posted
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!
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posted
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."
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
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."
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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.
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posted
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.
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posted
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.
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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?
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posted
I'd also recommend against pronouncing "sauerkraut" with the accurate German accent. It gets messy.
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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.
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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...
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posted
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. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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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.
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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>
Posts: 1038 | Registered: Feb 2006
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"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.
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posted
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.)
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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.
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posted
By the way, if you go to Burger King and order more than one Whopper Junior the plural is Whoppers Junior.
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actually since I was in Germany last... <runs off to find a German restaraunt in the area>
