Perhaps one of the most difficult things for both native and non-native speakers of English to get right is the pronunciations of someone’s last name.  English spelling, as you know, is not always easy to match to a pronunciation.  The problem is even more acute (serious) in the United States, where there are people who come from all over the globe (world) and who bring their own non-English names.

The rule in the United States is that (usually) you can pronounce your name however you’d like, even if it doesn’t seem to “match” the spelling.  This is very different from other countries and languages, where the rules for pronunciation leave little room for variation.  But in the US, perhaps because of our individualist spirit, you can pronounce your name however you want to.  In fact, sometimes people in the same family pronounce their common last names differently!  (I know a couple of cases of this.)  There is no “right” or “wrong” way to pronounce most last names, although of course there are more common and less common ways.  The differences can be with the vowels, the consonants, and/or the syllable(s) stressed.

Differences in pronunciation can also depend on the person you are talking to, and if you are talking in English or another language.  One professor in Florida found that many of his students had dual (two) pronunciations: one version for their family (often in their home language), and another anglicized (made to sound like English) version for school and work.  You will often see the pronunciation of unusual last names given in newspaper articles, especially if it does not seem to follow the expected pronunciation pattern.

You really can’t be completely sure how a name is pronounced unless you talk to the person who uses it – especially for last or family names.  Unfortunately, there are more than six million different last names in the United States, so it is unlikely you will be able to get all of them correct!  Don’t worry about making mistakes, however.  Even native speakers make mistakes about last names and place names (streets, cities, etc.).  When I first moved to Los Angeles almost 20 years ago, I pronounced the name of a famous street here, Wilshire Boulevard, “WILL-shy-er,” with the last syllable having a long “i” as in “tie” or “pie.”  But someone corrected me and said, no, it is pronounced “WILL-shur,” with the last syllable sounding like “sure.”  There is no rule that can help you with that sort of problem.  You just need to hear it.

Fortunately, there are now websites that will help you pronounce difficult last names and place names in English, and even let you listen to the correct pronunciation.  One is called PronounceNames.com, which is organized by a woman from India who had difficulty pronouncing place names when she first moved to the United States several years ago.   You can go to the site and look up words, although their database is not complete. You can also add pronunciations of names that you know how to say.  (I just added “Wilshire” for all the other people who come to LA and get it wrong!)

Even when you think you have figured out a “rule” for certain names, sometimes you will still be wrong.  For example, here in California, there are many place names that are from Spanish, such as Los Angeles, San Jose, San Pedro, etc.   We “anglicize” the pronunciation of many of these, but not all.  “Los Angeles” is anglicized (the “g” is soft instead of hard, as it is in Spanish), but “San Jose” is not (the “j” is hard, not soft as it could be in English).  San Pedro is pronounced “San PEE-dro” and not “San PEH-dro” as it is in Spanish.  All very confusing, I know.

~Jeff

P.S.  So how do you pronounce “Teixeira,” which is the name of a famous baseball player in the United States (first name: Mark)?  Teh-SHARE-uh.  Now you can impress your friends.

QUESTION:
Hyun in Korea wants to know what “hanky panky” means.

ANSWER:
Hanky panky is used in two major ways. First,  “hanky panky” is used to describe a secret sexual relationship that is against the rules or that is not generally acceptable, perhaps because the two people involved are married to other people, or they work in a company that does not allow its employees to be romantically involved.  If you suspect something is going on, you migh say, “I think there is some hanky panky going on between those two.”

A second way it is used is to describe improper or bad behavior, often something that is done secretly so other people, such as those in authority (with power), don’t know about it.  It’s usually something that is bad or wrong, but that is not too major or important.  For example, your mother packs (puts into one container) you a lunch with healthy foods, but you trade (give something in exchange for something else) your carrots for someone else’s candy.  One day, you return home and your mother sees a candy wrapper (paper that candy is packaged in) in your lunchbox.  She may say, “I think there’s some hanky panky going on here.”

There is also a very well known oldie (old, classic song) that mentions “hanky panky.”  I’ll let you decide which meaning the song is referring to.

~ Lucy

My Baby Does the Hanky Panky (1963)
by Tommy James and the Shondells

My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky!

My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky!

I saw her walking on down the line.
You know I saw her for the very first time.
A pretty little girl standing all alone.
Hey baby, can I take you home?
I never saw her, never really saw her.

