My line in the sand: nuke-u-lar

[Duer 157099]

I can't count the number of people, including so-called experts, who continue to pronounce the word nuclear as though it has two of the letter U.

The minute that pronunciation comes out of their mouth, no matter their credentials, no matter what they are talking about, I stop hearing anything they say. They have completely voided, in my mind, any credibility they might have had.

Usually, I can come up with some sort of rationale for why people do such things, but in this case, I simply cannot. They only thing I can come up with is that since Dumbshit Bush started doing it, people either thought it was cool or something to follow suit.

I truly draw the line at this. Every word out of their mouth after nuke-u-lar is just so much blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.

Am I too harsh with this stance? Try to convince me, I bet you can't.

[FSogol]

1. They should be laughed at. n/t

[Duer 157099]

8. Except usually they are on TV or radio

My laughing at them does no good. Besides, I don't find it funny, I find it really pathetic and symptomatic of the dumbing-down of our society.

One thing I haven't noticed but will start paying attention to: whether this is something unique to Americans.

[lapfog_1]

2. I have a good command of the English language and

a very extensive vocabulary. But this pronunciation issue has been trouble for me for many years.

About 10 years ago, while having lunch with my girlfriend and one of my best friends, I let drop a "nukular" and my best friend embarrassed me in front of my girlfriend by pointing it out. Now, I am so paranoid of doing it again that if I am about to say "nuclear" in any context, I stop, think carefully, and pronounce it correctly. But I have to think about it.

I've been doing it a lot (saying nuclear) over the last few days, sadly.

[Duer 157099]

14. Is it because you learned it from someone that way?

I know that habits, especially those involving speech, are difficult to break, but where did the habit come from?

[lapfog_1]

29. no idea.

But as soon as I heard Bush say it, and how ignorant that sounded, I was doubly embarrassed!!!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Irregardless of that, for all intensive purposes its the same word.

And you can respond, but I could care less what you think.

[geardaddy]

11. LMAO

:rofl:

[Duer 157099]

12. You know what? None of those bother me near as much

It's a very different type of ignorance, and I'm not sure why the nuke-ular one raises my hackles the way it does, but it's a huge non-negotiable one for me.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

15. Despite its non-word status, I actually like how "irregardless" sounds.

It flows off the tongue so much nicer than "regardless" or "irrespective."

Hence, I think that's why so many people want it to be a word. I myself was heartbroken when I was first corrected for using it.

[Quixote1818]

49. John Kennedy use to butcher all kinds of words. For example "Cuber" instead of "Cuba"

:7

[LiberalAndProud]

4. I think GWB issued an order to change the correct pronunciation, maybe.

Also the spelling. It is now spelled "new q lar" (three words! Really!) Just thought I'd get you updated on the newest.

[KittyWampus]

5. you meant to type "The only thing" and not "They only thing" right?

Just giving you a hard time.

Since you are a stickler about things and all :D

[Duer 157099]

7. That's ok, but typos are a completely different animal n/t

[TroglodyteScholar]

6. The nukyular crowd is a joke.

I also noticed that "decider" is now being used as a legitimate term in contexts not relating to our former idiot king. Shameful.

[hamsterjill]

9. I can't convince you that you are too harsh. I agree with you!!

You'd think if they had anything worthwhile to say about the subject, they would, at least, take time to learn how to properly pronounce the subject!

[pintobean]

10. Your line in the glass won't matter.

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:
:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:
:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[Recursion]

34. Good one

I don't know why it took me so long to get that...

[thereismore]

13. It's new-killer. nt

[Duer 157099]

16. Hmmm. That's a good one.

And apropos.

[eShirl]

17. Isn't that how Jimmy Carter pronounced it?

[Recursion]

18. Yes. And he was a nuke-u-lar engineer.

A southern accent is not a sign of ignorance.

[madamesilverspurs]

39. Carter's pronunciation

was more "nookier" than "nucular", which is kinda funny if you think about it.


-

[Sal Minella]

19. I agree with you 100%. When I hear "NEW-Kew-Ler," I just

tune out completely and don't hear another word from that person's mouth.

If they're doing it because it's "cute" because Dubya did it, even more reason to tune out.

If they're doing it because they're just basically ignorant, why listen to anything else they have to say???

[Recursion]

20. Southerners have said it that way for decades.

It's an accent. People need to relax. I for one get annoyed when people don't pronounce the first "r" in "February".

[Duer 157099]

22. It's an accent? That's rich.

Tell me, do the nuclear scientists in the south, those with accents, pronounce it that way?

If they do, I lose respect for anything else they might have to say.

