Friday, March 05, 2004
NOTE TO HOME-DECORATING TYPES ON TV: I appreciate that you know enough about the French language to realize that many letters that aren't silent in English are silent in French. I applaud you for the effort.
But armoire is pronounced armoire, not "armwah" or "amwah" or "ahwah" or "aaaaaaah." Note the trailing e. Armoir would be "armwah," but armoire is, for all practical purposes, "armwar."
The same principle explains why you shouldn't call a woman "Francois." And why it's "coo" yes, "grah" no in coup de grace.
But armoire is pronounced armoire, not "armwah" or "amwah" or "ahwah" or "aaaaaaah." Note the trailing e. Armoir would be "armwah," but armoire is, for all practical purposes, "armwar."
The same principle explains why you shouldn't call a woman "Francois." And why it's "coo" yes, "grah" no in coup de grace.