My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky!

I saw her walking on down the line.
You know I saw her for the very first time.
A pretty little girl standing all alone.
Hey baby, can I take you home?
I never saw her, never really saw her.

My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky!

My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky,
My baby does the hanky panky…

Each year, the University of California, Los Angeles (more popularly known as “UCLA”) does a poll or survey of college students about many different topics, trying to understand their opinions and habits.  This year UCLA interviewed more than 240,000 freshman students from 340 colleges and universities.  A freshman is someone in their first year of college (usually age 18 or 19). (A second-year student is a sophomore, a third-year student is a junior, and a fourth- or final-year student is a senior.)  Below are the percentages of students who said they “agree strongly” or “somewhat” with the following statements (sentences), according to a story about the survey in the New York Times.  To agree strongly means to agree very much, to agree completely; to agree somewhat means that you agree, but are perhaps not 100% in agreement.

• 79%: Through hard work, anyone can succeed in American society.
• 67%: Only volunteers should serve (be soldiers) in the military (army, navy, armed forces).
• 66%: Same-sex (gay or lesbian) couples should have a legal right to marry.
• 60%: The wealthy (rich) should pay a larger share (percentage, amount) of taxes than they do now.
• 41%: Marijuana should be legalized (made legal).
• 20%: Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America.

Most of these results are not too surprising.  Young Americans still believe in the “American Dream” – that anyone can be successful if they work hard enough.  They don’t want to be forced into the army but prefer volunteers to be part of the armed services instead.  They hold generally liberal views on same-sex marriage and taxing the wealthy, but only a minority thinks that marijuana should be made legal.  A large majority does not think that the US is over its racial problems, however, despite the recent election of an African American president.

It would be interesting to compare these views with older (non-college age) Americans.  My guess (and it is only a guess) is that you would find somewhat more conservative views on some issues, though on the first statement – about working hard – there would probably be strong agreement.  Note, however, that while almost 80% believe hard work will allow you to succeed in this country, an equal number of freshmen think that there is still racial discrimination, which would mean perhaps that hard work is necessary, but not always sufficient (enough).

~Jeff

Photo credit: Ohio State University

I recently read something surprising: In the past few years, many universities in other countries have hired Americans for top-level jobs. For example, in 2009, a provost (senior administrator) at one of the top universities in the U.S.–Yale–will become the head (director; person in charge) of Oxford University, one of the most prestigious universities in England. Another American academic (university teacher or scholar) at Harvard, perhaps the most well-known American university, will become the new head of the University of St. Andrews, the oldest university in Scotland.

What accounts for (explains) these high-level appointments? The answer is money.

Universities have become big businesses and one of the main duties of a senior university official is fundraising, getting donations and other forms of money for the institution. Apparently, Americans or people exposed to American ways of doing things have good fundraising skills. These skills are a product of (result of) experience and necessity (need).

U.S. universities rely heavily (very much) on philanthropy, which is when someone gives a generous donation of money to build or help an organization or a cause. For example, at Harvard last year, 40% of the total budget came from philanthropy. This is in contrast to (very different from) universities abroad (in other countries): At Cambridge University in England, only 10% came from philanthropy, and at the University of Melbourne in Australia, only 6% did.

In recent months, donations to universities have dropped significantly, making a fundraiser’s job even harder. However, in general, when it comes to separating wealthy (rich) people from their money, I guess an American is the one for the job!

~ Lucy

QUESTION:
A listener, Ali, wants to know what it means when someone says, “It has nothing to do with me.”

ANSWER:
The expression “to have nothing to do with (someone/something)” is used in three main ways.

First, we use it when we want to say that something isn’t related to me, it doesn’t concern me, or it does not involve me.
For example:
- “Why are you asking me all of these questions about the new building?  I’m not on the planning committee and it has nothing to do with me.”
You are saying, very strongly, that you are not involved in the planning of the new building and this person should stop asking you questions.

A second way to use this expression is to mean that you are innocent of something.
For example:
- “I’m sorry that your car broke down, but it has nothing to do with me driving it yesterday.”
You are saying that although the car you borrowed from this person broke down today, it is not because of anything you did while you drove it yesterday.  In other words, you are innocent and did nothing wrong.

