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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
Does he have to be Chinese?
Not if he knows Kung Fu.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
queue is pronounced CUE-you
And here I thought it was pronounced kwee-wee.
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 6,296 |
Queue is pronounced the same as 'cue' in American English, for the record. Here's MW:
"Pronunciation: 'kyü"
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14 |
As to why "queue" is spelled "queue" and not "cue", one can ask why "quay" is pronounced "key".
The British seem to have a certain fascinating eccentricity about such things [perhaps because they think they invented the language]. Americans are less given to these embroideries. For them, a "Quay" is a "Key", not a "Quay", and they will not stand for "queues".
Spelling it 'quay' is, indeed, a pain in the bum. And it's all the fault of pretentious nitwits who fancied themselves as sophisticated.
'Quay' used to be spelt 'key' (ME 'key' from OFr 'kay'). But the spelling was changed under the influence of modern French 'quai'. (Concise Oxford Dictionary, 10th ed)
Don't know why 'queue' is spelt like that, but it's from the French again.
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
Don't know why 'queue' is spelt like that, but it's from the French again.
Perhaps it's etymological warfare.
And, speaking of that, was it also the French who got us hung up on guerrilla [as in "guerilla warfare"] - which any Playstation iPodder will tell you should be spelled "gorilla" - and, also strung us up on "manoeuvre"?
Who hasn't been out-manoeuvered by "manoeuvre", I ask you?
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14 |
was it also the French who got us hung up on guerrilla [as in "guerilla warfare"]
Wouldn't be at all surprised!!
They're the culprits for us losing 'cw' and having to spell it 'qu'. Just so that English looked like a posh (?) Romance language. People should keep their pretensions to themselves.
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,385 |
People should keep their pretensions to themselves.
When they keep it to themselves, Millymax, it's called "hypertension".
Hell, no! Why keep it to yourself? Who needs it? Why can't people "let it go"? :)
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
People should keep their pretensions to themselves.  Huh? Did somebody call me? I was dead asleep and I swear I thought I heard somebody call my name. Oh yeah...now I see. You people are talking about people who are pretentious. Yeah, I think we tried that once on Awad. Everyone agreed to stop being pretentious and so I was the only one who posted here for three days. Me? My only pretention is my overuse of the word pretentious. But if like me you realize the folly of being pretentious then being pretentious can be fun. Sorry Milly, that is all I know about being pretentious. But hey, I know a lot about being a screwball. And I hope some screwball starts a thread. 
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Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
Is one who stops being pretentious rendered posttentious? Or just tentious?
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 273 |
Are you serious? In my entire life, I have only ever heard this word pronounced as an exact homophone of its inital letter. I did not even know that anyone else would consider pronouncing it differently.
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