Some words are just fun to say, aren't they? Words like "serendipity" or "jaguar" (pronounced the British way, which adds a syllable - Jag-you-are). Some word combinations sound like something else and if you have a punnish sort of brain, you'll immediately think of the alternate meaning. For instance, you're in a prayer group and the leader says, "Let us pray". In a split second I see a head of lettuce in my mind's eye and the words look like this in my head, "Lettuce pray". And I absolutely LOVE the name of those huge orange industrial machines that you see on the road every now and then - Asplundh. Aaahs-ploond!!
like a German sneeze. Every time I see one of these vehicles I HAVE to say the name out loud. Several times. Yes - I'm weird. I know.
like a German sneeze. Every time I see one of these vehicles I HAVE to say the name out loud. Several times. Yes - I'm weird. I know.
One of my all time favorite word "treats" is the names, past and present, of most UN leaders. These names, many of them, are just SO fun to say, so musical.
The first one is pretty normal in an English way, so no fun there - Gladwyn Jebb, although the name ,"Jebb" brings to mind Jed Clampett (I know Jed is not exactly the same as Jebb, but it sounds similar). "Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jebb, poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed".......
The next name? I have no idea how to pronounce it. Trygve Lie. It looks like it might be fun, though. Since both Mr. Jebb and Mr. Lie are from the late 40's to early 50's I did not hear their names repeated on the news (I was born in 1956), so I have formed no attachment to their sound. Hnmmmmm - Trig Vee Lie (or Lee??). That definitely has great promise, if that's how the first name is pronounced. The last name could sound like either Lee or Lie and it would still be cool. I think TrigVee Lee is going to be a new fun name to pronounce for me.
Dag Hammarskjold. Hammarski-old. Dag. It's ok, but it doesn't light my word spark. The "skjold" part makes me want to yodel a little.
U Thant. NOW we're getting somewhere. "Hi, what's your name?" "U". "No - not me, I'm asking YOU what your name is" "U".
Yeah - I love that one.
Kurt Waldheim. Boring. German with possible shadows of Nazi Germany over it. Wald means "woods" in German. I don't know what "heim" means, but it's unattractive sounding. Many German words are silly sounding, like a run-on word. For example - "Schutzstaffel", which was the full word for the feared "SS". "SS" is evil sounding...."Schutzstaffel" sounds like a German dessert. Blitzkrieg sounds like what it is - powerful, awful, frightening. How about the full word for Nazi? Nationalsozialistische. Nazi sounds scary. Nationalsozialistische sounds spitty, like there is spray when this word is spoken (and there may have been, who knows?).
Javier Perez de Cuellar. Totally normal. Lovely name, Spanish and very musical, but no fun whatever.
My all time favorite - Boutros Boutros-Ghali. You think I'm weird? Wait until you hear this. One of my 10,000 nicknames for my cat Squeebles is "Boutros Boutros Ghali". Why? I have no idea. I like to make songs out of my cat's names and nicknames, so this particular nickname for Squeebles goes like "Boutros (2 low notes the same) Boutros (2 same notes one step up) Ghali (the "gha" part is one step up and the "li" part is one octave and one step up - I'm NOT singing this for this post). Then the song ends with "golly golly gee, golly golly gee" - use your imagination for how it sounds. Note to self - need to get a music program for my computer that will allow me to insert simple tunes into my blog posts.
One time, years ago, before my present husband (who is equally nutty) and I were married, but dating, I thought he was on the phone when it rang. I picked it up and said, "Boutros Boutros Ghali" and the person on the other end made a funny noise, stuttered and said my name tentatively and fearfully, like he'd dialed the insane asylum by accident. I was extremely embarrassed and proceeded to try to explain my nuttiness. It did not go well.
Then there's Kofi Annan. Lots of coffee jokes there.
And now (drumroll) - Ban Ki-moon. "By the light......of the Ban Ki-moon" "I want to spoon", etc. etc.
I've just begun to play with this name, so that's all I've come up with so far, but it is DEFINITELY fun to say.
And that, my friends, is all for today. (Oh - I meant no disrespect for any of the above named gentlemen).
4 comments:
I'm deeply offended and may I say, even miffed that you would insult these fine past and present members of the most wonderful mankind saving organization ever created, the United Nations!!!
Plus you made musical songs out of their names, which is strictly prohibited by my backward religion. I must now hunt you down and tickle your left foot until you scream "Uncle!"
(And not "Man from Uncle".
RaKanitwitpokemon
How did you make your name a link to the UN.org site?? Very clever. UNCLE!!!!
I am so grieviously insulted by the your TOTAL lack of respect for these POOR men. You know we all don't have names like John or Sue. How would YOU like it if every time you had to answer the phone or give your name people would LAUGH and think you were making a joke. Hello,
lelemannihauhau here . . . . . .
and tell the guy above that if he is offended, he surpassed being miffed . . . .rather he should have been miffed first, growing into offended . . . . .
If my name were "lelemannihauhau" I would say it all the time until everyone ELSE yelled, "Uncle!"...
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