

Ross and Kathryn Petras have assembled 150 commonly mispronounced words and phrases in the English language in one comprehensive resource. In addition to providing the common mispronunciations and the correct way to say it, they provide historical context and anecdotes to go along with it. In a nonjudgemental fashion, the authors present the correct way to say it and why.

So whether it's those misstatements that bug you (mine: anyway, bruschetta, Daylight Saving Time, for all intents and purposes, irregardless, mascarpone, utmost) or the ones you didn't know you were staying wrong (mine: electoral, homage, spit and image), it's all here. It's also a quick read, so why not pick it up and give it a chance. It will validate your pet peeves and teach you a thing or two in the process.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.] ( )

My college library had a special “Word Room” dedicated to etymology. It was one of my favorite places on campus. When I had free time, I would take books down and just read about words. I formed a lifelong addiction to word books, which is why I was drawn to You’re Saying It Wrong by Ross and Kathryn Petras, a brother and sister writing team who have a comfortable niche in collecting inspirational or ridiculous quotes into short, bite size books.

You’re Saying It Wrong is a breezy, conversational collection of words that are frequently mispronounced or misspelled because misheard. It is enjoyable and a fast and easy book to read. I particularly enjoyed a short piece on how the English pronounce all sorts of place names. We know they don’t pronounce all those syllables, but which ones do they pick out to say? It’s a mystery. So there is a list with such gems as Cholmondely, which is pronounced CHUM-lee. I would love even more examples because the British ability to erase multiple syllables in English is magical.

There are several similar collections, though that was my favorite. The ones explaining how to pronounce wines and the names of philosophers, composers, and fashion designers were less useful, but perhaps a lot of people don’t know how to pronounce cabernet sauvignon or Tchaikovsky?

I was thrilled they included “for all intents and purposes.” I swear if I hear “for all intensive purposes” one more time, someone will pay. It’s my pet peeve. It’s an eggcorn, a phrase or group of words that sound similar (like I scream and ice cream) and are used mistakenly. Eggcorn was coined recently by linguists who were bemused by someone spelling acorn that way. They realized there really was not a great word for that kind of mistake, except possibly mondegreen, oronym, or malapropism, but none of those classifications really fit. Most eggcorns are amusing, but this one makes no sense to me. Every time I hear it I wonder what would make a purpose intense? Instead of “Do you want to hurt me?” should Boy George sing “Do you really, really, really, really want to hurt me?”

I enjoyed some portions of the book and picked up a couple tidbits of information. We should say “champ at the bit” not “chomp at the bit,” for example. Champ means chewing or grinding, which is what horses do with the bit. It is more accurate and makes sense to save such a delicious word from obsolescence.

Some of it, though, is silly pedantry. Lord Byron’s character should be pronounced Don JEW-ahn, not Don Juan. Dr. Seuss should rhyme with voice, not goose. Seuss, himself, adopted the rhymes-with-goose pronunciation, so please don’t correct anyone who rhymes Seuss with goose. As to the Byronic pronunciation, it may suit the meter of the poem, but it sounds ignorant.

I thought the book was a bit erratic. There are several examples of mispronunciations that are so widespread, saying the word correctly will make you sound silly. That’s not what I was looking for. Then, sometimes they are seriously loosey-goosey, as in giving permission to mispronounce “chaise longue” while reminding us to be sure to spell it longue, not lounge. Now that is one where I think they should push for the correct pronunciation because if people pronounce it correctly, they may spell it correctly.

Throughout the book, they used their own system to explain how to pronounce the words rather than using a pronunciation guide even though we all learned how to use them in elementary school. This is not easier. Sometimes it is more confusing than helpful. Which brings us to Möbius (Moebius), as in Möbius strip. They say pronounce it “[MEUH(r)-bee-uhs]” Okay, but how to pronounce MEUH(r) remains a mystery. To further frustrate me, I googled “how to pronounce Möbius” and got a slew of links to YouTube videos. The first 18 pronounced it MOH which rhymes with toe which starts with T and that’s trouble, my friend, right here in River City.

