The one I've heard the most variations on is "weigela." I've heard everything from why-GEE-luh, to WHY-gill-uh, to why-GEE-LEE-ah, and even WIG-ill-uh.
I just avoid saying it anymore. LOL
Another one that always makes me stutter is heuchera. If I've heard correctly, it sounds a lot like the card game Euchre, like HEW-kur-uh.
Gotta love those plant names!
Angie
CLEM-uh-tus or cla-MAT-us?
angie, so with you. when i struggle with a name, i just try and avoid it. some of the garden magazines list a pronunciation guide that is helpful, but it does not include clematis types and names.
i think a website with audio of each name would be very very appreciated within gardening (maybe this already exists,i am not much of a researcher)
"you say tom a toe, i say to maa tow,
you say po ta toe, i say po taa tow"
hahahahahah
"Let's call the whole thing off!"
LOL
Maybe that's why I have most of my gardening conversations in print, not out loud!
I sound more like I know what I'm talking about!
Spuds and toms! England, cant miss with that! Lol.
love that.......or as my brother would say "taters" , his favorite food....
Yes, taters and maters!
oooh forgot about maters. taters and maters. it's that time of year!
HA! Taters is used in England to describe cold weater. Origin cockney rhyming slang, "taters in the mould"
cold. Jeez it's taters this morning!
i will ask my brit hubbie on that one. so many language things i have picked up from him over the years,but not that one.
are there any gardening terms you can mention to us that are fun and different? like for weeding, composting, fertilizing, planting etc?
Good question! Cockney rhyming slang originates in the19th century east London. Strictly a working class
thing, at that time gardening was a pursuit of the wealthy, I very much doubt if any gardening slang exists.
The only one I can think of is "garden gate" for number eight. So anybody here live live at number eight?
"Because it grows on lattice some folks will say Clem-AT-is; but Webster will not cease to hiss until they call it CLEM-a-tis."
Anonymous
Found this quote today. Cute.
gaylynn, clever . will remember this one.
calibracoa is the one hear that e1 pronounces different. At least with clematis, we all say it the same, along with tomato, potato, etc. Most of us in this part all pronounce them the same, right or wrong! But, calibracoa, we all say different for some reason.
Hydrangea is another one people seem to accentuate differently:
"Hy DRAIN juh" "Hy DRAN gee uh"
Oh, good one, JD! Thank heavens a rose is a rose. Now you all know how my simple mind works! LOL!
Please, JD! My neighbor, the hydrangea expert calls it HYDRANGER.
LOL!
A lady I did a job for once said to me. "I don't want any sort of fancy shmancy plants. Just plant things with no names...you know...just REGULAR kinds of plants like you find growing around here."
OK.....(?????????)
Sounds like her hydrangers are facing dangers.
JD, round here that would be crabgrass and clover :)
Some people are really undone having to learn names. Next they'd have to learn what the plants what and when to give it to them. Horrors!
yes...and that type usually opts for concrete !
Pour it and ignore it ;)
Not Mr. Vodka, I hope!
JuliaJAyne thank you for that link on pronounciation I think I have been pronouncing just about everything wrong when it comes to plants!!
Never Pirl, just cement gets ignored :)
You're welcome, Marie.
I pronounced most everything wrong, too.
Once I start pronouncing it wrong I tend to stick with it unless I hear it said correctly. Then I sometimes compound the problem by spelling it as I say it.
blonde blonde blonde...sheesh !
As in...camp-a-NOOLA.
Or (close your eyes, JD) calen-DOOLA.
Hey, they rhyme!
or there's always "impatienTs"...where does that extra T come from ?
It's like Yin and Yang. People insist it's Ying and Yang and there is no convincing them it's not.
ClemaNtis is another one!
checked the dictionary website:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clematis
and they have two different pronunciations. so I guess both are considered correct.
Nice to know. When first arriving in the south and asking about CLEM-atis,
having the garden folks loudly correct me with a" clem- MAH-tis" was NOT appreciated!
good knowing we are both right.