arsey Aussie

MegaBox   Sun Feb 25, 2007 7:49 pm GMT
I pronounce Aussie as /a:zI/, as /a:sI/ sounds like "arsey". Does anyone use a /s/ sound here? How did "Aussie" get the double "s" when a /z/ sound was intended? Maybe we should respell it "Ozzy" so people quit using that offensive pronunciation. What do you think?
Lazar   Sun Feb 25, 2007 8:08 pm GMT
I pronounce it as ["Q:zi]. I think it's just spelled "Aussie" because it's derived from "Australia".

<<Maybe we should respell it "Ozzy" so people quit using that offensive pronunciation.>>

Perhaps that would be a better spelling - Australia is often referred to as "Oz".

<<What do you think?>>

Unfortunately, a lot (maybe most) Americans use the [s] pronunciation. Dictionary.com and m-w.com both list [s] as the primary pronunciation, with [z] listed as the British or Australian version.

One time I saw this commercial for "Aussie" hair care products, and they had somebody doing a fake Australian accent, and they pronounced it with [s]. It made me cringe, because I know that Australians use [z].
'Merkan   Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:03 pm GMT
Yes, in American we pronounce it [Asi], but it can't be confused with "arsey" because "arsey" has an "r" in it. Respelling it would be a very good idea.
A furious Aussie   Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:23 am GMT
I am an Aussie. Why should we change our spelling for Americans to accomodate? Get off your lazy ass and learn something.
Little Aussie Bleeder   Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:50 am GMT
Lazy "ass", was it... as in a lazy donkey?

No problem at all. I pronounce the "ss" as a hard /s/ in Missouri.
Mike   Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:39 am GMT
Respelling it "Ozzy" just reminds me of Ozzy Osbourne but all in all, I wouldn't be particularly offended if someone called me an Aussie with an S. Granted, people speak differently (obviously) so I'll just accept the fact that some people will say Aussie without a Z, as long as there's no malice intended.

But y'know, I don't think we should change it to "Ozzy", not because of the reasons stated by A furious Aussie but just because we've grown accustomed and attached to it (during the Olympics seasons mostly), so for our sakes mainly, we're not going to change it anytime soon.

It's actually funny how foreigners pronounce Melbourne or Brisbane, I think. MelBORN and BrisBANE, har har. So yes, I personally would find it amusing if people were to say Aussie with an S.

But just wondering, I know some Southerners from America (my source being the trusty Wikipedia) find the term "Yankee" offensive, do you guys have a nickname to describe all Americans as a whole? Don't worry, that term has kind of died in my area, I haven't actually heard anyone refer to Americans as a Yank all my life. And, do the British find the term "Pom" offensive? The stupid cricket ads on TV almost always mention it. Bloody cricket, most boring thing ever.

I probably sound ignorant but I think it's strange that Aussies are proud of the term while others find their's offensive. Har har, we Aussies are probably just too slow to realise that it could be an insult on us.

My apologies if I've offended anyone, I really don't mean to, y'know, with the internet and no facial expression and tone to accompany.
Lazar   Mon Feb 26, 2007 6:50 am GMT
<<...do you guys have a nickname to describe all Americans as a whole?>>

No, I don't think there's any nickname in common use here to describe Americans.
Braz Razzoo   Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:27 pm GMT
Lazar is very diplomatic.
User   Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:32 pm GMT
>>
No, I don't think there's any nickname in common use here to describe Americans <<

I second that.
Guest   Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:46 am GMT
<<do you guys have a nickname to describe all Americans as a whole?>>

Blood thirsty, ignoyankee, fat buns,...etc,etc
Guest   Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:01 am GMT
Mike,

You said that you think it's funny how non-Australians pronounce Melbourne and Brisbane.

If they're not pronounced "Melborn" and "Brisbane," how are they pronounced?
Lazar   Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:16 am GMT
I suppose the "non-Australian" pronunciations in question would be something like ["mE5bO@`n] and ["br\IzbeIn], with the interdialectically correct forms being ["mE5b@`n] (Australian ["me5b@n]) and ["br\Izb@n].
Laurie Lawrence meets Unc   Tue Feb 27, 2007 5:51 am GMT
Arsey, Arsey, Arsey, oi oi oi !

C'mon Arsey c'mon, c'mon. C'mon Arsey c'mon.
Uriel   Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:25 am GMT
<<Yes, in American we pronounce it [Asi], but it can't be confused with "arsey" because "arsey" has an "r" in it.>>

And because "arsey" isn't a word we would ever say ... or one I've ever seen before....
Mina   Tue Feb 27, 2007 6:32 am GMT
assie or azzie
boysee or boyzee (IDAHO)
new cahstle or new caestle
chigahgo or chicawgo

there's always someone do disagree