Fiona Bruce Should Know Better

[merylpeep]

Of all people, I'm surprised at Fiona Bruce mispronouncing the French city Reims as "Reemz" when it should be "Rance". Shouldn't she have done her research or been properly advised?

[roopower]

Or Happisburgh (pronounced Haysborough) or Wymondham ( pronounced Windham) in Norfolk or Slaithwaite ( pronounced Slow it), I could go on. Even my home town of Lowestoft is pronounce Lowstuf by older residents.

[xstitcher]

I say Reems, Kebek and Newfundland

[Hypognosis]

Why would the French say "Rance"?
Was that a typo and you meant to write "Ramce"? (or Rams?)


As for the other place name examples, no wonder tourists sometimes get lost, despite the road signs…

[DTCwordfan]

Should see the anal versions of anything Cornish, including Newquay.

Its Rhams - a softer form of Rams

[BlackadderV]

The English spelling is Rheims, pronounced Reemz. The French spelling is Reims, pronounced Rance. I had this problem many years ago when I wanted to go to Rheims and no one knew what I meant. It was only when I wrote it down that the penny dropped; Ah, Rance!

[Hypognosis]

Thanks, Blackadder. Any idea why the throw in the 'n' instead of an 'm'?

I mean does this affect any other words or place names?

[Hopkirk]

Fiona Bruce can't do anything wrong as far as I'm concerned.

[MantaRay]

I can't help notice how many presenters pronounce nuclear as new-queue-lar rather than new-clear....oh yes, and there's artic when they really mean arctic.

[DTCwordfan]

Ses fesses sur le canapé, Hopkirk?

Doesn't have quite the same ring as the English meaning.....

[DTCwordfan]

though I prefer 'Son cul'.....

[Gavmacp]

We have a place called Hunstanton in Norfolk. Posh people call it Hunstan, I really do not understand it!

[hc4361]

I love Hunstanton, the only place in the east where the sun sets over the sea.

[horseshoes]

Don't start me on Cholmondeley!

[shaneystar2]

Yes I pronounce it Lowstuf roopower .That's because I'm old :)
Incomers insist on pronouncing my home town as Gallstone .
When the Americans rolled into town back in the late 60's early 70's they kept pronouncing Acle as Acklee .Lol.
And of course there was the infamous vicar of Stiffkey ,pronounced Stewkey.

[jno]

Hypognosis, they don't actually pronounce the N, it just nasalises the verb - it's halfway to Rass. Likewise they pronounce France halfway to Fross, again without pronouncing the N.