Ear-rack.... or EYE-rack ?

[Smarmie Doofus]

Why does it seems that war-supporters go for EYE and non-supporters like EAR?


What, ahem , is the "correct" pronunciation?

[bluethruandthru]

1. Let's just pick another facial feature and go with

Nose-Rack!

[Greyhound]

2. I believe ear-rahk, with a trill of the 'R'. n/t

[louis-t]

7. A-drdrdrdrdrdrdrdrd

:P

[JerseygirlCT]

12. Yup nt

[Tesha]

24. Correct. (NT)

[Xithras]

31. Close. Per the Iraqi sitting here with me...

The name in Arabic is Al-Irāq, and the second part is generally pronounced e-rock, with a rolled r.

He also said that nearly every pronounciation mentioned in this thread is technically correct. Iraq, like most nations, has regional accents and variations in pronounciation. Eye-rack, ee-rock, ee-rack, irack...there are native Iraqi's who use all of those pronounciations.

[Smarmie Doofus]

36. That's interesting. Ditto Iran?

>>>>He also said that nearly every pronunciation mentioned in this thread is technically correct. Iraq, like most nations, has regional accents and variations in pronunciation. Eye-rack, ee-rock, ee-rack, irack...there are native Iraqi's who use all of those pronounciat>>>

Generally the Americans who say EYErack also say EYEran. And vice-versa.

[dannward]

37. EE-rock and EYE-ran?

Interesting -- I find myself pronouncing them ee-rock and eye-ran. I can't tell you why I don't use the same pronunciation on the two....

[Xithras]

42. Yes

Iran is officially pronounced e-ron.

Of course, Iran also has a number of minorities that speak a number of different languages, and they have a number of different names for the country. "e-ron" is simply the pronounciation of the official Persian language name for the country.

[Greyhound]

49. Makes perfect sense, thanks from a merakun.

:rofl:

[louis-t]

3. It's 'ear-rock' ak-shully.

[xultar]

43. +1

[wtbymark]

4. well everyone from vermont/new hampshire gets i-dears

regardless of their political stripe

maybe its an accent :sarcasm:

[brewens]

5. E-rock but with that rolling tongue kind of thing on the rock part.

That is the way a couple Iranian friends taught me to pronounce Iran back in the early 80's. I think the same pronunciation applies to Iraq.

[Subdivisions]

9. That's exactly right. n/t

[TorchTheWitch]

21. It's more like Ear-rock with the accent on "rock"

and, yeah, with a hint of that rolling tongue thingie. And it's a bit strung together to sound almost like a single syllable.

[canoeist52]

6. Informed people are against wars?

[Smarmie Doofus]

19. Generally. nt

[Bluebear]

8. Because real Americans talk American and don't cotton to no foreign talkin'

[WatchWhatISay]

10. Wolf Blitzer calls it O-Rock

as well as a few other media people I've heard.

[thereismore]

11. "eye-rack" always sounds to me like someone is deliberately being ignorant. nt

[Smarmie Doofus]

18. Mmmm. That's always been my suspicion.

That they're deliberately mispronouncing it as a way to communicate contempt.

But it's so commonplace now... seems as though EYE is gaining general acceptance even among people you'd think would know better.... that I began to suspect my own suspicion.

[Tesha]

26. I always have the feeling they'd pronounce it "Camel Jockeyland" if they could get away with it.

Even though there are no camels. It's certainly the same crowd whose
bumpers sport the sticker "I'd fly 10,000 miles to smoke a camel!"
(and yes, that's real).

Tesha

[kenny blankenship]

28. Like saying "Eye-talian" or "Democrat Party"

[ChairmanAgnostic]

13. ih - rock

Eye Rack usage is limited to the red states with massive Tea Bagger populations.

[Smarmie Doofus]

20. No!!!! At least not anymore.

>>>>Eye Rack usage is limited to the red states with massive Tea Bagger populations.>>>>

It's used commonly here ( NYC). Yesterday I called the Bronx VA hospital and the phone system mentioned a special program or set of options for "EYE-rackie" veterans.

Perhaps military culture tends to absorb southern regionalisms? But I hear it on the streets also.

[timtom]

14. Depends on if you're Irish or EYE-talian.

[Cresent City Kid]

51. We say "eye-talian" in Noo Awlins

We do not however say "N'Awlins".

[Jamastiene]

15. Quagmire n/t

[Bluebear]

16. For the win.

[bigwillq]

17. I always say it Ah-rack

I am a non-supporter, if this makes any difference.

[Smarmie Doofus]

23. Sounds like you're splitting the difference. nt

[Iggo]

22. ear-ROCK

[Smarmie Doofus]

33. ROCK. You're right. I'm getting sloppy too. nt

[elocs]

25. You'd think we would get a set pronunciation of the country where we've been at war for years

and lost thousands of lives, ours and theirs, created millions of war refugees, and spent billions of dollars.

I believe that Bush pronounced it ear-rack. I have heard that the soldiers tend to call it eye-rack.

Still there does not seem to be one pronunciation that is accepted as generally correct.

[Tesha]

27. One might ask an Iraqi. Or an Iranian. They probably know how to pronounce it.

Hint: It *AIN'T* EYE-rack!

Tesha

[Smarmie Doofus]

30. I'm thinking we can't be bothered.

See my comment upthread # 18:


>>>That they're deliberately mispronouncing it as a way to communicate contempt.

But it's so commonplace now... seems as though EYE is gaining general acceptance even among people you'd think would know better.... that I began to suspect my own suspicion.>>>>

[Arkana]

29. I believe it's pronounced "Vietnam."

[Smarmie Doofus]

32. 2-shay. Or should I say......

TOO-shay.

As in "The second time around is just TOO much."

[elocs]

34. I remember Vietnam when it was Viet Nam. n/t

[elocs]

35. I always thought of the "eye" pronuciation as ignorant. Like "eye-talians",

those from "eye-taly".

[damntexdem]

38. Ur-rock.

Or as Simon and Garfunkel sang: "I am Iraq, I am an Island."

I guess those guys needed a geography lesson. ;-)

[Old Troop]

39. How about Ur Rack?

That was how my translator pronounced it many years ago in Saudi Arabia.

[kittykitty]

40. I heard Christiane Amanpour say it is E-Rack and E Ran. nt

[conscious evolution]

46. I saw that also.

My nieghbor from Iran pronounces it Persia.

[ThomThom]

41. eye-rack ear-ron

[shedevil69taz]

44. I dunno what others call it really

I just reffer to it as the ashtray of the world.

[bridgit]

45. E-rawk

[Odin2005]

47. ee-RAHK

in Arabic the R is rolled and "q" indicates a "k" sound pronounced way far back in the mouth, on the uvula.

[MUAD_DIB]

52. Yep.

[KonaKane]

48. Ear - Rock.

With the "ck" part of rock said further back in the throat than a normal "k" sound if you want to get specific.

But I try not to get too picky since knowing a second language in the USA is so often considered silly or tatamount to treason.

[piratefish08]

50. you say tomato.....

I say nukular.

[SoCalDem]

53. eeeee-ROCK.. n/t