A third way that this expression is used is to strongly refuse friendship or contact with someone.
For example:
- “I asked her for a date, but after I made a joke about her in front of the whole class, she said she will have nothing to do with me.”
This person is saying that the girl he asked for a date will absolutely not have any contact with him, because of what he did earlier.  This sounds a little old-fashioned these days.  A more common way to say this would be:
- “I asked her for a date, but after I made a joke about her in front of the whole class, she said she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

“To have nothing to do with (someone/something) can mean any of these three things and the context (situation; words used around it) will tell you which one it is.

Thanks for the question, Ali, and I hope this is helpful!

~ Lucy

Guido in Rome, a listener and friend of the podcast, sent us this amusing (funny) video.  This is a musical performance by a group called “Improv Everywhere.”  Improv is short for improvisation, which means to create a performance without preparation.  Clearly these performers have rehearsed (practiced) this performance, but it doesn’t make it any less amusing.

This takes place in a shopping mall food court in Los Angeles.  A food court is an area in a shopping mall with a lot of fast food restaurants and a large common (shared) area with many tables and chairs where people sit to eat.  What these unsuspecting (unaware) shoppers never expected was a musical performance like this!

By the way, the woman who begins the song and who is wearing the funny hat works at a chain of fast food stands/restaurants with locations in many California shopping malls called “Hotdog on a Stick.”  They are well known for their lemonade, a sweet drink made with lemons, and corn dogs, hot dogs wrapped with a type of bread and deep fried (see picture).

~ Lucy

Here are the first lines of the song.

Lemonade spilled across the countertop (a flat surface for working, usually in the kitchen).
There’s ice and lemons everywhere now.
I’ve got to clean it up.

Can I get a napkin, please?
I’m going to need some just like these.
I’ve got three or four, but I might need more.
Can I get a napkin, please?

Ah man!  Can I get a napkin, too, by chance (possibly)?
I have spilled some mustard (a yellow paste people put on their hot dogs and hamburgers) on my pants.
What a pain, it’s a shame, this is probably going to stain (leave a permanent mark),
If I don’t get a napkin…

We both need napkins, that’s a fact.
That’s true.  It’s napkins that we lack (don’t have).
We’re agreed, we’re in need,
On our knees we humbly plead (beg),
Can we get a napkin, please?

Can I get a napkin, please?
I promise that we’re not wasting trees.
I’ll take one from you, and from this hot (attractive) girl, too.
Can I get a napkin, please?

I need a napkin.
I have an infant (baby) in my arms,
And I don’t mean to cause alarm (make others worried or anxious)
She just hurled (vomited) on my pearls, she’s my darling little girl
But, can I get a napkin…?

I’m the janitor (someone whose job is to clean),
The working man you all adore (love)
Sweeping up this dirty floor,
Boy, my left foot sure is sore (hurting).
I just want a chance to show the world that I can dance!

QUESTION:
Richardo in Brazil wants to know what to say in an email to indicate that you are sending an attachment/file.

ANSWER:
An attachment is anything extra that is added to or connected to the main thing.  In an email, an attachment is usually a file that is also included within the email and that one can open by clicking onto an “icon” (small image, picture).

The most common phrases people use are “attached is/are” or “I’ve attached.”
- “I’ve attached three photos for you to choose from.”
- “Attached is the sales report for the month of June.”

If you want to be a little more formal, you can use the phrases “attached please find” or “please find attached.”  These are more appropriate for formal business emails.
- “Please find attached the customer lists for our new products.”
- “Attached please find three documents related to the court case we discussed.”
- “Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the new position at your company.  Attached please find a list of my former employers.”

If you are sending a letter in the mail, you can use the “attached” phrases listed above when what you are adding/attaching is stapled to or paper clipped to the letter.  If it is not physically attached but included in the same envelope or package, then use “enclosed” instead.
- “Enclosed is an example of the new packaging for our product.”
- “Please find enclosed the reports from the past six months.”

Thanks for the question, Richardo, and I hope this is helpful.

~ Lucy

The New York Times recently reported on a study of how much time American adults spend looking at different types of screens each day.  These screens include televisions, computers, cell phones, media players, and more.  The study found that adults spend about 8.5 hours each day looking at some kind of screen.

