Say it right - Page 3

Leslie Ficcaglia · 09-03-2002, 08:48 AM

Juan, how's your Greek? I've always been told that "gyro" is pronounced "YEE-ro" but little waitresses in Greek restaurants don't seem to have heard that. Thanks for the tip on "bruschetta;" despite my Italian last name (it's my husband's, not my maiden name) I was guilty of saying "bru-SHET-a. "

And you can imagine how much trouble we have with the silent "g" in our last name!

Salut!

Michael Georges · 09-03-2002, 09:01 AM

Leslie: I just happened to work at a Greek Restaurant during High School.

It's "YEE-ro". If you were greek, you might put a bit of an H in there as in "YEAH-RO"

Anthony Emmolo · 09-28-2002, 02:17 AM

While we're on the topic of French names, can anyone guess how to pronouncethe name of tthe French illustrator Guy Billout? Back in my School of Visual Arts days I learned it, and never forgot. I'll give you a couple of days on it.

Leslie Ficcaglia · 09-28-2002, 09:32 AM

Ghee Bee-yo? (Hard "g')

Anthony Emmolo · 09-28-2002, 08:23 PM

Leslie,

I haven't been in grammar school for quite awhile, so I can't remember which is a hard and soft "G". However, the way I learned his name was when he entered my classroom and introduced himself as Gee (as in GET) Bee (as in our bumbling insect) and You (as in not me).

Cynthia Daniel · 09-28-2002, 10:49 PM

Getting a little more exact on the Greek sandwich, it's actually yee-ros.

William Whitaker · 09-29-2002, 12:49 AM

Mari,

Stein - key.

Bettina never gave us any trouble when we said it that way.

Bill

Linda Ciallelo · 09-30-2002, 11:41 AM

Seventeen years ago I married an Italian by the name of Frank Ciallelo. The good thing is that I can use my name without worrying that someone else will have it. The bad thing is that no one can pronounce it. The correct pronounciation is Chill-lello. The Ci sounds like Ch in English, Like the word "ciao", as in "ciao baby".

Pronounced "chow" in English. I still get tongue tied when someone asks me what my name is, Chill-lello is hard for me to say correctly. And sometimes people say Linder instead of Linda.

But, before I was a Ciallelo, I was a Vredenburgh for 18 years, before I was a Vredenburgh, I was a Rockwell for 18 years. Life is strange.

Leslie Ficcaglia · 09-30-2002, 11:50 AM

Linda, having gone from Pastor to Ficcaglia you have my sympathies! Try pronouncing that one (it's Fi-KAL-ya). I tried to keep my maiden name after I married but my new boss didn't approve and insisted on introducing me to everyone as Mrs. Ficcaglia, so I gave up. Back then keeping one's maiden name was unusual, but even now, a friend who retained her name after marriage was forced to bring her marriage certificate to prove the relationship during some sort of legal contract they were embarking on as a couple!

Linda Ciallelo · 09-30-2002, 03:04 PM

Leslie, my daughter tried to hyphenate her maiden name with her husbands name, but had so many problems that she gave up. Changing traditions can be tricky.