"The [attempted] coupe [against Apple] is over."

[Damien Hall]

Wilson asked:

>Is anyone else old enough to remember when
>"coup=E9" / "coupe" was still pronounced "coo-pay"
>and no one confused it with "coup" in spelling?

A few people replied that they were, and Abby added:

>Yes. I also remember when a Renault was a ren-alt, not a ren-oh.

In British English the car is still always a "koo-pay", though the stress may or
may not be final.  And Renaults are still "ren-oh"s, though the stress is always
initial.  Similarly, though it may not ring any bells with Americans, the French
car Peugeot /poezho/ is "p at -zho", stress-initial.  I have never heard "p at -zhot"
(or "ren-alt", come to that).

Damien Hall
University of Pennsylvania

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