5 ms·
Pronounce "Herb". Correctly, this time.
by C19is20 6y ago
Pronounce "Herb".
Correctly, this time.
- dkdbejwi383 6y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXBHY7uco0Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXBHY7uco0Y
- ChrisRR 6y agohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7O0MFkmpw "Really? 'erbs? You're french now?"
- tzot 6y agoI remember a flame war between US-English and UK-English speakers, where one of the former said “if it weren't for us, you'd be speaking German now” and one of the latter ones said “if it weren't for the French, you'd still speak English now”.
- throwaway894345 6y agoI don’t understand the rebuttal. Is American English supposed to be more French-influenced than UK English?
- joshuaissac 6y agoIt is a reference to the assistance provided by France to help the American colonies (and later the United States) rebel against the British Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_in_the_American_Revolutionary_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France_in_the_American_Revolut...
- throwaway894345 6y agoAh. That's not a very sharp barb considering the significant power differential between England and the Revolutionists at the time.
- random3821 6y agoI think the key part of the joke is that Americans don't speak proper English.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- tzot 6y agoLike random3821 commented, it's about American English not being “proper” English (while supposedly if the US of A were a British colony, it would be “proper”.)
- throwaway894345 6y agoTo be fair, the “h” was silent in UK English when the English colonized America, and then the English began pronouncing the “h” at a later point. UK English deviates from the common ancestor surprisingly frequently.
- dghlsakjg 6y agoI used to have an english boss who used this retort frequently. That was until I asked him how he pronounced the name of his quintessential made-in-England roadster. You know, his Caterham. For those not in the know, it is pronounced Kate-rum. The second syllable is normally pronounced as if it should not exist, you move as quickly from the t sound to the m sound as you can. Same thing as Leicester (phonetically leh-str)