So there was this series of films or whatever called Jackass, right? Never seen it myself, don’t feel the need to, have three friends who basically video themselves doing similar stuff - not the point.
The point is: in Australia, we automatically change the American vowel sound for words that have a long “a” in the middle. So “can’t” pronounced by an Australian sounds like “cahn’t”, “pass” becomes “pahss” - you get the idea.
I’m becoming irrationally annoyed by the amount of Aussies who pronounce Jackass “jackarse”.
It’s not talking about the backside of some bloke named Jack. A jackass is a donkey. And it’s pronounced the same whether you’re American, Canadian, English, Irish or Aussie. Spread the word people!
… Now, I’ve got that off my chest, all is well with the world again…
14 responses so far ↓
themolk // Mar 23, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Let’s not just leave it there, Pete! There are so many more words that people mis-pronounce and look at you wrong when you say them correctly! Even the prostitution of the Queen’s English in the way it has become American-ified (remember, they fought the English to get rid of them?!), text-ified and IM-ified. Gr8. Like I’m not emo enough as it is…
…and don’t get me started on what they do in the name of tv entertainment/cinema in these things. How is filming pushing your friend into a display of tin cans in the supermarket funny? In these situations, I am reminded of the definition of comedy, as offered by Mel Brooks:
” Funny is when you stub your toe. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die”. Perhaps they’ve worked it out, and we’re just catching up?
Pete // Mar 23, 2007 at 2:38 pm
As a friend of mine says, the Americans got their fight with the English over and done with. We Aussies just beat them at cricket continually.
I know you have tried the stubbing the toe thing this week, but took it a little far. Didn’t sound that funny.
Mat // Mar 23, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Great post Pete
I think even Mark has tried to tell me to pronounce it Jack-arse.
Pete // Mar 23, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Markk the Coffee Shop Reviewer should know better.
Mat // Mar 26, 2007 at 1:34 am
Hey Pete
You may have noticed Jackass was on tv tonight… and what do you know, someone who I was with at the time said ‘Jackarse.’ My blood positively boiled. (On your behalf of course.)
Pete // Mar 26, 2007 at 8:08 am
That’s it, Mat. Maintain the rage!
Steve Sherlock // Mar 26, 2007 at 9:18 am
This type of pronuciation would do well here in parts of New England particularly around Boston, sometimes refered to as Bahston. And of course, there is “pahking the cah in Hahvad yad”…
themolk // Mar 26, 2007 at 9:30 am
Fight the power! Stand up for what you believe in! Shoot the breeze (stupid breeze… always windy…)!
Pete // Mar 26, 2007 at 10:55 am
Steve (Sherlock) - thanks for dropping by. Sounds like an entire region of Charles Emmerson Winchester the Thirds.
Steve (The Molk) - huh??!
themolk // Mar 26, 2007 at 5:30 pm
…Pete, if I have to explain it, then it clearly wasn’t that funny to start with…
Try saying it in your head with a Homer Simpson-style voice - first exultantly, then the bracketed part sneakily, almost angrily).
Work now?
Pete // Mar 26, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Ahhhh, Homer. Now I got it. (Funny how often I actually do default to his voice in my own head when I’m complaining about something….)
Markk // Mar 27, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I consider the English language my own personal property, to mangle as I see fit. That’s my excuse, anyway.
Pete // Mar 27, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Ah, the perpetrator of the Jackarse atrocity himself.
The dictionary definition for an excuse is “An invalid reason for a dereliction of duty”. Therefore thou hast abandoned thy duty to the english language and must renounce such manglements of its words from now and ever more!
Markk // Mar 27, 2007 at 6:47 pm
“Manglements?” Ye gods.
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