The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » The Worst News Mispronunciation Yet

RadioActive · May 11, 2025 10:25 am

We've had several threads here about the lack of knowledge from some current news folks as they mangle names of streets, places and other things they should probably know. But very early Sunday morning, I heard one that simply defies description.

It happened on Kitchener's 570 News of all places, and I only heard it because the dog woke me up at 4:55 AM. When I couldn't get back to sleep, I do what I often do - turn on the radio. They simulcast the Infinity Sports feed with the Fan590, but there's a brief two minute break where an anchor comes on and does a very quick review of the headlines.

This woman, whose name I was far too sleepy to catch, came on and ran down the top stories. She had a very bizarre accent that I couldn't quite pin down, and she badly mangled a lot of the copy she read. But the one that stood out to me came when she talked about the Ukraine-Russia truce talks and referred to the president of Russia as - and I'm not making this up - Vladimir Poutine.

Yes, Poutine, the Quebec food made up of cheese curds, French fries and gravy. I don't know what Vlad the Impaler (or his food taster) eats, but I'm assuming it's not that - and in either event, that is not his last name.

Fortunately, it was very early on a weekend morning, so I'm assuming no one but me even heard it. But this has to be one of the worst ones yet.

RadioActive · May 11, 2025 10:35 am

I wonder if this Poutine came with Russian dressing?

Binson Echorec · May 11, 2025 11:22 am

Ouch.

With the recent news surrounding Rome, I was surprised to hear a 680News weekender refer to the upcoming "puh-PAWL" conclave.

Easily Amused · May 11, 2025 11:57 am

Binson Echorec wrote:
Ouch.

With the recent news surrounding Rome, I was surprised to hear a 680News weekender refer to the upcoming "puh-PAWL" conclave.

The newsreader had just finished binge watching multiple seasons of 'RuPaul's Drag Race'? 🤔😁

Capricasix · May 11, 2025 4:06 pm

RadioActive wrote:
We've had several threads here about the lack of knowledge from some current news folks as they mangle names of streets, places and other things they should probably know. But very early Sunday morning, I heard one that simply defies description.

It happened on Kitchener's 570 News of all places, and I only heard it because the dog woke me up at 4:55 AM. When I couldn't get back to sleep, I do what I often do - turn on the radio. They simulcast the Infinity Sports feed with the Fan590, but there's a brief two minute break where an anchor comes on and does a very quick review of the headlines.

This woman, whose name I was far too sleepy to catch, came on and ran down the top stories. She had a very bizarre accent that I couldn't quite pin down, and she badly mangled a lot of the copy she read. But the one that stood out to me came when she talked about the Ukraine-Russia truce talks and referred to the president of Russia as - and I'm not making this up - Vladimir Poutine.

Yes, Poutine, the Quebec food made up of cheese curds, French fries and gravy. I don't know what Vlad the Impaler (or his food taster) eats, but I'm assuming it's not that - and in either event, that is not his last name.

Fortunately, it was very early on a weekend morning, so I'm assuming no one but me even heard it. But this has to be one of the worst ones yet.

Poutine is the French spelling and pronunciation of Putin. Other languages probably spell and pronounce the name in a similar way.

RadioActive · May 11, 2025 4:14 pm

I have never heard that before and I have trouble believing it's true. But benefit of the doubt, say you're correct.

Either way, she was not on a station in France or Quebec and that is not how it's pronounced here. Vladimir Poutine is wrong on an English radio station. It's that simple and since she's working for an all news station, she should know that.

Hansa · May 11, 2025 4:45 pm

Apparently, in the early 90s Gallup Canada had the bright idea of contracting out its calling to an American call centre. In the lead up to the 1993 election, baffled Canadians got calls from people with Southern American accents asking if they'd be voting for Gene Cretin. Gallup disappeared from the Canadian scene shortly after.

newsguy1 · May 11, 2025 5:57 pm

Technically she is not wrong.
In the Cyrillic alphabet Putin's name would be pronounced Poo-tyeen.
Which actually sounds very much like our potatoes and cheese dish poutine.
What we see as a backwards N in Russian is pronounced EE or YEE.

