About mispronounced words

.Sometimes there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the way certain words are pronounced. Because of that, when listening to an audio book, it isn't unusual to hear cities, streets, places, descriptive words pronounced wrong. It happens in some really wonderful books. Because I listen to lots of audio books while driving between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, I might be more aware of it. Books recorded by powerhouse publishers are no exception, by the way.

I'm currently listening to Loitering With Intent,  a good book by Stuart Woods featuring his attorney/sleuth Stone Barrington. Stone and his former buddy on the police department, Dino, are investigating in Key West, Florida.

Now, most of us have seen the word "conch" and if I'd never been to Key West, I wouldn't have realized it's pronounced wrong many times throughout this book. They want conch burgers, they talk about all things conch and the reader, who is a good reader, pronounces it just like it's spelled--con-sch. Therein lies the problem. When I was in Key West I did the same thing and was quickly corrected. The correct way to say it is "conk" like a blow to the head.

It's not a big thing unless you know how it should be pronounced. Then it is really annoying, kind of like fingernails on a blackboard. As I said, it happens to the best of them. Four of my books have audio editions also with fabulous narrators. However, there are a few mispronounciations in them, too. Mostly street names and a few Yiddish expressions the Silver Sisters' mother likes to use.

That raises the question, and I've thought about it before:  If there are words that are a little off the standard, should the author provide a short glossary clearly showing how to say the word when submitting the manuscript so the reader knows how to say it? In the case of a word like kugel, (which is a noodle pudding)  should it include a note about what it is?

I've decided to do just that if any more of my books are recorded. What do you think?

USING THE RIGHT FORM OF A WORD

Something I saw on the news yesterday was so appropriate to the "You Don't Say" presentation I will be making for Sisters in Crime Los Angeles on October 9 that I had to write this.

My presentation is all about navigating the English language--a language peppered with bloopers just waiting for you to commit them.

Even editors aren't exempt. You see using the wrong form of a word, if taken literally, totally changes the intent of the sentence or phrase and is a terrible booby trap.

What I saw yesterday was a commentary on the deplorable state of our economy. It was part of a feature I like to watch called The Rant. They always put the written comment up on the screen. This one spoke about a "waist of money."

My first thought was why didn't someone catch that, which was rapidly followed by a giggle because I pictured the implications of a waist of money. Things like "pulling in your belt" led to imagining all these politicians parading around the House and Senate with money belts cinching in their waists --- or would that be wastes?

You can really have some fun with the wrong form of the right word. Take for example using "slight of hand" instead of "sleight of hand."

"Do you need to master SLIGHT OF HAND to be a good magician?" Hmmm. Don’t know that the size of the magician’s hands has anything to do with it. Although, with bigger hands, he could probably hold more cards."

SLIGHT is an interesting word. As an adjective, it means having a slim or delicate build or structure; as a transitive verb it means to treat with disdain or indifference, and as a noun it generally would be a humiliating discourtesy.

YOU DON'T SAY!

Morgan St. James

www.morganstjames-author.com