how do you say...

[Ruth]

...hurricane?

The topic came up because I have been teaching on hurricanes. They have devastated the town where I lived in Florida. Along with news updates, I have lots of personal anecdotes from friends to share with my students.

I say 'her - i - cane' long 'a' sound on cane. Just like it should be. Crippler and I were chatting in the office and this teacher pipes in with, "That's not how we say it." Her version puts the emphasis on the 'i' and pronounces 'cane' more like 'cun'. Crippler and I say we have never heard it pronounced like that. This teacher, who often irritates me with her self-righteous attitude, informs us that their Chinese-English dictionary tells them to pronounce it that way.

Well excu-u-u-se me for being the native speaker/foreign expert who doesn't say it the way the dictionary says we should say it.

But then, I got to thinking that maybe, just maybe, other countries (like Oz and the UK) say it the wrong way and that's where the Chinese are coming from. Wish I had a copy of 'My Fair Lady' here. If memory serves me, Eliza does say "...hurricuns hardly ever happen." British upperclass pronunciation, maybe?

[roaming kiwi]

Those bassstards...

I just loved it, when at my old school somewhere near Hamish's den, they'd do the same. "Because the book says so."

Considering I speak nothing but the finest English (New Zealand - that is) I say hurricane something like this (but it changes as I drink - strange that):

The stress on the "hu" then a lilt for the "ri" and a prolonged - but not the Southern US proooloooonged - "cane". But I have definitely heard "huricun"- from an offspring from the US. And, in fact, when I say it quickly, gazing out Gonzo's former window, and add "Andrew" or some other bad storm's name - it sounds like "cun". But on a matter of principal, I'd stand my ground with the "it's in the book" type of person. Call me passive-aggressive (with poor spelling skills.)

On a tangent - I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts 1st year University students whose spoken English is appalling. Plus their ability to listen is worse than asking a deaf dog to sit.

"letter" - now that's a word cherubs should know (In the the kiwi utopia of learning English). After eliciting the LETTERS of the Alphabet and circling a LETTER and asking its name and circling it and writing LETTER as they spelled the word out; one hearing impaired canine still had to write in L - E - T - T - E - R into her little doo-dacky. So I closed it for her and pointed caringly towards the board "LETTER".

Arrrrrgghhhh! I am astounded at their lack of English skills - Engineers, need I say more.

[Hamish]

roaming said:

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts

Actually, she does.

I've witnessed many a trail of winded, foam flecked, young Chinese athletes jabbing each other, and drooling, after Kiwi jiggled by.

It was easy to follow her around campus, even of a smoky, fog shrouded day or night. The groans and barking could be heard half a Kilometer behind her.

God only knows what she sees in that simian she is anchored to.

[burlives]

It's pronounced "tornado". Regional dialects, such as the greater Australian NT drawl, may have it as "cyclone". Fishermen are inclined toward "typhoon." "Huricun"s can be heard tell of on the Australian Broadcasting Commision's news services and presumably also on the BBC. For standard American pronunciation I defer to Bob Dylan, as should all thinking Chinese educationalists.

[Seth]

The Scorpions said 'rock you like a hurriCANE', that's all the proof i need.

[con's fly is open]

In my college/adult classes, the whir of fingers jabbing buttons on those electronic dictionaries of theirs have pulled up a lot of mistakes in pronunciation. I've looked up the odd word out of sheer irrational doubt, and once or twice found a second way to say the word-...
But even so, I'm giving the more common way to say it, so I trump. The smart money bets on the laowai over the gizmo any day.

[Raoul Duke]

The Scorpions were right. This is a phenomenon of the Caribbean and the Southern USA. We get to choose.

[con's fly is open]

They sometimes make it up to Newfoundland and smash things up, so we get a vote too.

We vote: "her- ih- kane"

Hurric'n

[Lager]

Ruth I have a list of words-"Chinese words used in English." (OK some are Japanese I think.) I use this as a time - filler . Anyway one is typhoon which the students seem to get right away. And aren't these things that hit Florida typhoons anyway---close enough!!!

Oh if anyone can add to my list please do: some othere are tai-chi dim-sum kow-tow and ginseng.

[Raoul Duke]

Hurricanes never make it to Newfoundland; this is just an excuse Newfies made up to explain the remains of exceptionally good parties. Sorry, no vote...although it sounds like their pronunciation is acceptably similar.

Lager, if they're in the Atlantic Ocean they're hurricanes, and if they're in the Pacific Ocean they're typhoons. If they're in the Indian Ocean they're not in the news.

Most Chinese don't use anything like our word "ginseng". In Mandarin it's ren2 shen1...not sure where "ginseng" comes from.

Other words....not many. "Gung Ho".

"Wonton" is the one food I can think of whose name came over more or less intact. It's "huntun" in Mandarin, but in its native Shanghainese it sounds a lot like "wonton". "Chop suey" isn't really a Chinese dish but its name comes from a Cantonese term for 'leftovers'. Nobody seems to know where the hell "chow mein" comes from, but the 'mein" part probably signifies noodles.

