Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

hlthe2b

(113,361 posts)
19. I guess if they hear George W Bush* (and admittedly Jimmy Carter before) say it that way
Tue Feb 17, 2026, 05:46 AM
Tuesday

long enough, it starts to stick. Hell after Bush* Merriam Webster added "nucular" as an alternate pronunciation.

It is among the most jarring mispronunciations for me, though there are others.

Right now it is the attractive woman on the Metamucil commercials with the Golden Retriever ('love the dog) who claims to be a gastroenterologist, yet she pronounces it "gas-tren-tol-ogist"... If I could not pronounce my own medical specialty, I surely would not on tv to show my own ignorance. It is grating as hell to me. Most of the public says "vet-in-air-ee-an" for veterinarian, but I have yet to hear many actual veterinarians drop all the syllables. Go figure.

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Guilty as charged! Tasmanian Devil Tuesday #1
Yes, I mispronounced the word for many years PatSeg Tuesday #47
I'm with you Devil. Without thinking about it, I mispronounce it. Polly Hennessey Tuesday #54
People pronounce words as they hear them iemanja Tuesday #2
This message was self-deleted by its author PeaceWave Tuesday #9
Yup, exactly -- it could hardly be otherwise (nt) William Seger Tuesday #65
Jimmy Carter did it, too dpibel Tuesday #3
And Jimmy Carter was a nucular engineer in the US Navy! Munu Tuesday #46
Jimmy Carter pronounced "nuclear" as "NOO-kyuh-luhr" Brother Buzz Tuesday #4
Southern style Easterncedar Tuesday #6
There's something about the Southern style Brother Buzz Tuesday #8
That's old NY Italian Polybius Tuesday #15
My husband's dad, born and raised on "Lon-GUY-land"... 3catwoman3 Tuesday #34
My neighbor pronounces oil as "awl" Jersey Devil Tuesday #37
they say ALL Skittles Tuesday #18
That was it Brother Buzz Tuesday #68
I heard him pronounce it as nookeyur. That lazy southern tongue at work. generalbetrayus Tuesday #10
Don't get me started! Easterncedar Tuesday #5
Gifted annoys the hell out of me róisín_dubh Tuesday #22
Easier for many to pronounce, because the tongue and mouth parts don't have to move as much tblue37 Tuesday #7
Because there is this concept called "having an accent". FascismIsDeath Tuesday #11
nope Skittles Tuesday #17
Um... YEP, its can be an accent thing. FascismIsDeath Tuesday #61
I grew up as a GI brat Skittles Tuesday #63
That has zero to do with accent róisín_dubh Tuesday #23
You don't know what you're talking about. FascismIsDeath Tuesday #60
my other pet peeve is when people say "calvary" when they mean "cavalry" eShirl Tuesday #12
supposably, realitor, infastructure, febuary, Don't get me started. lamp_shade Tuesday #13
Love your tagline, too Easterncedar Tuesday #25
Liberry for Library, Pitcher for Picture Diamond_Dog Tuesday #64
Jewlery, ekspecially, mischevious, expresso, ekscape.... STOP ME! lamp_shade Tuesday #66
My husband says mischevious. Diamond_Dog Tuesday #67
Because after a while, pronouncing a certain word differently becomes our trademark Polybius Tuesday #14
why do people say JEW-LER-Y instead of JEW-EL-RY Skittles Tuesday #16
And Reelator instead of realtor! Easterncedar Tuesday #26
My Wife Had That Habit ProfessorGAC Tuesday #49
Pronunciation can get tricky... Joinfortmill Tuesday #52
I guess if they hear George W Bush* (and admittedly Jimmy Carter before) say it that way hlthe2b Tuesday #19
Drove me nuts every time he did it. tavernier Tuesday #27
I believe certain regions in this country have traditional pronounciations. no_hypocrisy Tuesday #20
The OP is about pronouncing it "new kew ler". That isn't regional. Mariana Tuesday #43
Sort of like PEWWWlitzer not pullitzer. GreenWave Tuesday #21
It is one of the things I cringe at Bettie Tuesday #24
Regional pronunciation differences. Dulcinea Tuesday #28
It is not regional. Mariana Tuesday #44
Others Have Disagreed... ProfessorGAC Tuesday #50
I only accent the first syllable... Soul_of_Wit Tuesday #58
Axe instead of Ask MichMan Tuesday #29
LOL - that particular mispronunciation has always irked me. Where does the extra "u" come from??? Vinca Tuesday #30
New Clear J_William_Ryan Tuesday #31
I wish people would speak proper. Doodley Tuesday #32
Same reason people use the nonword "anyways" instead of "anyway." valleyrogue Tuesday #33
The same way people say ask as axe. That is what they heard from other people. n/t Jacson6 Tuesday #35
My dad corrected me when I was a boy. He said, say New Clear. Emile Tuesday #36
It's an innocent mispronunciation for most Johnny2X2X Tuesday #38
That 'nice-to-have-a-beer-with' equinophobic silver spoon cowboy Ilsa Tuesday #39
This message was self-deleted by its author DUMember24 Tuesday #40
I believe that Lex Luthor pronounced it that way in Superman IV Orrex Tuesday #41
Pacifically.... odins folly Tuesday #42
One of my good friends pronounces it this way fujiyamasan Tuesday #45
Its ridicalous! maxsolomon Tuesday #48
Riddikulus! :-) Ilsa Tuesday #55
regional accents? Just a guess. Joinfortmill Tuesday #51
Ike stahted it. yorkster Tuesday #53
Ambience is another head-scratcher to me Torchlight Tuesday #56
Thank you for Traildogbob Tuesday #57
It is not Dee-troit (n/m) Soul_of_Wit Tuesday #59
There Are Some Who Would Beg To Disagree, Big Time! ...... ColoringFool Tuesday #62
DEE is often used for emphasis Soul_of_Wit Tuesday #70
My pet peeves JustAnotherGen Tuesday #69
Don't Rebl2 Tuesday #71
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»This message was self-del...»Reply #19