Satiric radio commentary for the 90s from the man who drained Lake Michigan and filled it with hot chocolate!!!
STAN FREBERG HERE...


Words Aren't Pronounced How They're Spel-led
(1997 Version)

Stan Freberg here. When I was a teenager, I used to pronounce the name "Penelope" as "Penn-eh-loap." People would laugh. Why? It sure looks like "Penn-eh-loap"! Why aren't things pronounced the way they're spelled? Be right back. [:60 SPOT BREAK]

Freberg again. Growing up, I used to mispronounce a lot of words, to the annoyance of my sister Gwenny. For example, I'd pronounce the "k" on the front of "knife": "Would you hand me that k-nife?"

Prob'ly came from my dad's pronouncing the "E" on the front of "Europe": "Well, Stan, I see your latest record is very big in E-urope." His parents came from Sweden, and they always said "E-urope." Hey, they saw that "E" and PRONOUNCED it, boy!

Which brings us back to "Penn-eh-loap." "That's 'Penelope'," my sister would say. "Oh, yeah?" I'd answer, "Then how come the word 'envelope' isn't pronounced 'en-vel-o-pee'? May I have the en-vel-o-pee, please?"

I rest my case.

Stan Freberg here.



Copyright (C)1997, Stan Freberg/Freberg, Ltd. (but not very) Distributed by Dick Brescia Associates and Radio Spirits, Inc.