How to pronounce _____ ?

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Ted M
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How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Ted M » May 28th, 2017, 7:58 pm

How is Nick Trost's last name correctly pronounced?

Does it rhyme with tossed, or toast?

(I've left this thread with a subject line that invites similar questions from other folks, so the questions and answers can gradually accumulate and be found in one place.)

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Brad Jeffers » May 29th, 2017, 12:04 am

Good question.
I always thought it is this, but as Trost seems to be a name of German origin, it's probably this.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 29th, 2017, 1:18 am

Rhymes with tossed. So, Nick Trossed
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Leonard Hevia » May 29th, 2017, 12:16 pm

Which brings me to other pronunciations. Was Nate Leipzig pronounced Leep--zig? Or Lipe--zig as in light bulb?

I've always chosen the latter.

I recently found out that Piet Forton's first name is pronounced Pete--not Pee--at.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dave Le Fevre » May 29th, 2017, 1:05 pm

I know that Leipzig was Swedish, but his surname looks German. And in German, IE or EI are always pronounced as the second letter of the pair. So I'd always assumed that it was Lipe-Sig.

(That pronunciation rule doesn't appear to be well known, since many people mispronounce riesling.)

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Joe Naud
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Joe Naud » May 29th, 2017, 5:59 pm

How about Fulves?

Thanks, Joe

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 29th, 2017, 6:04 pm

Full-ves (the last syllable rhymes with yes)
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Jack Shalom
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Jack Shalom » May 29th, 2017, 6:53 pm

I just learned yesterday that Anais Nin's first name is pronounced Ahna-eeess.

(But that doesn't change my opinion of her as a magician.)

Servais Le Roy?

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dustin Stinett » May 29th, 2017, 7:59 pm

Ser-Vay, but (interestingly to me) LeRoy was Americanized: Le-Roy.
He was Belgian where they probably would have pronounced it Le-Wah.
Anyone care to tackle my last name?
I also hear Richard's being mispronounced quite often, even though his email address holds the clue.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Steve Mills » May 29th, 2017, 8:27 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:Full-ves (the last syllable rhymes with yes)


This means nothing, but I always thought his last name was a single syllable until I read one of Harry Lorayne's counter attacks in the Hierophant, I believe. I forgot how he spelled the name, but it had a "p" in it.

As I often tell my kids, it's interesting what you remember and what you don't as you age. Why did I even think of this?

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erdnasephile
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby erdnasephile » May 29th, 2017, 8:46 pm

When I was a shy teen, I went into well-known magic-shop-not-to-be-named and asked for a book by Richard "Cowf-man"

The guy behind the counter scolded me for allegedly mispronouncing RK's surname. "It's 'Cough-man'," he sneered, rolling his eyes.

I was gratified years later to find out that I was actually correct. ;)

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Leonard Hevia » May 29th, 2017, 10:53 pm

Dustin Stinett--Stin as in "spin." Spin it.

Cowf--man or Cough--man, eether or either.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 29th, 2017, 11:24 pm

No, it's Stin ett (as in yet).

As for me, remember MOOBOOKS!
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Brad Jeffers
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Brad Jeffers » May 30th, 2017, 12:55 am

How about Buatier De Kolta ?

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dustin Stinett » May 30th, 2017, 1:57 am

I've heard it pronounced (by historians) as Bow-Tee-er Dee-kohl-tah.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Ted M » May 30th, 2017, 2:27 am

Bernard Bilis:

I heard this pronounced as BILL-iss (like "Whatchoo talkin' bout, Willis?"), which surprised me.

Is it not pronounced Bih-LEE ?

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dave Le Fevre » May 30th, 2017, 5:19 am

Jack Shalom wrote:I just learned yesterday that Anais Nin's first name is pronounced Ahna-eeess.

Anais is usually written with a diaeresis over the i. Unfortunately, it's a nuisance to type such accents etc, so in these electronic days such aids to pronunciation are often lost.

(And it isn't helped by the fact that some people add such marks to their name but don't pronounce them. Motorhead add an umlaut to the second o because ..... well, I'm not sure because what.)

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Edwin Corrie » May 30th, 2017, 10:06 am

"Bernard Bill-EES" with the "s" pronounced and the stress on the last syllable in French, though we'd probably put it on the first syllable in English, as in "Paris". But "Paris" in French is "Par-EE" with a silent "s", and "Bernard" is "BEHR-nar" with a silent "d".

And Buatier de Kolta is more like "BWAH-tee-ay".

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 30th, 2017, 11:56 am

Edwin Corrie wrote:"Bernard Bill-EES" with the "s" pronounced and the stress on the last syllable in French, though we'd probably put it on the first syllable in English, as in "Paris". But "Paris" in French is "Par-EE" with a silent "s", and "Bernard" is "BEHR-nar" with a silent "d".

And Buatier de Kolta is more like "BWAH-tee-ay".



Correct.
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AJM
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby AJM » May 30th, 2017, 6:57 pm

Can anyone help?

