I often hear people say 'Can I have an expresso please' in the coffee queue. This just sounds wrong to me, and makes me angry inside, then I go home and take it out on my wife.
The question is, is 'expresso' wrong, or am I just being a pretentious middle-class knob?
yes to both
poppa - you are entirely correct and entitled to tut at them in a disparaging way
It's Espresso.
But, if you are looking for a good coffee machine on Ebay then it's worth searching for Expresso since there's a few sales as that. These sales tend to be overlooked by most more knowledgeable buyers who correctly search of an Espresso machine and you can often pick up a bargain at the expense of the seller who can't spell 🙂
As a society, I think we're too tollerant. I say let 'em have it with both barrels.
But maybe that's because I don't like coffee.
I often hear people around me talk about "somethink". I'm pretty certain they're taking about "something".
I just shake my closed hand in front of them, and tell them to smell the aroma. Always worked for Gareth Hunt.
Espresso as despite what people may think it was originally about speed not pressure.
I seem to hear a lot of people saying "pacific" instead of "specific", are they truly that ignorant?
Don't get me started on 'lar tay'.
And I'm a southerner who likes putting in an extra r or two.
Blatantly instead of patently.
i have one of these [url= http://www.lecafeshop.co.uk/coffee-makers/products/the-presso/ ]Le Presso[/url], great bit of kit !!
(i have no links with the provider just a satisfied customer, please delete if this breaks and rules or is offensive)
Ah I had a suspicion I was right, about the second part at least.
No one I know says 'somethink', I believe the correct pronunciation is 'somefink'.
Ooh ooh ooh, another one I don't like is the Australian pronunctiation of pasta:
Paaarsta!
Always worked for Gareth Hunt.
How come he's dead now then ?
1:14
(mild comic violence)
Americans saying "erbs" is my pet hate. They insist on spelling everything as it's pronounced, so why can't they pronounce 'herbs' as it's spelt?
Nice one. My pet hate is "pacific" (an ocean) in place of "specific" (not an ocean).
Although somebody winds me up on purpose pronouncing "L'Occitane" as "Locksatane" which def makes me a middle class snob.
Apparently it's a Bristol thing to randomly add the letter L to the end of words. Totally baffling...
[edit to go back on topic]
Expressol!
[/edit]
Well it depends where you are 😉
Expresso is french. Most likely the frenchisation of the italian word espresso.
So now (and that is going to really hurt me to admit) marc stands correct as the english language has imported the word from italian. It's therefore espresso.
I think you should [s]expresso[/s] espresso yourself better
I think the problem you have is queuing in a cafe to buy coffee.
Drink water or beer when out of the house during the day. Perfect espresso coffee can only be experienced at home.
Presumably using an espresso machine powered by feelings of smug self-satisfaction.
😉
And WTF is a laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaartaaaaaaaaaaaaay?
They insist on spelling everything as it's pronounced
No, they don't.
The differences in spelling date back to before there were dictionaries and therefore a definitive spelling on either side of the Atlantic. Webster came up with his dictionary in the US with what he felt was appropriate, and someone over here did the same independently.
Only the truly ignorant get sarky with Americans for differences like this, imagining things here have always been as they are now and they somehow distorted the 'real' thing.
Latte is Italian for milk, anyone care to enlighten us how the Italians pronounce it. Some where betwen Latty and Laah-tey I expect.
Pretty frigging ridiculous to argue over the correct English pronounciation of words that aren't even English anyway. As if your bastardisation of Italian is somehow more worthy than anyone else's.
Peasant!
Pheasant!
laaaaaartay + 1
Grrrr...
As if your bastardisation of Italian is somehow more worthy than anyone else's.
Eh? It's the bastardisation I'm complaining about. 🙄
Not getting sarky with anyone. You certainly seem to have your panties in a bunch though. Must be difficult being surrounded by the 'truly ignorant'. [u]That[/u] was sarky by the way.
okay, now i would like to check the work 'schedule' before the next meeting with my boss
is it pronunced 'shed-ule' or 'sked-ule'?
i use shed-ule, maybe i should start using the word timetable instead...
ASK not axe. "I'll just axe that bloke." That's a bit extreme is it not? Just question him a bit.
Shed-ule imo CP
ASK not axe
Or even wore arksk - it's more difficult to say than ask FFS 😈
As for lartay - makes me want to kill a kitten.
