It always excites me when something from home arrives in American shops. (Apparently it doesn't take much to get me excited)
Just recently there's been a new advert on the telly for Persil ProClean and it's driving me bloody mad. Every time I hear it, I cringe and get a little bit mad. Why, you ask? Well just take a look at this ....
Did you hear it? Do you see what I mean? No, then take another listen. The way they pronounce Persil as Pu-SEEL drives me nuts. I know, its only a little thing, but even so. PER-SIL, it's Per-sil. Arghhh. (and don't even get me started on the pronunciation of Adidas).
I wish someone at Persil would tell them how to say it, after all they've been making washing powder for over 100 years, so someone there should know, shouldn't they?
I was going to try and find the English version of the advert, but I found this instead and it's just so lovely - 100 Years of Persil, What is a Mum?
Is that little Ron Weasley in the go kart? I think the skinhead one was one of my favourite adverts growing up.
I honestly don't think the American pronunciation is going to change so I will have to make do muting the telly or just shouting "IT'S PER-SIL!!" at the screen every time I see the advert.
Is there any American pronunciation that get's your blood boiling? Do tell...
This is a bit obscure... They call a car with a soft top a "coop", instead of a "coup-ay" (not sure I can get the e acute accent here, but the word I'm talking about is "coupe"). I know that's really obscure, but I worked in a toy shop, and we sold a toy coup-ay. But it didn't get my blood boiling. It got me inwardly chuckling.
ReplyDeleteOn the theme of cars, how about "vee-hickle" as a pronounciation?
I never liked bay-sil (weirdly similar to per-sil, if you think about it), or orreganno. And I wish they'd put the "h" on the front of "erbs".
ReplyDeleteRight there with you on all of it.. :-)
DeleteAgreed, agreed, agreed. Come on Unilever - get the name right! But then again, what do you expect in a country where they have cordon BLUE cooks. Have some sympathy folks - have you heard Americans talk about Worcestershire sauce? But I would add a word of caution - we Brits should be careful about pointing our linguistic fingers! Is it Newcassel or Newcarsel, scon or scoan and why do we say Paris and not Paree. Americans pronounce buoy as booee when we say boy (but 200 years ago it was pronounced booee in England). This is a different country - a VERY different country. Have a nice day!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes.. the old War-Sester-Shyre sauce!! :-)
DeleteTry Nestles or is it Nestlees Nikes or Nikies
DeleteI agree that is PER-SIL, not per-SIL. So irritating! Another one that bugs me is Van Gogh: "Van Go " instead of "Van Goff".
ReplyDeleteHa.. and what about Bur-naRRd.... instead of Ber-Nad.... this could go on forever lol
DeleteMy god, doncha know it's Van HOG?
ReplyDeleteI flew into LAX 49 years ago, so I'm not really sure what real-time Brit pronunciation is. So I was pleased to hear it's still PER-sil!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Americans do tend to put the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I DO prefer V-eye-tamin over vitamin (as in bit) and the latest one that gets me is innovative ... even in England they innovate sometimes even with a long o ... but the English pronunciation innuvativ really bugs me.
The law of the consuhvation of ahhs (conservation of r's) while predominant in the north east of the US is quite annoying.
ReplyDeleteTake r's from some words ... particularly the ends ... and stick them in the middle somewhere so you end up with such wonderful things like Warshing machines ... and chests of draws
You should check out the Wikipedia entry for Persil, including some pronunciation notes, at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persil
ReplyDeleteWe have just been getting a Persil commercial in Canada. I couldn't understand what the actor was referring to at first. Then I had to go online to check my memories of saying Persil in England as I have been in Canada for 50 or so years. The North American pronounciation of Basil annoys me as it was my cat's name. But mostly, I just say it my way and tell anyone who complains that I speak English!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a "regional dialect" issue. It didn't "just happen" that the product has a different pronunciation in two different English-speaking countries.
ReplyDeleteThis is a conscious marketing issue. Undoubtedly, a lot of research was done, and a decision was made at the highest levels: after all, what could be more important than what your product is called?
Thus, the product known as PER-sil in the UK will be known and marketed as Per-SIL in North America.
PERsil sounds like Percy to American ears, a big US marketing problem as it's got negative associations here as a name many Americans consider weak, effete, effeminate and even possibly homosexual (That proud Scottish warrior's name Bruce, on the other hand, is DEFINITELY considered a name for homosexual men.). PERsil would bring to mind to many millions of more gender-rigid Americans a weak detergent unable to properly clean work clothes and muddy grass stains. This most likely came out in the focus groups.
DeleteI'm from Belfast and always pronounced it as Perzil, not Persill. Also another very annoying pronunciation in USA is the word lever as in ever, instead of lever!
ReplyDeleteI had written "leever" not "lever" but auto correct got me again! Lol!
DeleteMy first experience with PER-sil was when I lived in the UK for 6 years. Back in the US now and yes, the ads are killing me. Had to Google it and this post from four years ago is the first result, so you're doing a real service here!
ReplyDeleteSeriously?! Is everyone really so weird about pronunciation in different countries!!!?? We are in DIFFERENT countries people. Different ways, e.t.c. as long as we all get along who gives a royal rat's how we pronounce things!!!
ReplyDeleteExactly. Hearing it here in Canada is just weird! They should know better here lol
ReplyDeleteJust love and agree with all the comments. I am a British/American married to a loved lady from the Deep South in Georgia. Please pray and have pity on me.😆😆
ReplyDeleteYou do realize, you can hate the way Americans pronounce words but it is the biggest economy and the only super power left. America is also the biggest inventor when it comes to all the things we have today. You’re welcome old country. Also let’s not forgot how farmers with pitch forks destroyed the British army! lol Oh British people, will they ever learn that nobody cares about your tiny little island
ReplyDelete