I have a bit of a perplexing situation on hand. I am fluent in French. When I go to eat at our campus food court, I'll fairly often order a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. My question is: In this situation, would it be correct to say the "Cordon Bleu" part of the order as if I were speaking English or French? Is there a set rule for this?, What would you do? Discuss!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Say it however comes natural. If they don't understand you, give a number or point at the menu. If they "correct" you, smile politely and say, "Yes, that."
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
If you're ordering the sandwich in France or at a real French restaurant, go ahead and pronounce it with an authentic French accent. Otherwise you'll just sound snooty, I think. I have a friend who's fluent in French, and I was surprised to learn one day that it irks her when French-speaking Americans pronounce crepe as "crep" instead of "crape."
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I don't speak French and I still say "crep." "Crape" is the fabric traditionally reserved for mourning, or the paper you hang at birthday parties.
Posted by EmpSquared (Member # 10890) on :
Just whatever limits confusion, I would say.
That, and just think of how well whatever phrase it is currently fits into the vernacular. I would say burrito without rolling an the r, but I would say bouillabaisse with the French accent. I this case, I would probably just say Cordon Bleu without the accent.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Pronouncing "Cordon Bleu" with a French accent at at food court is going to come off as a pretentious affectation. I'd recommend against it.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: I don't speak French and I still say "crep." "Crape" is the fabric traditionally reserved for mourning, or the paper you hang at birthday parties.
Why should they be pronounced differently?
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I'd also recommend against pronouncing "sauerkraut" with the accurate German accent. It gets messy.
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
quote:Originally posted by Noemon: Pronouncing "Cordon Bleu" with a French accent at at food court is going to come off as a pretentious affectation. I'd recommend against it.
I definitely thought of this, but it feels slightly unnatural (to me) to say it any other way.
I'm fairly sure they'll understand me no matter which way I say it, but it still bothers me for some reason.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jon Boy:
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: I don't speak French and I still say "crep." "Crape" is the fabric traditionally reserved for mourning, or the paper you hang at birthday parties.
Why should they be pronounced differently?
*shrugs* I dunno, that's just the way they were always pronounced in my house. We're a bunch of foodies...
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Toadie, pronounce it however you feel comfortable. Who cares what people think about you? That's why I said, "say it how it comes out naturally." That's what I do, and if people don't understand me, either because I'm wrong, they are, or we just pronounce it differently and no one is wrong, no one is harmed. In the end I get my food, they get their money, everyone is happy. Posted by EmpSquared (Member # 10890) on :
Flaming Toad: I'm pretty new (or been gone for a long time, I guess), so I don't know: are you French? Or are you just fluent? I guess it would depend on how you learned French to explain why it would feel unnatural. Hearing and saying "Cordon Bleu" without the accent sounds natural to me, and I took about four solid years of French.
Posted by Loren (Member # 9539) on :
The battle I gave up was "calzone."
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
It took me a second to figure out what spatsouls* were when I went to a supper club in Appleton, Wisc.
*they were spaetzle.
Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
mmm, I haven't had spaetzle in years actually since I was in Germany last... <runs off to find a German restaraunt in the area>
Posted by Launchywiggin (Member # 9116) on :
How are you supposed to pronounce "calzone"? Is it not "kal-zon"?
Posted by Loren (Member # 9539) on :
"Calzone" is roughly "kahl-TSO-neh." I don't especially mind the American pronunciation, though I do remember rolling my eyes a bit the time I was corrected by a waitress.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I've always said "kahl-SZOH-neh." Close enough? (I was introduced to calzones by an Italian-American family friend. So that's how the whole family learned to say it.)
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
quote:Originally posted by EmpSquared: Flaming Toad: I'm pretty new (or been gone for a long time, I guess), so I don't know: are you French? Or are you just fluent? I guess it would depend on how you learned French to explain why it would feel unnatural. Hearing and saying "Cordon Bleu" without the accent sounds natural to me, and I took about four solid years of French.
I'm not French (I'm Arab, if you care to know), but I went to a French school from J.K. through grade 8, and took the immersion program in my high school (10 french classes in 4 years). I've grown up speaking both languages on a pretty consistent basis.
Posted by EmpSquared (Member # 10890) on :
Ah! That makes more sense to me now.
But I would still say it without the accent.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Just get the burger.
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
By the way, if you go to Burger King and order more than one Whopper Junior the plural is Whoppers Junior.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
actually since I was in Germany last... <runs off to find a German restaraunt in the area>