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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab
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To: Jacques Chitte who wrote (1100)4/7/1998 5:36:00 AM
From: Jack Clarke  Read Replies (2) of 4710
 
Alex,

here is a subversive contingent that mispronounces "poinsettia" so it comes out "poinsetta". Aaaarrgh. As bad as hearing a sitting President say "nucular".

I've never heard anyone pronounce the "i" in "poinsettia". My dictionary leaves out the "i" in the preferred pronunciation. But I agree it still sounds funny when you think of its spelling.

Jimmy Carter used to say NOO-cyoo-lar, which drove me crazy. And he had an engineering degree, I think. Or maybe that's WHY he mispronounced it.

The British put an extra syllable in aluminum, so that it comes out al-yoo-MIN-i-um. Ridiculous, but they do it.

And for me "poem" will always have two syllables.

Jack
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