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Crotch crochet crotchetty

Posted by Talking Head on April 14, 2003

In Reply to: Cache and cachet posted by TheFallen on April 13, 2003

: : : : In the last few days I've heard several news commentators talk about a *cache* of weapons,
: : : : pronouncing 'cache' as 'cash-A'. This pronunciation is wrong, yes? Should they be saying
: : : : 'cache for' rather than 'cache of'?

: : : They are indeed mispronouncing it. A cache is a hiding place for or a store of something hidden (at least according to the Americn Heritage Dictionary) so 'cache of' and 'cache for' are both appropriate

: : : The errors in pronunciation committed by Americans in general are depressing: "cutter" for Qtar, "eye-rack" for Iraq, "al kayder" for "Al Qaeda". I know it's not always possible to pronounce non-English names like a native but it seems to me they ought to be reasonable facsimile.

: : Unfortunately, we Americans are led by a man who mispronounces half the words his ventriloquist gives him. Why should people be expected to make an effort when they hear "nucular?"

: Cache should, as has previously been mentioned, be pronounced to rhyme with ash - this is not a matter of choice. It's from the French verb cacher meaning to hide or conceal.

: There seems to be a small but growing trend among talking heads in the news media to seem more intellectual than they actually are, and I suspect that this is where the mispronunciation stems from. There *is* a word used in English which is pronounced "cashay", namely cachet, also taken from the French, but it means a mark of distinction or worthwhile quality. Not a good idea to confuse the two together.

It's all the goddam same thing aint it?
I want our loo-tenant to have the cash of finding a cashay of nucular weepons.
Whose side are you on?

And don't get us onto "clique" (pron. cleek, not clik)

Voulez-vous cachet avec moi?

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