Speaking of noodles, the Japanese word "ramen" is in wide international use. It originally comes from "la mian"- hand-made noodles.

I like to explain the use of "shanghai" as a verb...

I think the word "chop" for 'signature' may come from a Chinese word for signature seals..."zhang" in Mandarin.

"Chop chop" (for 'quickly') comes from China but really comes from pidgin, not a true Chinese I'm aware of.

For extra bonus points, explain to them what a "Chinese fire drill" is sometime.

[Lager]

OK. And tornado is another cup of tea right? Or tempest. Typhoon they know right away---ahhh STORM!

As for the words gung-ho is a good one and on my list. Ginseng does confuse the hell out of them. Dim sum they don't get maybe because it's Cantonese. Kow tow thewy know but the pronunciation is different. Yin yang feng shui and tofu they also pick up on.

The Japanese they don't get like sushi shogun and rickshaw. Anyway it's a fun thing to do and surprisingly gets their interest. Can't remember where I pilfered this idea. ;D

[Steiner]

Raoul said:

Nobody seems to know where the hell "chow mein" comes from, but the 'mein" part probably signifies noodles.

This one seems the easiest to figure out to me. Chou means fried, mian means noodle, chou mian would be fried noodles. And chow mein seems a lot like a crispy-fried noodle to me.

[Raoul Duke]

Makes sense...it always seems to come on a bed of those fried noodle things. I think it's the dish no one can find an origin for...certainly doesn't seem to be China.

Can you remember a time when you thought of a canned Chung King Chow Mein dinner as "Chinese food"?

Lager, tornadoes are much smaller but more intense versions of the same thing. They appear only on dry land...the aquatic versions are waterspouts.

Try "ding xin" for "dim sum"...the Mandarin version.

[Seth]

i think mandarin for dim sum is 'dian xin'

tofu in an obvious example, doufu

kung pao chicken is 'gong bao' or something like that, i can't remember.

kung fu = gongfu

i think we should start calling computers 'electric brains'

[Ruth]

Slightly off topic, but didn't want to start a new thread - unrecycling.

There were two amazing things about this. The first was that they had a garbage (trash, rubbish) can at a tourist site. I've noticed very few garbage cans in my part of China. The second was that they provided two cans - one was for recycling and was appropriately labeled. The second one was labeled 'unrecycling'. It's hilarious how some things are translated. Not sure how one 'unrecycles' though.

I do stand my ground with the self-righteous Chinese folk who claim their book's version of pronunciation is correct if it differs from mine. Something just raises the hair on the back of my neck and I can't help myself. I should be able to let go and let them wallow in their ignorance, but I can't. These folks are teaching future generations. In the grand scheme of things, are they ever going to need to pronounce 'hurricane' correctly? Probably not - just don't tell me I'm wrong. Thanks for the support, all.

Kiwi - engineers are their own species. Nationality and spoken-English ability have nothing to do with it. Those little electronic doo-dackies are part of their anatomy. They can't live without them. It's a wonder your student didn't quit breathing when you closed her gadget. Actually, my only experience with engineers was about a hundred years ago. I dated one in college - for a really brief period of time. Enough to warp my opinion of engineers for life.

[Raoul Duke]

I stand corrected...Seth is absolutely right. The Mandarin for 'dim sum' is indeed "dian xin".

"Ding Xin" is a character in my very first Mandarin primer who chose to come forward again at that moment. Amazing how some things keep bobbing back to the surface no matter how many times we flush them...

[MK]

Not quite the same as Chinese words in English, but 'long time no see' is probably a literal translation of the Chinese phrase 'Hao Jiu Bu Jian', and there are more like this, e.g. 'have a look see' from 'kan yi kan'.

[roaming kiwi]

Ruth - My mother warned me about Engineers (and wearing high-heels with trousers, but that's another matter entirely). I should've listened.

Hamish - you're telling lies.

New Zealand can claim "Hurricanes" too. The capital city's rugby team is called "The Hurricanes". Mighty good team too. Even when they lose.

[loftus]

Well I am in Floirda and can say its been a Helluva season. Ecuse my French. Ruth which part of Florida were you in?

[George61]

"hurry cun".......for the Atlantic, and Australia
Tai Feng..typhoon.....for the eastern Pacific
Tornado....for the USA mainland
Cyclone for the Indian Ocean, and Australia
Tropical Disturbance for anything else.
WINDBAG..........SOMEONE WHO BRAGS TOO MUCH
sorry bout the caps lock.

[Ruth]

We lived in Port St. Lucie and worked in Ft. Pierce. We have friends along the coast from Hobe Sound to Vero Beach and a son in Tallahassee.

Taipaishan, where are you? Did you suffer any damage?

[loftus]

I live in Melbourne, just North on Ft, Pierce. We had a little cosmetic damage to our home.
Others were not so lucky.

