Pronunciation of manufacturers' names

[Joe]

Personally, I'm an easy-going pedant. I can spot mistakes, and will point them out if amusing enough, but they don't bother me, which I guess is why I never wanted to be a teacher.*

Plus, of course, it's easy to get all hoity-toity about poor grammar and spelling, but scientific/technical stuff baffles me, and whilst I do reasonably well with basic arithmetic, algebra is a closed book, geometry leaves me cold, and my graphs at school were a combination of guesswork and looking over someone's shoulder and copying what they'd done.

*Possibly my favourite was a newspaper misprint, published in Private Eye many years ago. It was a report of a cycle race, in which an injured competitor bravely carried on. According to the paper 'Though he did his best, he was clearly in pain, and feeling every bum on the road'.

[Beobloke]

Yes, that's very true! So what is it then with engineers: are they otherwise intelligent people who simply failed their English exams?

As teacher would say: 'Must do better'!

Marco.

This particular engineer is the son of a retired English teacher. Poor grammar wasn't an option!

[rigger67]

Got another one :




I bought a pair of Solavox from Comet when I was about 16.
They were alright for my first pair of brand new speakers - I replaced them with the classic Mission 70s in black - but I always called them "Soll-Ah-Vox" in my head.
Since then, I've seen speakers from a company called Solarvox - obviously the same firm as the logo font was identical - so I guess I got in wrong ..

[Marco]

The term 'fora' can be used for more than one Roman meeting place. This is SUCH a commonplace use of the word, of course ). It is not correct for any other use, Marco. 'Tis written in O.E.D. stone.

Haha... Whilst I'm aware of the Roman connection [much of this stuff was drummed into me during Latin lessons in secondary school, by rather strict Catholic nuns], I'd always considered that 'fora' was a formally acceptable pluralising of the word 'forum', if as I say, a little stilted...

Marco.

[Marco]

This particular engineer is the son of a retired English teacher. Poor grammar wasn't an option!

Lol - well you get extra Brownie points for that! I'm curious though, how amongst academically educated and intelligent people, engineers often demonstrate the poorest command of English, and also possess virtually no aptitude for learning a foreign language.

I think it relates to something Joe said earlier:

Plus, of course, it's easy to get all hoity-toity about poor grammar and spelling, but scientific/technical stuff baffles me, and whilst I do reasonably well with basic arithmetic, algebra is a closed book, geometry leaves me cold...

I'm the same, so I guess it depends on how your brain works.

Curiously though, on forums [no 'fora' here, haha] it's often only those who are good at maths/technical stuff, who are credited with having any intelligence - perhaps because, as was pointed out earlier, forums are largely full of engineers (or geeky 'tech types')!!

This is often most evident on 'objectivist vs. subjectivist' hi-fi debates, where those belonging in the latter camp are never given credit by their objectivist counterparts, for being able to successfully engage the right side of their brains!

The fact is, hi-fi is just as much about art, as it is science.

Marco.

[Marco]

Here's an interesting little test:



Try it and see how you get on!

Marco.

[Mike Reed]

This particular engineer is the son of a retired English teacher. Poor grammar wasn't an option!

Wow ! Educated circuit diagrams with grammatically correct components and punctuated potentiometers. Respect !

[Beobloke]

Here's an interesting little test:

Try it and see how you get on!

Marco.

I use my left and right brain 50/50 apparently!

[walpurgis]

Here's an interesting little test:



Try it and see how you get on!

Marco.

63% left 37% right for me.

[Marco]

I use my left and right brain 50/50 apparently!

Cool... I think that shows in your approach to hi-fi

Marco.