A Call for Change

[hummingwolf]

Clean, clear, inclination, clinic, ecclesiastical, kleptomaniac, classic, click, clack, clank, clarity, preclude, occlude, include, clarion, cleft, cleavage, clemency, reckless, feckless, sickly, weakly, suckling, duckling: these are just a few of the many words used in English featuring a sound combination that pronunciation guides would render with the letters "kl." This combination of sounds is not at all difficult for any halfway competent American speaker of English to pronounce. So could somebody please get modern Republicans to stop mispronouncing the word "nuclear" over and over and over again? LOOK AT THE WORD. THERE IS ONLY ONE "U," OKAY? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO READ???

Ahem. Sorry, I was raised by one of the old-fashioned Republicans who actually knew how to pronounce his job title, though he did occasionally suggest that "unclear physicist" might be more appropriate.

Comments

[hai-kah-uhk.livejournal.com]

Kind of like the Untied States... a phrase which seems increasingly appropriate.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Do you think national politicians can be bothered to tie their own shoelaces?

[hasufin.livejournal.com]

I caught the tail end of a speech in which she who I want people to stop talking about managed to use the "words" "eye-ran" and "nukular" in the same sentence. I think part of me died that day.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Aww. My sympathies, Hasufin. May that person never give another speech you have to listen to.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

True, but for some reason it seems as if the modern Republican leadership had made a policy decision to aggressively mispronounce one of their favorite words. If they're going to use a word so much, couldn't they at least learn how to say it?

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Heh. I don't think there needs to be a conspiracy involved, really--they just all need to be learning their cues from the same coaches. Not unlikely, since the Republicans at the top levels understandably keep going back to the same tacticians who have helped them win in the past.

I don't believe Republicans are a hive mind--I was raised by lifelong Republicans and know what a diverse group conservatives can be. It's the people who have been at the top levels during the GWB administration and those who have been GWB's loyal followers who kinda creep me out.

[(Anonymous)]

I understand. I'm no fan of W & friends. I sympathize with the creep out factor too. I feel the same way about Pelosi, her imp Reid, and their camp. Worst so called "Democratic" run Congress ever! I can't tell them apart from the GOP. Their superior diction doesn't seem to alleviate the darkness of their black soiled souls.

I always thought W was coached by muppets. That is what he looks like to me when he has that blank stare and his mouth hangs open slightly, in between mispronunciations. Bush and Palin do actually have the same speech writer so they may have the same coach too. That is probable.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

jimmy carter always said "nucular," and he talked a lot about when he was stationed on a "nucular" submarine. that is a very annoying mispronunciation.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I didn't remember that far back. That may be one reason why my parents disliked Jimmy Carter so much!

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Actually "Iran" is pronounced Ee-rawn' by Iranians (that's how the ones I knew in college pronounced it). As for the Newkewler problem, I think a number of democrats do that too - I think it's more of a Southern affliction than a partisan one...

Apologies to any Southerners out there - I think your accents are adorable...

Edit - Palin is from Idaho, so that doesn't apply. Eh well - aggressive policy of mispronunciation sounds like the best explanation. They've been pushing the "I represent the regular joe and American Wild Frontier" BS for a while now.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Yup, an Iranian I used to know always tended to say Ee-rahn' or possibly Ih-rahn' too. Having tuned in during the last third of the debate (I had to watch last night's Supernatural episode first!), I didn't notice I-ran much in her comments. But she was going on about nucular this and nucular that when I switched to the debate, so that one was the one that got my attention.

They've been pushing the "I represent the regular joe and American Wild Frontier" BS for a while now.

Yeah, based on the exaggerated folksiness in the debate, it seems she's had the whole "Don't sound like you could possibly come from a real city" thing drilled into her head a little too deeply.