"Clique": kleek? klick?

[Laurence Horn]

>hey!  Just a couple weeks ago I was quite teased while my husband
>(also a Scotsman, hmmm) was trying to teach me the proper
>pronunciation when I was talking about 'this nitch' or 'that nitch'.
>
>Patty

Curiously, despite my previous linkage of my "kleek" pronunciation to
my having been a French major, I render "niche" as in "nitch".  Hmmm;
I guess this one is a naturalized citizen for me.   Or maybe it's a
macho thing: real men don't say "neesh".

Larry

>
>At 08:15 PM 12/31/05, you wrote:
>>On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 22:36:52 -0500, Douglas G. Wilson typed:
>>
>>>  >I learned "clique" through reading and assumed that it was
>>>  >pronounced "kleek." When I got to high school,
>>>  >I found "clique" to be in common use among black high-school kids
>>>  >with the pronunciation, "klick." ....
>>>
>>>  I've wondered about this too. But I've heard both pronunciations: I
>>>  only wonder why "kleek" doesn't seem to predominate.
>>>
>>>  I have the vague impression that I heard the "kleek" pronunciation
>>>  more often 40 years ago than I do now.
>>
>>I'm reminded of an exchange I heard a month or two ago on a podcast
>>from an international digital media convention somewhere in
>>California. The first speaker ("Californian born and bred", white)
>>talked about filling a "niche" or reaching a "niche audience". He
>>pronounced the word, several times, rhyming with "snitch" or
>>"bitch" ([nItS]). Another speaker (Scottish, from Glasgow) entered
>>the conversation, but pronounced it [ni:S], then corrected himself
>>with the words "or 'nitch', as you guys say it".
>>
>>Happy New Year!
>>
>>Chris Waigl