BS: Nuclear

Subject: BS: Nuclear
From: mandotim
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 07:34 AM

It's time I got this off my chest; I was listening to the alleged US President giving his State of the Union address this morning. Is there a different spelling of the word 'nuclear' in the White House? I always thought that the word was pronounced 'new-clear', but the preferred Bush pronunciation seems to be 'new-cue-lah'. Isn't there some kind of constitutional rule in the US that Presidents should be able to read a word and pronounce it intelligibly? If there isn't there damn well should be.
Rant mode off, back to being a peaceful nice guy; for now.
Tim from Bit on the Side

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Amos
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:07 AM

Hey, Tim! He's known far and wide as the politician who can't pronounce his own language. It's one of the minor points we hold against his otherwise majorly bad record. :)


A

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Sooz
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 08:14 AM

The "science of unclear physics" does it for me!

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: David C. Carter
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 09:04 AM

It's a Confederacy of Dunces-John Kennedy Toole.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: MMario
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 09:16 AM

it's a very, very common mispronunciation.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 09:39 AM

Saw a bad sci-fi film recently in which the brainy female said "Nucular weapons?" and the male counterpart said "Yes. Nuclear weapons!" I wondered if anybody caught it besides me.

The first person I remember using nucular was Jimmy Carter and he had a degree in nucular studies of some sort.

Mandotim, it sets my teeth on edge which is why I didn't watch or hear the State of the Union address. Also, I have a pretty good idea what the State of my own particular corner of the Union is. I don't need sound bite specialists to explain that I am wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 09:40 AM

But pismronunciation is sometimes unacceptable

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 09:41 AM

Wot I just said on t'other thread! DOH!

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: mooman
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 10:02 AM

Nu cul.... ah!

moo

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: David C. Carter
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 10:08 AM

Bare arsed...ah!

David

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: GUEST,GWB
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 11:10 AM

How dare you criticate my pronucerisation.

GWB

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: David C. Carter
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 11:36 AM

Your pronuncesmerisationing is criticatabley discumknockerating.

David

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Cluin
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 01:26 PM

He mispronounced it in public many years ago and though he knows it, he isn't about to change his policy now. That would be admitting a blatant mistake and would make him look weak and waffling, ya know...

He knows the people that voted him into office didn't want a President who stops and thinks before he speaks or acts.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Don Firth
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 01:59 PM

I recall hearing a taped interview on the radio some years ago with a nuclear physicist. He consistently pronounced the word "noo-cue-lar." When the tape finished, the board announcer made a bit of an aside that went out over the air. Reflected my thoughts exactly. He said, "When a man can't even pronounce the name of his own profession correctly, it makes you wonder just how competent he is. . . ."

I've heard the opinion expressed that Bush has been corrected on it many times and knows perfectly well how to pronounce the word, but he continues to use it in an effort to keep what Karl Rove considers to be "the Bubba vote."

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Kaleea
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 02:15 PM

I do recall that Jummuh Cahtuh was on a newkyewlurr sub whilst in the navy. I didn't remember him being a newkyewlurr phyzicalist, tho.
    dubblepew noze jist zaktlee how too pernuncitate and spell werdz! He'z married to a lahberryun, yew noh.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: mack/misophist
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 04:47 PM

If I'm not mistaken, LBJ was the first national figure who mispronounced it consistantly. At the time, it was mistly written off as part of his Texas accent.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 04:59 PM

Awwwwwwwww-relax your bowels. Bush has NEVER pronounced it correctly. Just one of those mental block things. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. We're all used to it...but I'd agree it doesn't make him the latest MENSA candidate. Believe me--when the airburst ignites about a mile over YOUR city, you ain't gonna care HOW he pronounced it.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: robomatic
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 10:43 PM

While I share the preference of many on this thread for the 'correct' pronounciation (proNUNciation?) as: New Clear (after the albume "New Clear Days" don'tcha know), the facts of the matter are that English is a street fightin' language of long-standing. Modern dictionaries often list the Nu-cu-ler option as a valid alternative, made so by usage.

I find it hard to listen to, but there y'go. I've said 'aluminUM'all my life.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 01:16 AM

D'ye also say "cadmum", "strontum", "barum" etc., robo?
Americanisation of the Queen's Inglish has caused nought but pandemonum....
---back to the freedom fries; pass the sodum chloride.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 06:07 AM

I can't see the point in getting caught up on a word of his you can understand, when there are a fair number of them that you can't.

And as noted above, he's just one of 300 million who can't manage to speak the language properly.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 07:07 AM

Agreed, Bunnahabhain. I think he fits in well with all us Americans who are noted for our butchering of the 'English' language.

More stones from those living in glass houses.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Pied Piper
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 10:01 AM

Things are sometimes more complex than we think.
Aluminium/Aluminum

PP

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Wolfgang
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 10:22 AM

noo-clay-are is our correct pronounciation.

The new-clear pronounciation sounds awful to someone who knows the language where this word comes from.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Peace
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 10:24 AM

On the bright side, if the guy can't pronounce the word maybe he won't be able to order a launch of the damned things, huh?

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: mandotim
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 12:12 PM

Hi Wolfgang! Which language were you referring to? Latin or Ancient Greek? How do you know how they pronounced it? In English, the new-clear pronunciation is a slight elision of your noo-clay-are example, which I guess is German? The objection I had was not to minor differences in accent, or even different emphasis on whole or part syllables. What Bush the Selected does amounts to a verbal mis-spelling of the word, if such a thing were possible. That's what grates on my ear, and sounds like ignorance and idleness to me.
Tim from Bit on the Side

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Amos
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 12:23 PM

Excuse me, but it is a three-syllable word. NU-klee-ar.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: mandotim
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 01:05 PM

Amos; yes, I know. That's why I mentioned the slight elision in English pronunciation. Klee-ar-ly I didn't make myself klee-ar.
Tim from Bit on the Side

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Wolfgang
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 09:49 AM

Mandotim,

my first line was referring to German,
the second to Latin.

How we know how they did pronounce it? That's a tricky question (and not my field of knowledge), but the experts look at rhymes, transcriptions of foreign names etc. In this particular case, the question whether 'nucleus' has two or three syllables in Latin is even more easy to answer if one looks at poems (following a strict pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables) in which this word is used.

'Deus' is another word with the same ending and in this case the number of syllables is preserved in English: 'Deity' has three syllables and is not pronounced 'Dayty'.

I am not arguing that the majority pronounciation of 'nuclear' in English is wrong in any way. Each language will evolve without caring about consistency. 'Wrong' can become 'right' in a language within one lifespan. My remark was only my personal feeling based upon my aquaintance with Latin.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: GUEST,Bluesman
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 08:02 AM

Breaking news, There is a risk of a radioactive leak after an explosion at a nuclear plant in France.

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Jim Martin
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 08:14 AM

BBC link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14883521

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Jack Campin
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 10:00 AM

"En raison d'un fort nombre de connexions, le site www.cea.fr est actuellement indisponible."

Ho hum. Why am I not surprised?

Subject: RE: BS: Nuclear
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Sep 11 - 10:31 AM

Budget vacations now on the Azur Coast