Hi Scott, I love panel 2 for the american stereotype and like most Australians i rode my kangaroo to work this morning after feeding my pet koala. Keep up the good work mate.
Ah, this is why I love BI. Scott, you make me laugh every time. Although I must request that you acquiescent from ripping on our large and inefficient cars (inefficient has four syllables), I happen to have aqquired multiple ones that are driven with great gusto.
Actually, virtually everyone I've ever had get mad at me for using big words was British. Or at least Canadian. It's hard to tell which dialect that spells things the Commonwealth way is being used, online.
Actually, in studies of writing, people will think you are *less* intelligent if you use too many big words (9 letters or more long) [1]. It has something to do with the ease people can understand you. Apt word choice beats ponderous vocabulary propensities not withstanding the appropriateness.
References: [1] D. M. Oppenheimer (2006). "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly," Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 20 : 139–156
Hmm, so people from Oregon must pronounce it "ray-she-oh" instead of "ray-sho" like normal folk. Well, my dictionary does give that as an alternate pronunciation.
Hat guy reminds me a bit of someone I knew who kidded me about using all "them three dollar words", only with him it was just kidding.
Of all the possible pronunciation issues, we never would have thought that a three-syllable "ratio" would be controversial. It must be a regional thing -- we're both from Washington, and have never heard a two-syllable version before in our lives. My brain can't quite wrap around the ray-show version; it sounds completely wrong compared to ray-shee-oh.
how about two-and-a-half for ratio? "raysh-yo" (you kinda have to spill it all together, and no, I did NOT mean "altogether")
also, @ILookLikeComicScott, "...tion" really CAN'T be separated, but "...sial" MUST be. Because of the "sh" vs. "see-ah" sounds therein. You know, for the kids.
I'm from the UK and can't even imagine how to pronounce ratio with two syllables. I'm currently muttering it repeatedly under my breath and frowning. I look like a lunatic.
"And another thing" ... let us know when it occurs to him that "another" is also trisyllabic. So it's not the syllable count, nor* even the ratio. It's just that he's a dick.
My wife had a friend who got in a tizzy because she used the word "autumnal". My wife had to explain it came from the word "autumn" to which she was asked why she couldn't say "fall". My wife let it go before it rolled into an argument over parts of speech.
@Nonsensicles: Scott is comparing between "furthermore" against "and another thing". Yes, including the "and" and "thing". In total, "and another thing" has 5 syllables, more than "furthermore"
Maybe ray-she-oh is a pacific northwest thing, but having also lived in the rocky mountains, the south and the eastern US, I can say I've never heard it pronounced ray-sho.
March 10, 2013
Reader Comments (70)
"You're not offering any evidence to the contrary."
Brilliant! I'm going to steal that one.
Hi Scott, I love panel 2 for the american stereotype and like most Australians i rode my kangaroo to work this morning after feeding my pet koala. Keep up the good work mate.
You're not offering any evidence to the contrary.... LOVE IT!
Pure gold, Mr. Meyer, pure gold.
"Another" has three syllables.
I love this stuff.
You owe me a monitor. Ratio. Man that's funny.
If you actually pronounce ratio as three syllables I would hate you too.
Another has three syllables. *facepalms*
Then again, maybe he thinks it's two words, 'a nother'.
Ah, this is why I love BI. Scott, you make me laugh every time. Although I must request that you acquiescent from ripping on our large and inefficient cars (inefficient has four syllables), I happen to have aqquired multiple ones that are driven with great gusto.
Actually, virtually everyone I've ever had get mad at me for using big words was British. Or at least Canadian. It's hard to tell which dialect that spells things the Commonwealth way is being used, online.
Redneck dictionary
Ratio. ones choice of nascar viewing entertainment
As in "What ratio gonna watch Sunday?"
Inefficient has 4!
Markus Saers how would you pronounce ratio without three syllables?
As Louis B. Mayer once said: "I can answer that in two words - im possible."
Actually, in studies of writing, people will think you are *less* intelligent if you use too many big words (9 letters or more long) [1].
It has something to do with the ease people can understand you. Apt word choice beats ponderous vocabulary propensities not withstanding the appropriateness.
References:
[1] D. M. Oppenheimer (2006). "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly," Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 20 : 139–156
Hmm, so people from Oregon must pronounce it "ray-she-oh" instead of "ray-sho" like normal folk. Well, my dictionary does give that as an alternate pronunciation.
Hat guy reminds me a bit of someone I knew who kidded me about using all "them three dollar words", only with him it was just kidding.
"Ratio" has three syllables? What is your fasinat-i-on with contravers-i-al pronunciat-i-ons?
"When my big ol' car can't climb that hill
I'll write a suicide note on a hundred dollar bill"
Of all the possible pronunciation issues, we never would have thought that a three-syllable "ratio" would be controversial. It must be a regional thing -- we're both from Washington, and have never heard a two-syllable version before in our lives. My brain can't quite wrap around the ray-show version; it sounds completely wrong compared to ray-shee-oh.
Why yes, "dumber" DOES have fewer syllables than "stupider"!
"Derp" has even less.
how about two-and-a-half for ratio? "raysh-yo" (you kinda have to spill it all together, and no, I did NOT mean "altogether")
also, @ILookLikeComicScott, "...tion" really CAN'T be separated, but "...sial" MUST be. Because of the "sh" vs. "see-ah" sounds therein. You know, for the kids.
"Ratio" has 3 syllables in Boston too.
I'm from the UK and can't even imagine how to pronounce ratio with two syllables. I'm currently muttering it repeatedly under my breath and frowning. I look like a lunatic.
"And another thing" ... let us know when it occurs to him that "another" is also trisyllabic. So it's not the syllable count, nor* even the ratio. It's just that he's a dick.
*Yes, I know, he'll object to "nor" as well.
Another winner.
"Ratio" and "family" both have two syllables. ("Ray-show" and "fam-lee.") Anybody who says them with more is putting on airs.
@Missy "Ray-show." And I spelled fascinat-i-on wrong. Stupid smartphones.
@Dan: Great line from a great song written by a great Scotsman.
Pennsylvania casts its ballot for "ray-shee-oh" -- the two syllable version sounds like the subject for a "How to sound like a rube" BI.
Do people who say "ray-sho" also listen to the "ray-doh?"
And this is not original but... don't you just love the irony of the word "monosyllabic"
Canadian here. Never heard ray-show.
My wife had a friend who got in a tizzy because she used the word "autumnal". My wife had to explain it came from the word "autumn" to which she was asked why she couldn't say "fall". My wife let it go before it rolled into an argument over parts of speech.
@Nonsensicles:
Scott is comparing between "furthermore" against "and another thing". Yes, including the "and" and "thing". In total, "and another thing" has 5 syllables, more than "furthermore"
Syllable has 3 .. um .. syllables ...
Maybe ray-she-oh is a pacific northwest thing, but having also lived in the rocky mountains, the south and the eastern US, I can say I've never heard it pronounced ray-sho.
Hmm, maybe pronouncing it rashe-yo would work.
My mind is permanently warped on the discovery that ratio is pronounce by some people with only 2 syllables. Who knew?
We say ray-shee-oh in Alberta.
Agreed Missy. RAY-she-oh definitely sounds more correct than Ray-show. That just rolls off the tongue oddly.
Speaking as someone from Chicago, I've always said "ray-she-oh." I do get indignant when people use "times" or "minus" as a verb, though!
I, for one, am disappointed that you did not include the word "iota" in this comic. :-)
I'm from VA, but live in TN - and I'd say it ray-shee-oh, too. My Mississippi friend also says ray-shee-oh. What region would say it ray-show?