Dial Twister · May 11, 2025 6:01 pm

If we're going for accuracy, why not call him Dictator Poutine, which is exactly who and what he is?

Capricasix · May 11, 2025 6:09 pm

RadioActive wrote:
I have never heard that before and I have trouble believing it's true. But benefit of the doubt, say you're correct.

I am correct.

newsguy1 · May 11, 2025 6:10 pm

Dick Tater would be a great radio name.

RadioActive · May 11, 2025 7:06 pm

Capricasix wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
I have never heard that before and I have trouble believing it's true. But benefit of the doubt, say you're correct.
I am correct.

OK, I'll take your word for it. But my point stands - she's not on a French radio station and that isn't the way we say it on this side of the pond. The fact it's the name of a popular Quebec food just makes it more surreal.

Shorty Wave · Yesterday 6:51 am

Sorry, no excuses. English radio broadcasts should use english pronunciations, regardless how a word is spelt in another language, which shouldn’t even be a factor here, jeez!

Easily Amused · Yesterday 8:38 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
Sorry, no excuses. English radio broadcasts should use english pronunciations, regardless how a word is spelt in another language, which shouldn’t even be a factor here, jeez!

As a related thought to this, I have always listened for foreign or ethnic broadcasts, where the speaker is rattling away in the foreign language, then drops a flawless pronunciation of a person or location in English. 😁

Ida Spencer · Yesterday 11:20 am

RadioActive wrote:
I wonder if this Poutine came with Russian dressing?

As seen outside a Hamilton restaurant last August (P.S. - It's still there)

Binson Echorec · Yesterday 11:51 am

Easily Amused wrote:
Shorty Wave wrote:
Sorry, no excuses. English radio broadcasts should use english pronunciations, regardless how a word is spelt in another language, which shouldn’t even be a factor here, jeez!
As a related thought to this, I have always listened for foreign or ethnic broadcasts, where the speaker is rattling away in the foreign language, then drops a flawless pronunciation of a person or location in English. 😁

I'm of two minds on this - while the anglicization of words is nigh impossible to avoid, "foreign" names and places should be kept as close as possible to the native language of origin.

Two recent examples: Jagmeet Singh and Kiev.

While I wish he'd done so much earlier in his career, when former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh finally made us aware that his name is pronounced "Jug-meet", I personally had no problem making the switch. Since then and throughout the recent election, I've heard an equal mix of "Jag" and "Jug" depending on the anchor or pundit - mainly because "Jag" has long seeped into the collective consciousness.

Conversely, until the recent incursion in Ukraine, most of us pronounced the capital as "Key-ev". It wasn't until the war began that we learned that it is natively pronounced as "Keev". I still hear a mix of both but "Keev" is certainly more prevalent.

Both "Jug-meet" and "Keev" sound more accurate and respectful to me. Would switching from "poo-tin" to "poo-teen" be more accurate and respectful? Probably, but it's not going to happen.

RadioActive · Yesterday 12:06 pm

Here's another one I've heard a lot lately. Technically, it isn't wrong, but it sounds so odd, it could almost be considered an error in my mind.

With the hockey playoffs underway, I'm constantly hearing some newsreaders (especially with the Canadian Press, who should know better) give an update of something like, "The current score is one-to-zero."

There's technically nothing wrong with that per se, but everyone I've ever heard who knows anything about sports would say "one-to-nothing." No one I've really ever heard says "zero" in giving a score. If the other side doesn't score, "nothing" is the term that's always used.

The other way just sounds odd and points out to me that the person delivering the line knows 'zero' (you should pardon the expression) about sports.

Binson Echorec · Yesterday 12:25 pm

^Technically, it should be "one-nothing", no "to", though I've heard what you're referencing. I've also heard this gem: "Blue Jays lose two to four".