I've often wondered how one pronounces Bob Farmer - is it FARmer, FarMER or is there a French like pronunciation involved, possibly FarMAY?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby McKitterick » May 30th, 2017, 9:34 pm

As a matter of interest my recollection is that David Letterman always introduced Andy Kaufman with the pronunciation "cowf-man". Truth be told, I thought it was an affectation of Letterman's but now realize that wasn't the case.

So as not to be accused of going off-topic by bringing Andy Kaufman into the discussion, I might add that well-known magician Orson Welles (the "e" in "Welles" is silent by the by) seems to be on the right track with his pronunciation of Kaufman although to my ear he holds back a little in his emphasis of the "ow" sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrGlWAFy1LU.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 30th, 2017, 10:32 pm

I believe it was Andy "Cough" man and Welles mispronounced it!
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Ted M
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Ted M » May 30th, 2017, 11:16 pm

Whatchoo talkin 'bout, Welles?

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » May 31st, 2017, 1:48 pm

Ted, that's a stretch. :lol:
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Inigo Montoya » May 31st, 2017, 6:58 pm

It was many years before I realized that Jos Bema was pronounced "Tommy Wonder" :-)

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Jack Shalom » May 31st, 2017, 8:08 pm

Marlo. Stress on first or second syllable?

Charlie Randall
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Charlie Randall » May 31st, 2017, 10:47 pm

Back to the original question, I've always pronounced Trost as in toast. So to hopefully clear this up, I've sent the question to an expert on the name -- Nick's wife! I'll report back on what she says.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Randy DiMarco » June 1st, 2017, 9:31 am

I also always pronounced his name like "toast". I never actually said his last name to him and even if I did he would have probably been too nice to correct me. Also, when talking to other people who knew him he was always just referred to as Nick so I can't remember ever hearing his name pronounced any other way.

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Matthew Field
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Matthew Field » June 1st, 2017, 9:34 am

I pronounce "____________" as "underline."

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby performer » June 1st, 2017, 10:24 am

I can't believe how long this thread is becoming. At this rate it will soon rival the Erdnase thread. I must say that I have noticed that people do not know how to pronounce one of my other names. McLeod. And they don't know how to spell it either. It is pronounced McLoud but not spelled that way.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Ted M » June 1st, 2017, 11:39 pm

performer wrote:I must say that I have noticed that people do not know how to pronounce one of my other names. McLeod. And they don't know how to spell it either. It is pronounced McLoud but not spelled that way.

British mentalist Colin McLeod has been educating the magic community on that point in recent years.

Looking forward to the tossed/toast ruling!

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Charlie Randall » June 2nd, 2017, 11:10 pm

From Mrs. Trost:

"the correct pronunciation for Trost does rhyme with toast. Many people pronounce it like tossed. Trost is a German surname which means "consolation" and uses the long o."

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Scott Wells
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Scott Wells » June 3rd, 2017, 11:27 am

Okay, I may as well get this one started, too: equivoque
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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 3rd, 2017, 11:45 am

Ek-wi-voke
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Dustin Stinett
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dustin Stinett » June 3rd, 2017, 12:00 pm

Eh - quiv - o - kay


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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Bill Mullins » June 3rd, 2017, 12:49 pm

So is Joe McKay pronounced mah-KAY or muh-KYE?
I always assumed the name was the former until I heard of the musician Nellie McKay, who pronounces it the latter way.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Richard Kaufman » June 3rd, 2017, 1:18 pm

It turns out that the fake French pronunciation of equivoke is a myth.

eq·ui·voque
ˈekwəvōk,ˈēkwəˌvōk/

Oxford Dictionary: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/equivoque
Here is pronounced with a long e at the beginning (but that may be the British pronunciation).
Origin
Late Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘equivocal’): from Old French equivoque or late Latin aequivocus (see equivocal).
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby jkeyes1000 » June 3rd, 2017, 2:56 pm

Always being the philosophical sort, I would ask, What do we mean by “how to pronounce?” In regard to proper names, it is only a matter of respect for how an individual utters it himself. Whereas he may have corrupted it from its original form.

To whom do we defer the authority--to persons who prefer to enunciate a certain way, or to etymologists?

Oxford dictionaries record the way English folk mangled Norman French, Richard. And Mr. Webster deliberate!y set about teaching Americans how to spell and speak distinctly from the British.

There is no authority really, other than that we choose to recognise.

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Dustin Stinett
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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dustin Stinett » June 3rd, 2017, 3:13 pm

I've lost all respect for the OED when I found out that it says "literally" can mean "figuratively."
What's next? "Very unique" is allowable?
Blechhh.

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Re: How to pronounce _____ ?

Postby Dave Le Fevre » June 3rd, 2017, 5:19 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:the fake French pronunciation of equivoke

I’d say that there’s nothing fake about pronouncing it as if it were a French word.

In French, equivoqué would be pronounced eh-kwi-vok-ay, and equivoque would be pronounced eh-kwi-vok.

There is no acute accent on the final e, and therefore it’s pronounced eh-kwi-vok. Which it is, other than by those with pretensions.

Dave


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