Worst of the local ones here is breakfastses for the plural of breakfast.
I often hear people say 'Can I have an expresso please'
Of course that's wrong, it's "can I get a skinny latte [s]please[/s]?"
Expresso is french. Most likely the frenchisation of the italian word espresso.
And in France you can be super-pretentious and ask for "un express".
Which is beside the point for me, as my morning coffee is served by
[img] 
[/img]
and I can barely speak, never mind specify what coffee I want.
for blutac, not as pretty mind:
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroPress ]aeropress[/url]
@ speechless DrJ - not surprised mate; that's a LOT of make up !
People who can't pronounce [i]"Beaujolais"[/i] make my ****ing blood boil.
WTF are they doing drinking French wine when they can't even speak French.
ristretto is where it's at
espresso is for lazies
As long as you get a small strong cup of coffee does it really matter?
I tend to say "sommat" instead of "something". I know I'm doing it.
Espresso.
BTW this is a very useful website for the [s]pedantic git[/s] exacting writer: [url= http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html ]Common Errors in English - Online[/url]
Are we getting all uppity about regional dialects?
Lartey? Lat tey? Car sell/Cassle (castle)? GrASS/GrARSE.
i say something, gimme, and i'm sure many other things that would make plenty here cringe. i don't care. i can correct myself fanks.
however, aluminum (pronounced the uk way but missing the second i) boils my urine, as does brought/bought, pacific is a bit annoying.
it all smacks a bit of 'but, but, you are wrong, i had an education, i know'
parliament is another.
see, i'm doing it now.
can I get a scone with my latte ?
proper modern shibboleth, that
S's all the way: the only words in Italian with an 'x' in them are foreign imported ones like taxi. Same goes for j,(despite juventus), k, y and w if i remember rightly.
What if you want French coffee?
You could ask for 'un petit café'? 😆
Seriously though, when i lived there, in [url= http://www.argeles-pyrenees.com/hotel-fleurs.html ]my local café/bar[/url] you got an espresso if you asked for 'un café' and you had to get specific if you wanted anthing bigger, browner or frothier.
can I get a scone with my latte ?proper modern shibboleth, that
Loving that I'm not the only person on the planet who knows what shibboleth means.
scaredypants - Member
I often hear people say 'Can I have an expresso please'
Of course that's wrong, it's "can I get a skinny latte please?"
Not to be facetious but shouldn't it be "Please may I have a skinny Latte"
The whole 'Can I get...?' drives me mad enough before we even get to the expresso/laaartey part.
You are not in an episode of Friends circa 1997!
Are you actually asking if you can climb over the counter and make yourself a coffee? No!
Not to be facetious but shouldn't it be "Please may I have a skinny Latte"
Or, "White coffee with skimmed milk please"
Not to be facetious but shouldn't it be "Please may I have a skinny Latte"
That was the point, wasn't it? - that to be authentically American you need to be very ill-mannered and never, ever say "please".
Or, "White coffee with skimmed milk please"
Surely that is an Americano with milk?
Latte is generally an espresso and a cup full of steamed milk.
Must be difficult being surrounded by the 'truly ignorant'
Tell me about it. I struggle every day. 😉
Geoff, I was complaining about people complaining about latte, not the original post.
Re aluminium, that spelling was originally offical as of 1990 but they now also accept aluminum. The original name for it was aluminum (in keeping with nomenclature of the time) (actually aluminia at first according to wiki) but then it was changed to aluminium to match all the other -ium elements being discovered.
So there. Aluminum is older than aluminium and is actually more original and authentic. So as snobby arsed STWers you should all be worshipping it as 'better'.
The Italians dont call it Espresso... it is just cafe!
Seriously though, when i lived there, in my local café/bar you got an espresso if you asked for 'un café' and you had to get specific if you wanted anthing bigger, browner or frothier.
Well I can't see where the problem lies 😉
As far as I can tell these are the lists of coffee i have seen ordered inmmy local Gallo Nero!!
Cafe - espresso
cafe lungo - my fav a slightly longer/larger espresso
cafe correto - for when I require an extra kick - with Grappa!
Then there is machiato with a little frothy milk, cappucho is what the Italains here call cappucino, then there is senza schuma (no froth) americano, l'inglese and a few mmore variations I cant remember
GrahamS - Member
Or, "White coffee with skimmed milk please"
Surely that is an Americano with milk?Latte is generally an espresso and a cup full of steamed milk.