[Recursion]

25. You mean like Jimmy Carter?

Yes

[eShirl]

32. I think the word is "dialect"

[immoderate]

21. Most dictionaries list it as an acceptable pronunciation.

It's a more common pattern in English, found in words like circular, ocular, particular, tubercular, and testicular. The dictionary reports on how words are used, not how they are supposed to be used. Other English words like "iron" (eye-yurn) are typically pronounced differently than they are spelled.

I sometimes drop the nu-ku-lar "bomb" myself to kick off the discussion. Do liberals call in the pronunciation police? :shrug:

--imm

[elfin]

23. Kelly O Donnell on MSNBC just said it

A few minutes ago. I switched to an old movie in aggravation.

[MadHound]

24. Ah, so now we're damning people for regional accents,

Stay classy.

[Duer 157099]

28. I refuse to believe this is an "accent"

That's the most bullshit explanation I have ever heard.

[MadHound]

31. Belive it or not, the fact remains that it is an accent thing

I know several "down home boys" who are well educated, work in the nuclear field, and still pronounce it nu-cu-ler. Yes, to some it sounds stupid, but I refuse to get hung up by regional accents. After all, most people have one, whether they know it or not. Me, I say "warsh" instead of wash, drives my wife nuts. But it comes from my mother, it is part of the old school St. Louis accent.

[Recursion]

33. And I spent three years reminding Bostonians that there is a letter "R"

Not to mention that soda pop is not "tonic".

[redwitch]

36. Bostonians know that. They just like to put it where it isn't.

Ya get the ideer?

[Sal Minella]

42. Indeed. I had a friend from Boston who said she couldn't drawer a

straight line, but she kept her silverware in the silverware draw.

Hard to believe, but true.

[Duer 157099]

35. Why, then, is it that most times I hear "nuke-ular"

the person has no discernable accent? Is just pronouncing a single word this way enough to say they have an accent?

Because greater than 90% of the time, the person who does this does NOT have an accent of any sort.

[MadHound]

37. A lot of people can lose most of their accent over time or with training

I lost most of mine thirty years ago when I was in the radio biz, but a few words here and there remain. I think that's the case with a lot of people.

On the other hand, a lot of people can slip right back into an accent given the proper company and motivation. When I'm around down home country boys, I slip into that accent with ease.:shrug:

I bet if you go out to the bar with somebody who says nu cu ler, and get them drunk, you'll find out quick enough that they do have a hidden accent.

[Sal Minella]

41. Beg to differ.

Gross mispronunciation of a simple word is not a "regional accent."

"Yall" for "you all" is typical of regional accent.
New-Kew-Ler is not regional, unless Palin has now developed a Southern accent.

[Iggo]

26. My real-luh-ter says new-kyu-ler. (n/t)

[Obamanaut]

45. Does he have a neighbor who has a joo-ler-ie store? nt

[fatbuckel]

27. Like when someone says" cyber"-anything.

[Myrina]

30. All of the CNN talking heads do it ...

... I was :rofl: -ing at the coverage over the weekend because they all sounded like they just graduated from George Bush University.

Would be scary if it wasn't so fucking ridiculous, how stupid we've become.

[woofless]

38. I am the same.

It just isn't that difficult to pronounce correctly.

[Iggo]

40. I want to get mad when people say that, and sometimes I do...

...but other times I remember that someone somewhere is getting all worked up because I say "cumf-ter-bull."

[Blue_Tires]

43. So it's new-CLEAR? final answer?

[Obamanaut]

44. It's been going on for awhile. As far back as Eisenhower. Just as

people will continue to use 'should of', 'irregardless', 'could care less', and 'just sayin' - this is certainly not worth an ulcer.

"Though disapproved of by many, pronunciations ending in \-kyə-lər\ have been found in widespread use among educated speakers including scientists, lawyers, professors, congressmen, United States cabinet members, and at least two United States presidents and one vice president. While most common in the United States, these pronunciations have also been heard from British and Canadian speakers."

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuclear

[Hosnon]

46. Release your death grip on the English language. It's futile.

If the language evolves that direction, that's that. 200 years from now, nuke-u-lar might be the standard pronunciation.

[Sal Minella]

47. Please. Bite your tongue. Please . . .

[Quixote1818]

48. I noticed most of my friends say "Mortercycle" instead of "Motorcycle". :) nt

[Quixote1818]

50. Who was it the other day after the Walker prank call who kept calling it a crank call?

Was that someone on CNN? Ha! Check this out: http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/02/scott-walker-koch-brother-crank-call-wisconsin

Googled "Crank Call" and you would not believe how may hits came up.