What's the origin of saying "yoo hoo!" to get someone's attention?
The Oxford English Dictionary dates yoo-hoo to 1924, as noted by the American Dialect Society, and compares it to yo-ho, originally a nautical phrase also sometimes used in yo-heave-ho. Their first …
pronunciation - When to pronounce long u as "yoo" or "ooo" - English ...
Sep 5, 2015 · It usually says /yoo/ when it follows an unvoiced consonant (b, d, p, c, f, h, t). As languages evolve both in pronunciation and dialect, this 'rule' is weakened somewhat, however it …
pronunciation - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Aug 21, 2017 · +1 It seems that vacuum is the odd word out when placed in a lineup with (for example) continuum, individuum, menstruum, and residuum. I don't know why the -uum in vacuum came to be …
Is it “P.U.” or “pew” (regarding stinky things)? [closed]
May 5, 2017 · It’s an interjection, and like many other interjections, it’s spelt in dozens of different ways. P.U. is not one I’ve seen before, and I doubt I’d recognise it; and pew has the disadvantage of being …
pronunciation - Why are Greek letters pronounced incorrectly in ...
The pronunciation of Greek letters by scientists isn't very different from the pronunciation of the Greek letters in the respective countries: American scientists pronounce them pretty much the same way …
Why does the pronunciation of "U" vary in English?
U is "oo" for nearly all American, and a substantial number of British English speakers in most words when it falls in a stressed syllable after one of the following consonants: /l/ /s/ /z/ U is "oo" for most …
How do you describe this particular way of sitting?
The only word I have come across in relation to this mode of sitting is seiza in martial arts and of course the famous tea ceremonies. Description of this well-know formal Japanese sitting position can be …
What do you call a person who has interest in every field?
Jul 17, 2021 · Persons who not only want to know about everything but who, to a certain extent, do know about everything, are called universalists. (Dictionary com) universalist [ yoo-nuh-vur-suh-list ] noun …
Why is it: "A Unicorn" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Jun 13, 2015 · Here, unicorn begins with the vowel 'u' but it's pronounced more or less like 'yoo'. 'Unicorn' begins with a consonant sound, so we use 'a' before it. Some other examples are: a user, …
Why are these spellings pronounced "non phonetically?"
May 14, 2015 · Because of spelling conservatism and sound changes. The word "ewe" is not really pronounced "non phonetically" any more than words like betrayal (which is not "betra-yal") or wither …