AKA an old persons "milky coffee" favoured by elderly brummies!!
can I get a scone with my latte ?
Is that scone as in 'gone'?
Or scone as in 'cone'?
in the uk it's expresso - something like espresso but not quite right
curious how people get uppity about the mispronunciation of a foreign word like 'espresso', but if you pronounce a foreign placename authentically (pa-ree? milano?) you're a pretentious twunt.
😉
Is that scone as in 'gone'?
Or scone as in 'cone'?
Either. A concept seemingly alien to most STWers 🙂
(sent from München)
Thing is Bob, "Paris" is the English for "Paree", and scattering foreign words into your everyday English [i]is[/i] pretentious. "Expresso" is not a word in the English language, so using it just makes you look a bit silly. Unless you're using the word because it's how the French/Spanish pronounce it, in which case you're being pretentious. 😀
Here in Malaga it's a bit different…
[url= http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2619/3868749082_ee6f8ac338.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/19547713@N05/3868749082/ ]Malaga's coffee measurement system + Tipos de café en Málaga[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/19547713@N05/ ]She-Noir[/url], on Flickr
You think the brits are bad with other languages. The Spanish have no idea of how to pronounce anything in English. Even european shops (FNAC, the national bookseller*) is ALWAYS pronounced eefnac. Drives me bonkers.
Props to supinerider for the video: brilliant!
*yes I know it is French
I heard somebody on Radio5 the other day pronouncing Munich with a German accent so he would sound proper.
I can't decide if he was being a pillock or if people in Munchen actually call it Munich.
Is that scone as in 'gone'?
Or scone as in 'cone'?
It's the former. Ask a chef if you don't believe me.
Another often mispronounced word which comes to mind is "speccies".
Incorrectly pronounced "spee-shees" when the correct way is "spee-sees".
It's amazing how many get that wrong, but hey, language evolves over time and so there is in the end no right or wrong. If enough people get it wrong, it becomes right!
Take "tenter hooks" for example, often replaced with the word "tender hooks". No such thing as tender hooks, but tenter hooks were attached to wooden frames to help dry out fabrics etc to prevent shrinkage. Eventually this word got used as a way of conveying a sense of dicomfort, or anxiety.
What does "speccies" mean? Does it have anything to do with "species"?
Thing is Bob, "Paris" is the English for "Paree", and scattering foreign words into your everyday English is pretentious.
What he said. What next - shall we talk about the southern Swedish town of "Yertebory", or the Danish capital "Kerbenhawn" ? Holiday in Squipera, or whatever TF Albania is called in Albanian?
a sense of dicomfort
I'll bear that in mind next time I'm suffering from an uncomfortable willy
What does "speccies" mean
It used to mean about the same as "four eyes"
Laah-tey according to my Italian work mate.
He pronounces it eXpresso too, and I've heard it often enough to be certain 🙂
Sponge - I think your argument is specious.
He pronounces it eXpresso too, and I've heard it often enough to be certain
Yeah, but when in Rome etc.
What does "speccies" mean?
[img] 
[/img]
Swedish town of "Yertebory",
I've been to Gothenburg, I think it was near there. 😕
Brassneck-
Your Italian mate shouldn't be pronouncing Xs at all they dont exist in the italian alphabet. Having heard my father try to say the word 'axe' many times.....comical.....He just cant do it.
The pronunciation is eSpresso with an ESS sound...nuff said
Cant believe this thread has gone on so long....
Ho detto abbastanza!
ASK not axe. "I'll just axe that bloke."
Er, that's all because of Chaucer, innit.
(Or, for the hard of thinking "ask" and "aks" were once, in essence, interchangeable. but don't let the subtleties of etymology get in the way of petty racism.)
+1. Arguing about the true pronunciation of English words is clearly ridiculous 🙂
I'll have an espresso, and make it snappy!
Subito!
Yup - tender hooks - absloutely blood boiler
as is
'would of' instead of 'would have' even when writing it down
Marin_maketh_the_man - I'm looking at you fool 🙂
He's Milanese, don't know if it makes a difference. I'd always thought it was es ..
May be related to him single handedly keeping Philip Morris running, every other hour is a break, every break is a ciggy and [s]es.. ex..[/s] coffee 🙂
...and then there's the folk who pronounce Abu Dhabi as though the last bit is a place in the Midlands...
...what do they teach them nowadays... 🙄