Hahaha, I've actually heard someone call it that before, but I thought they were just kidding around. Good to know.
What about time Yes lead singer Benoit David? Does he have dyslexia? Does he come from a country where they drive on the other side of the road? Is he from Dez Moynes, iowa? Inquiring minds want to know!
The one thing that puzzles me is how come Americans pronounce the French name Claude....as "clod" and not the correct pronunciation " k-low-d"....?????
I learned how to properly pronounce "Benoit" early in life because my 5th grade summer school teacher was Richard Benoit.
One of the many wildlife critters who inhabit my property or visit here regularly leave gratiot in various places around my property. Is suspect it is the racoons. I remember in the past, in a bad attempt at humor, saying that it would be interesting if Benoit was a first name as well, and given to someone whose last name was Bawls. My wife, who in my youth was quite entertained by my sense of humor, now merely rolls her eyes.
Old post I know but hilarious if true. My friend's ex-wife knew a girl (might've even worked with, I can't recall) who's surname was Assman, but it was pronounced "Oz-mahn". I always though..."uh, nice try ass-man". No way you could ever get away from that! I'd have to have my name legally changed. Other worst surname of all time... My dad is a physician but no longer practices medicine. Back in the 80s he had a drug rep whose last name was F.A. Double G. (spelled out this way so as to not offend). We held on to that business card for years. Another name I'd definitely would've had to have changed if it were mine!
My favorite Americanization of French is Faneuil Hall in Boston (rhymes with "Daniel" not "dan-OO-ee" as I expected)...not that we in Toronto are in any position to criticize, since we have a neighborhood called Roncesvalles (pronounced RON-siz-vales). I don't even know how the French would pronounce that, despite 10 years of French training. (G)ron-say-VAL, maybe?
The blues singer is Tab Ben-wah. The town NW of me with a radio station that still plays stuff like Barbra Streisand and the theme from The Rockford Files is Beh-noyt, KS.
It's actually not "Ben-wah" but rather "be-nwah" as the emphasis is on the wrong part of the name otherwise. The first syllable is pronounced the same as the "de" in "denial" but replace the "d" with a "b". "be-nwah"
I saw an X one time and it said the great Taylor Swift, who’s from Reading, pronounces it as if referring to a book, as well. Probably not true, lol.
