BS: Feng Shui: how do you prnounce it?

Subject: RE: BS: Feng Shui: how do you prnounce it?
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 01:19 PM

I thought it was pronouneced "Push-the-sofa-to-the-other-side-of-the-room, that's-£50-please"

Cynical? Me?

Walrus

Subject: Well, how do you prnounce it?
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 12:26 PM

I know it's not "feng shui"--that would be tooo easy, wouldn't it? And I'm pretty certain it's not "fung shway" either: even in the more preposterous Chinese transliterations it would be hard to find an excuse to spell "ay" as "ui". I've heard real Chinese (or Chinese-speakers) say the words, but it's been many years, and it wasn't fashionable at the time, so it didn't sink in properly. But I think it's something like this: the "e" in "feng" is similar to the "e" in "the" (not quite "u" or "er"), and the "ui" is like what you'd get if you said "oi" with your lips in the "u" position instead if the "o" position, sort of "er-ee" diphthong.

And how can I use this knowledge to improve my performance? I should come clean and say that I think FS is 50% good design, 50% good psychology and 50% inscrutable oreintal mystical BS. Just so you won't be tempted to deliver any serious lectures.

Steve