Well, then I had to go to the Oxford English Dictionary, my final arbiter anytime I am unsure. And what did the Supreme Court of linguists recommend? Three different pronunciations. In the U.K., they might be saying [mœ-bee-uh s], but for the United States where this book is published, they came firmly down on that German mathematician’s toe, [moh–bee-uh s]

This left me feeling disappointed. There is a lack of consistency and rigor in their suggestions. I guess there is the pedant’s interest in knowing that the whole world is pronouncing it wrong, but that was not my interest. I did not understand their laissez-faire tolerance for mispronouncing chaise longue, an error that perpetuates a misspelling while trying to correct mispronunciations that are ubiquitous and perfectly acceptable to dictionary editors. This made it more of trivia book rather than a reference. It was enjoyable, but not reliable

★★
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/youre-saying-it-wrong-by-r... ( )

This book is very well laid out and provides concise explanations of how to correctly pronounce the 150 words mentioned in the title. Each explanation is only a page long and can stand alone, making this book well suited to flipping through. There are also extra sections containing lists of words in various fields (e.g., wine, music, place names in the UK). The pronunciation guides do not use the phonetic alphabet and therefore may be slightly confusing to read, especially for words that retain their source-language pronunciation (words borrowed from French are a prime example). The default pronunciation is American, but the authors point out correct pronunciations in the UK and elsewhere, where applicable. It's a very interesting book and there will be at least one word you've pronounced wrong at some point. Worth giving to the language nerd in your life (after you've read it first). ( )

Subtitle: A pronunciation guide to the 150 most commonly mispronounced words and their tangled histories of misuse.

It's pretty straightforward: a word per page, with the correct usage, how it's mispronounced and this historical reasons for both the correct and incorrect usage, sometimes more speculative, sometimes more factual.

I was off to a rip-roaring start with the first word: acai, which I've always pronounced (although always suspected in error) ah-KAI, when it is actually supposed to be ah-sigh-EE. But I'm happy to say that I've been pronouncing most of the 150 correctly (although not always; I remember a few of these mispronunciations from my childhood). There are a couple of words here that MT and I have debated over the years (as he's an Aussie, I'm a Yank) and it turns out that at least one of them he has been right about all this time. Shhh... don't tell him.

The authors take care to mention in the introduction that as this is a pronunciation guide, (and they are Americans) they are focusing on the American pronunciations, although they do use the OED as a main source and occasionally point out where the UK differs.

The biggest surprise to me was "spitting image" (they throw in a few common phrases). If you have ever used this phrase (or spittin' image if you're from the South), like I have, you've been saying it wrong. The original, and correct phrase is spit and image. Nobody knows why but it is clearly the historical usage winner. I'm also rather appalled that I've been mispronouncing Van Gogh's name all these years and my BFF lives in the Netherlands and has not corrected me! (It's van GOKH or van KOKH, roughly).

Written in a laid back style that doesn't take itself seriously, but is still very well researched, with a notes section in the back, this is a handy little reference for those times when you're just not sure you're saying it right, or if you're in the midst of a lively debate with, say, your husband from another country. Just make sure you look it up before he does. ( )

I thought I knew how to speak reasonably well. Then I read this book, and, how utterly embarrassing! Did my English professors even know these things?

This book is a fun, informative collection of words many - if not most - people mispronounce. The listing is alphabetical. Each entry places the phonetic spelling directly below the word at the top of the page, so we immediately know how badly we've mangled the pronunciation. Or, on occasion, we can whoop with pride for getting one right.

Along with each word, the author gives us a few paragraphs of memorable history regarding the word, its use, and why and/or how the mispronunciation began. These entries are light and humorous, teaching while entertaining.

I have the hardcover, which is a little larger than a mass paperback, light, and convenient. This makes a great gift, looks good on a bookshelf, and might just give you the urge to walk around correcting people.

*The publisher provided me with a copy, via Blogging For Books, in exchange for my honest review.* ( )