[Ruth]

this is for Taipaishan. A friend in Florida sent it to us.

Notice to Florida Homeowners regarding Hurricanes

You are about to enter the peak of the hurricane season. Any day now, you're going to turn on the TV and see a weather person pointing to some radar blob out in the Gulf of Mexico and making two basic meteorological points:

1. There is no need to panic.
2. We all will be killed.

Yes, hurricane season is an exciting time to be in Florida. If you are new to the area, you're probably wondering what you need to do to prepare for the possibility that we'll get hit by "the big one.'' Based on our experiences, we recommend that you follow this simple three-step hurricane preparedness plan:

STEP 1. - Buy enough food and bottled water to last your family for at least three days.
STEP 2. - Put these supplies into your car.
STEP 3. - Drive to Nebraska and remain there until Halloween.

Unfortunately, statistics show that most people will not follow this sensible plan. Most people will foolishly stay here in Florida. We'll start with one of the most important hurricane preparedness items:

HOMEOWNERS' INSURANCE:
If you own a home, you must have hurricane insurance. Fortunately, this insurance is cheap and easy to get, as long as your home meets two basic requirements:

1.it is reasonably well-built
2.it is located in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, if your home is located in Florida, or any other area that might actually be hit by a hurricane, most insurance companies would prefer not to sell you hurricane insurance, because then they might be required to pay YOU money, and that is certainly not why they got into the insurance business in the first place. So you'll have to scrounge around for an insurance company, which will charge you an annual premium roughly equal to the replacement value of your house. At any moment, this company can drop you like used dental floss. Since Hurricane George, I have had an estimated 27 different home-insurance
companies. This week, I'm covered by the Bob and Big Stan Insurance Company, under a policy which states that, in addition to my premium, Bob and Big Stan are entitled, on demand, to my kidneys.

SHUTTERS:
Your house should have hurricane shutters on all the windows, all the doors, and -- if it's a major hurricane -- all the toilets. There are several types of shutters, with advantages and disadvantages:

Plywood shutters:
The advantage is that, because you make them yourself, they're cheap. The disadvantage is that, because you make them yourself, they will fall off.

Sheet-metal shutters:
The advantage is that these work well, once you get them all up. The Disadvantage is that once you get them all up, your hands will be bleeding stumps, and it will be December.

Roll-down shutters:
The advantages are that they're very easy to use, and will definitely protect your house. The
disadvantage is that you will have to sell your house to pay for them.

"Hurricane-proof'' windows:
These are the newest wrinkle in hurricane protection: They look like ordinary windows, but they can withstand hurricane winds! You can be sure of this, because the salesman says so. He lives in Nebraska.

[Ruth]

continued...

"Hurricane Proofing" Your Property:
As the hurricane approaches, check your yard for movable objects like barbecue grills, planters, patio furniture, visiting relatives, etc. You should, as a precaution, throw these items
into your swimming pool (if you don't have a swimming pool, you should have one built immediately). Otherwise, the hurricane winds will turn these objects into deadly missiles.

EVACUATION ROUTE:
If you live in a low-lying area, you should have an evacuation route planned out. (To determine whether you live in a low-lying area, look at your driver's license; if it says ``Florida," you live in a low-lying area.) The purpose of having an evacuation route is to
avoid being trapped in your home when a major storm hits. Instead, you will be trapped in a gigantic traffic jam several miles from your home, along with two hundred thousand other evacuees. So, as a bonus, you will not be lonely.

HURRICANE SUPPLIES:
If you don't evacuate, you will need a mess of supplies. Do not buy them now! Florida tradition requires that you wait until the last possible minute, then go to the supermarket and get into vicious fights with strangers over who gets the last can of SPAM. In addition it is best to leave your cars gas tank on Empty. And plan to fill it AFTER the storm.

In addition to food and water, you will need the following supplies:

1.23 flashlights - At least $167 worth of batteries that turn out, when the power goes off, to
be the wrong size for the flashlights.
2.Bleach - (No, I don't know what the bleach is for. NOBODY knows what the bleach is for, but it's traditional, so GET some)
3.A 55-gallon drum of underarm deodorant.
4.A big knife that you can strap to your leg. (This will be useless in a hurricane, but it looks
cool.)
5.An Assault rifle. (This will be used to fight off the looting mobs afterwards!)
6.A large quantity of raw chicken, to placate the alligators. (Ask anybody who went through Camille; after the hurricane, there WILL be irate alligators.)
7.$35,000 in cash or diamonds so that, after the hurricane passes, you can buy a generator from a man with no discernible teeth.

Of course these are just basic precautions. As the hurricane draws near, it is vitally important that you keep abreast of the situation by turning on your television and watching TV reporters in rain slickers stand right next to the ocean and tell you over and over how vitally important it is for everybody to stay inside.

Good luck, and remember: It's great living in Paradise

[George61]

Funny, Ruth. I lived in Melbourne, and never experienced any hurricanes. Of course, that was the REAL Melbourne.