Television remains the most-watched media, with the average adult watching about five hours of live TV each day; this does not include watching recorded programs or movies.  Here are some other findings (results):

- People between the ages of 18-24 do the most texting, an average of 30 minutes a day.
- People between the ages of 25-34 spend the most time watching DVD and VCR videos.
- People between the ages of 35-44 spend the most time on the Internet, about 75 minutes a day.
- People between the ages of 45-54 spend the most time in front of screens, about 1 hour more than other adults.
- People tend to underestimate (believing that something is less than it really is) how much time they watch TV by about 25%, probably due to the social stigma (disapproval from other people) of watching a lot of television.

At first, I was surprised by the 8.5-hour finding, but then I quickly did a tally (adding up; totaling) of the time I spend in front of the computer and television each day.  Like many of you, my job requires a lot of time in front of a computer.  For me, it’s at least six hours a day, not to mention the time I spend answering personal emails, looking at news and other websites, and more.  I quickly realized that I spend at least 8.5 hours in front of a screen each day!

How about you?  How many hours each day do you spend in front of a screen?

[Poll=7]

One of the United States’ most important cities in its early history was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, located in the northeast part of the US.  Philadelphia was the site (location) of the first meetings of the Revolutionary War leaders in the late 1700s.  It was where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, announcing our independence from Great Britain.  It was where our Constitutional Convention took place, and was our nation’s first capital.  There’s a great deal (a lot) of history in Philadelphia, and today it continues to be a popular place for tourists visiting the United States.

Like many popular tourist locations, Philadelphia also has many private tour companies that will take you around to all of the important areas and explain the history behind the city and its historic buildings.  And like all tour companies with talkative (talking a lot) tour guides (people who lead or are in charge of the tours), sometimes not everything they say is 100% accurate.  In fact, sometimes they make things up (invent things, say things that are not true), which can be very confusing for a tourist who does not know the real story.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that some of the tour guides in Philadelphia were telling tourists that one of the early, popular leaders of our country, Benjamin Franklin, had fathered more than 80 illegitimate children!  (An illegitimate child is one who is born to a woman not married, although this term is not used very much today, especially since there is such a high percentage of American children born to unmarried mothers.)  Ben Franklin had the reputation for being, well, a “lady’s man” (a man who is popular with women and tries to have many romantic relationships with them), but there is no evidence he had 80 children.   Another guide said that George Washington, our first president, once had lunch in Philadelphia with Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, which would have been rather (very) difficult, since Washington died 10 years before Lincoln was born.

Because of these distortions (half-truths, false ideas) by some tour guides, the city of Philadelphia decided to institute (begin, start) a mandatory (required, obligatory) history test that all the registered guides had to take and pass to get permission to be a tour guide.  This seems at first like a reasonable idea, but the tour guides disagreed.  They didn’t want to be forced to take an exam, and instead sued (took legal action against) the city to stop the test.  Their reason?  One of the freedoms that Americans are supposed to have is freedom of speech, the freedom to say what you want, whenever you want (with some restrictions, however).  Having to take an exam limited the freedom of speech of the tour guides, they said.  The city of Philadelphia responded by saying that no, they were not required to actually tell people the facts included on the test; they only had to pass the test.  After that, they could say whatever they wanted!

While I understand what the city of Philadelphia was trying to do here, it does seem like a rather difficult task to come up with (create) an “official” history that all guides must follow.  Part of the problem is that historians do not all agree on what the “true” history is of a place.  And I agree with the tour guides that the government cannot be in the business of regulating what someone can say in public, even if it isn’t true.  And if the guides are not required to actually use the information they learn from the test, why bother (why go to the trouble of) giving them a test at all?

But what about the poor tourist, who will get possibly false information?  I think that most tourists know enough not to believe everything they hear from a private tour guide.  I have been on many tours and I always keep in mind (try to remember) that at least some of the things they tell me are probably not true.  I myself was in Philadelphia back in 1976 for the bicentennial (200th anniversary) of the Declaration of Independence (I was a boy of 13 at the time), and while I remember visiting the famous historical sites, I also remember reading my own tour books to get the details on the places I was visiting.  Most Americans study about the Revolutionary War, so (I hope) they at least will know what is true and what is not.  For international tourists, it may be a good idea wherever you travel to read a little on your own rather than relying on your tour guide.

Here’s an interesting idea: Take a tour of your own city and see what the tour guides tell visitors about where you live.  You may be surprised by some of the things they tell you!

~Jeff