Jagwire

[Jonathan Lighter]

Never mind the details. Are you sure he's not supposed to be an Oxford graduate who naturally picks Geico because he's so hypereducated? Consider the intended audience.

  As you know, regular guys have American accents.  ("Regular guy" in the U.S. sense.)

  And the term "Estuary English" is OFFENSIVE. You really think they live in estuaries, like fish and turtles?  Really!

  JL

Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Laurence Horn
Subject: Re: Jagwire
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At 5:58 AM -0800 1/10/08, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Britons usually say "Jag-u-ar." They also say "Antig-u-a" and "Nicarag-u-a."
>
> The "Jag-u-ar" pronouncer in a TV commercial aimed at Americans
>was undoubtedly hired to enhance the car's snob appeal.

That's been my guess, and yes, the commercial is still running.

>
> Old saying: "Everything sounds snootier with an English accent."
>
> Well, some English accents.

Illustrating the last point is the Geico gekko, whose decidedly
unsnooty Estuary English (not cockney, but far from RP) is intended
to impress us with the sense that he's a regular guy. Or as much of
a regular guy as a gecko can get.

LH

>Susan Rosine wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Susan Rosine
>Subject: Re: Jagwire
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I've only heard "Jag-wire" my entire life. Born in Colorado, raised in Wash=
>ington state, now back in Colorado. Mother from Alabama, Father from Indian=
>a. I did once, not too long ago, hear a commercial for the car, and they p=
>ronounced it Jag-You-Are. I noticed the commercial didn't run very long.=20
>SusanOn Jan 8, 2008 6:34 AM, Sam Clements wrote:> >>=
>> Subject: Jagwire> >>> Of course I'm talking about Jaguar.> >>>> >>=
>> Since I'm not a linguist, is there an explanation for the =3D> >>> misp=
>ronunciation of the word? I never encountered it until I worked =3D> >>> =
>with some people in Middle Ohio, who also happen to be undereducated(and =
>=3D> >>> coincidentally from Southern Ohio/Western Pennsylvania). Or am I=
>=3D> >>> reading too much into their family backgrounds?> >>>> >>> Anywa=
>y, is this something as simple as saying "warsh" for wash, "tarred" =3D> >>=
>> for tired? =3D20> >>>> >>> Sam Clements
>=
>
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