Pronunciation of "Zdravstvyuitye"

[William Ryan]

Two nice examples - and no, pace one earlier message, this should not be 
seen as an assault on the noble and pure English language.

(However, pedantry and pedagogical instinct compel me to note boxwood is 
not just a bush (strictly just 'box')- some species can be substantial 
trees, and the wood is, as your guide indicated, prized by cabinet 
makers and wood carvers. I have a chess set made from it.)

Will Ryan


Nathan Longan wrote:
> Emily,
> Сенька бери мяч
> otherwise pronounced "Thank you very much."
>
> As for funny pronunciation coincidences, how about the Russian word for
> "boxwood"?  That made for one of the funniest English language excursions
> ever.  The young guide couldn't remember the name of the wood that a certain
> piece of furniture was made from so she just stuck the Russian word in,
> hoping that it might fit.  It certainly fit, but not the way she thought it
> would:
>
> "Here we have an excellent example of a cabinet from a French workshop of
> the 18th century.  The cabinet and all the details were painstakingly carved
> from..., carved from ..., they were carved from, from, from ... самшит, for
> a beautiful effect."
>
> Well, the effect was indeed spectacular, and everyone learned (later) how to
> say "boxwood" in Russian.  Boxwood (buxus) is just a bush so I'm not sure
> how they actually built a cabinet from it, but it definitely livened up the
> excursion.
>
> NL
>
>   
>

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