Lingerie

[No19]

There's an active conversation at the moment about the Minogue sisters with a link to an Agent Provocateur advertisement by Kylie - in which she says, twice, lahn-jher-ay.

I pronounce this lan-jhree and intend to keep doing so.

Am I a pedant or a fool?

[Flame]

I think I am more of a lahn jer ee

So a mix of both of ya

No idea what is right.

I prefer lin ger ee m'self

[No19]

Well I can't say I say it very often myself, would be more comfortable with underwear!

"DP, have I any dry lingerie on the line?"

[TheSlightestTeuch]

I would agree, however Kylie has had a french hunk of a man hanging around her and her lingerie for some time...

Second thoughts...maybe that's why he finished it...she just couldn't pronounce it properly

[ruddynorah]

when i first started where i work i was puzzled about the 'laundry' department people kept refering too. realised quick they meant 'lingerie.' i say lahn-ger-ay. but at work i do say more like lorn-jree. they already think i'm a bit posh or something so i just go with it. customers seem to say lorn-jree too.

[No19]

Oh yeah I completely forgot about Olivier. And they MUST have discussed it.

Surely I cannot be wrong? I will never be able to come to this corner again.

[noddyholder]

lawn jer ay

[turquoise]

Lon - jhray.

[Flame]

The more i=m repeating it i tink i am an ay

[branflake81]

I would say LON-jer-ay

[Othersideofthechannel]

Well it's a French word so the first syllable would be more like your prononciation No19. (But in French the n sound is only hinted at)

[Othersideofthechannel]

Oh and the last syllable is close to 'ee'.

[No19]

Otherside I am giving it French pron. but I suppose wondering does that make me sound like people who are off to Venezia for the weekend, or who get their car valayed. But am sure Kylie is not right.

[JackieNo]

I'm sure Kylie's wrong, and it's 'ee' on the end, not 'ay' - if it had an e with an acute accent, it would be the 'ay' sound, but it hasn't.

[MrsBadger]

oh god, I get the car valayed

should I be getting it valetted?

[onebatmother]

I understand the confusion over the 'larn' or 'lonj' but why on earth do people say 'ay' for 'ie'?

[Othersideofthechannel]

I can't help you then. I haven't heard the word pronounced in the UK or other English speaking country for a while.

[No19]

I know I was taught val-ett, never val-ay, also valetted, valetry. But that may be my uberpicky and old-fashioned family.

On the lingerie front I am disappointed! I thought there was bound to be someone who would come striding over and say confidently THIS is how it is pronounced, without a doubt.

[onebatmother]

I know how it is pronounced, without a doubt..

It's lan-jhery.

(jh) being a soft j.

The other options are people trying to be Frenchified without knowledge of the language, I think.