Cigar Pronunciation... a rant.

[TreeFrog Frank]

May I rant for just a moment? Well, thank you...

Something that really gets under my skin... not sure if it's rational, or not. I cannot stand when people who are familiar with cigars, are owners of a cigar company, cigar store owners, self-appointed cigar "authorities", or anything of the like cannot bother to try to pronounce the names of cigars, or any other Spanish words, correctly.

I don't care if you're from NY, Boston, Arkansas... if you are an authority, or have owned cigar stores forever, or own your own company... you can at least attempt to understand the language, and the pronunciation. I mean, you want to draw on the great culture and history of cigar making, and tobacco growing, in these Spanish speaking countries... then bother to learn some of the nuances of the language.

Does this bother anyone else, or just me?


Thank you for your time...

 

[Primetime76]

I have a hard time with some of the names...but will seek out the correct pronounciation if I can't figure it out. It does tend to get under my skin if it is someone who is supposedly "in the know".

 

[javajunkie]

you think that's bad, try teaching wine names! "cah-behr-net saw-vig-non"!!

for reals, coming from an area where people refer to "warshing" the "oirl" out of the clothes they bought at "walmarts", it is painful, but you have to roll with it.

next you will be expecting proper english from native English speakers o(

 

[cartisdm]

...any names in particular? I find myself making up pronunciations in my head for half the stuff that's mentioned on the board. I don't talk cigars with people very often so I find myself unsure of how to pronounce a lot of cigar terminology (brands, abbreviations, accessories, etc.). In fact, I had to YouTube CAO because I didn't know if you say each letter or it was meant to sound similar to "cow" :scratchhe

 

[criollo]

I also think about this. Linguists would point out that there are two different ways to look at this. Take the word "robusto" for example. On the one hand, you can regard this as a Spanish word and trill the r and use a long "u" sound. On the other hand you can argue that the word has become so common in the English-speaking cigar world that we can consider it to be an English word of Spanish origin and thus pronounce it like an English word. After all, how do we pronounce "rodeo"?

To take an example from another language: what is the plural of "concerto"? If you see this an an Italian word, the plural is "concerti". If you see it as an English word which our language imported from Italian, the plural is "concertos". And even in the sometimes-elitist world of classical music, both plurals are considered correct when speaking in English.

Personally, I know I am very inconsistent. I pronounce some cigar words using a reasonable Spanish accent, and other words in a more Anglicized way. And there is absolutely no logic to which I pronounce which way.

 

[Highlander]

I don't think it's a big deal myself. Personally, if they don't know how to pronounce it with the proper accent and try to, it sounds sillier than the English version.

 

[ncstogie]

I don't think it's a big deal myself. Personally, if they don't know how to pronounce it with the proper accent and try to, it sounds sillier than the English version.

I agree... besides who's to say what is proper? I am sure there are variations from island to island and from roller (torceador sp?) to salesman, etc...

 

[Danilo]

I don't mind people that try to pronounce it right and butcher it a bit... But the people that just don't give a shit do bother me.

 

[JP8]

I don't care if you're from NY, Boston, Arkansas...

Geez Frank, why do have throw me under the bus? :dunno: Who cares if I can't pronounce Tatuaje correctly. Let's see it's tatoo uh hay...tatoo wah hey...screw it I'll just call it a tat.

In all seriousness, it doesn't bother me if the terms are mispronounced.

 

[javajunkie]

and to clarify, and put us back closer to topic, we SHOULD make effort if this little thing we have is a passion to us. then again, you have "avid smokers" and "afficianados" who smoke on average once monthly smoking.

lead by example. someone has to question their own knowledge, admit the possibility of ignorance, before they open themselves up to learning. and the surest way to stay ignorant is to be sure you know something.

but you can totally stop throwing them cigars out of your stash!

 

[Moose]

I see your point, I do not think it bothers you if the average smoker cant pronounce it, but when a store owner who claims to know it all ( we have one by my house) cant say it, even close to it... I agree. I have corrected people a few times that own shops.

 

[Skitalets]

If it's really out of line with correct pronunciation it can get on my nerves, but trying too hard to sound "authentic" does too (see: Suckling, James).

 

[sean]

Since I live in "Sandy Eggo" and not "Sahn Diego," I'm not that picky either... just as long as we aren't saying things like "ANN-jeh-o" or "Cry-O-lo" when it ought to be "Ahn-YAY-ho" and "Cree-OH-yo."

For example, how do y'all say Pepin? PEP-in or peh-PEEN? I don't care either way because we all know who we are talking about. We can chalk up the difference to regional dialects just as much as we could call it ignorance.

 

[jerseyjay]

Owner in one of the local shops pronounces 'Viaje' as 'Vieja' ... I told him once that he is referring to a different brand - 'La Vieja' by Drew Estate. He corrected himself but I cought him doing it again.

 

[stroke]

Not going to call him out, but I was once told buy a fine brother (and personal friend) that he was smoking a puh-DILL-uh cigar :grin:

 

[NCost]

My shorts aren't that tight so I don't care. I may laugh a bit if someone butchers a name but really don't give a shit.

 

[vivalanation734]

If you pronounce the 'll' as an 'l' and not a 'y' I go crazy...

 

[itallushrt]

you think that's bad, try teaching wine names! "cah-behr-net saw-vig-non"!!

for reals, coming from an area where people refer to "warshing" the "oirl" out of the clothes they bought at "walmarts", it is painful, but you have to roll with it.

next you will be expecting proper english from native English speakers o(

HEY! I too warsh my durty cloths.

 

[Dave]

Few years ago I spent a bit of time on a web site that had wav files of a bunch of brand pronounciations. Thereafter, I tried to copy the 'Pahrrrrr ta GOSS' and felt I sounded so goofy, I've gone back to what I considered to be an Americanized-English-Speaking-Slightly-Spanish pronounciation

 

[jayro75]

What you don't like hearing guys say BEE Hike?