We were watching The Billy Joel documentary in HBO, and he used the word assuage.
“Ah – swAHJ” he said.
I thought, “Uh, that’s not right. I say ‘Ah – swAYJ’ and so does Alanis.” (Verse 3, Not All Me 1m 25s)
Dictionary stands with Billy J. Not even an alternate. Alanis and me! I forgot how to read long vowels vs short.
Happily for me, I have never opened my mouth to say assuage.
6 responses to “TWIL: THAT I KNOW How to pronounce assuage”
You Are Correct.
However, I can never remember how to pronounce “sycophant” and “ephemeral.” There is great need to use the word “sycophant” these days. And I hope that some things I am seeing in the world these days are ephemeral but I am not assuaged easily on that point.
CHM – so today I learned there is no word spelled “synchophant” and that I have been pronouncing it incorrectly with the N forever.
(I also thought sycophant had an “n” early in the word. Oops.)
(see, your blog is Educational!)
KC -Common Household Mom schools us all.
I started watching this last weekend and OMG.i (everyone?) knew his songs were based on his life, but to see the back stories is just amazing! Just the Way You Are came out when I was in seventh grade and it’s been one of my top favorite songs ever since. It was so cool to hear Paul McCartney say “when people ask if there was a song I wish I had written it was just the way you are” . It’s just so amazing. They’ve done a great job!
Lisa – We went to see him when he toured with Elton John, a person notable for songs that someone else wrote about his own life. Bernie Taupin should be the household name, not Elton John. I wonder if they ever butted heads about that.
I was surprised ro hear he was ever not a star. I remember when Captain Jack came out. And Piano Man was a disappointment? He wasn’t famous after that? Not the way I remember it.
It was sad to see the cycle of marry, drink, divorce, marry, drink, divorce, marry. Well, sad for the wives, seems pretty great for him.