Okay, I gotta work, but I have to do one more Corner post — can’t resist. In today’s Impromptus, I revisit — prompted by a reader — the pronunciation of forte: which is “fort.” That’s if you mean forte as in expertise, strong suit. Forte as in loud is “for-tay.” (I could explain the roots of these things, but I have done so a hundred times, and must have bored people to tears by now.)
A reader writes, “The strong half of a fencing blade is also a forte, pronounced ‘fort,’ and is used for parries.” Great. Glad to know. But then our reader continues, “The strong parry, like unto a brick wall, is the parry Mason. The easy and apparently casual but effective parry is the parry Como. The Canadian water parry is the parry, eh?”
Don’t shoot the messenger! I mean, the printer of the letter! Shoot, instead, that punning genius from Astoria, Ore.
Thanks, and see you.
But every time i say forte pronounced "fort" (which admittedly is not often) I get blank stares, and then people think i am being a hypercorrect prig - - but, because I like being a hypercorrect prig, I don't mind.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs Kansas would say, "Parry on, my wayward pun," way out there in Astoria, Oregon. We groan, but only out of jealousy that we didn't think of those terrible puns first!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd of course there is the failure to parry, which could be termed the "Phineas and Ferb", as in "Hey, where's parry?"
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. Nordlinger, it is a bit cruel of you to expose publicly that subconscious but obvious cry for help.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAndrew, was that really bad? Yes. Yes it was.
Of course, when you throw away the effeminate swords and pull out your six-shooter while shouting "Remember the Alamo!" that's the Rick parry.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNope. Not gonna do it. I refuse to add a pun.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThese puns stink worse than the skink named Épée LePew!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's been a while since I took French, but forte (as in expertise, strong suit) is pronounced fort when there is an "e" at the end, which is used as applies to feminine usage (Her forte was marksmanship). If the subject is masculine it would be spelled fort, which is pronounced "fore" with associated Francophone throat clearing sound on the "r". Just sayin'.....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTo kill two Jay birds with one stone:
If P.J. Crowley is the State Department spokesperson, might we then say he's the State Department's "pajamas media" guy?
A situation where both sides simultaneously thrust and parry: a parry mutual. Bet you saw that coming, huh?
A parry followed by a yell, then a sip of a refreshing beverage: a parry YAY!
And, really, aren't about half of the words in our English language nowadays just "mispronounced" French words? Never could get that "r" thing to work when it really has to, namely, during my otherwise outstanding Roy Orbison "Pretty Woman" karaoke cover. Yessir!
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