Putting me out of my misery ...

[Jeff Wilder]

I have to say something. I can't take it any longer.

I musta heard 15 different DMs at GenCon mispronounce "coup de grace." If it were as "coop duh grace" that'd be one thing ... at least they're screwing it up phonetically.

But no, it's always as "coo duh grah."

Why are so many people suddenly deciding to make the "-ce" silent?

My theory is that the Silent P held a coup d'etat and executed the "-ce." But that's just a theory. More seriously, I really do think people are confusing, on some level, the double-silent ending consonants in "coup d'etat" with the only-one-silent ending consonant in "coup de grace."

And Christ how I wish they'd stop.


Jeff

P.S. "Are you trying to say 'capiche'? Well, don't. It hurts my ears when you say it."

 

[Crothian]

Wow, if that's your biggest complaint from Gen Con, you must have had a really good convention!!

 

[Darkness]

"coo duh grah."

Why are so many people suddenly deciding to make the "-ce" silent?

Wasn't this mispronunciation in the 3.0 PHB, if not the current one?

 

[mmadsen]

If we combine coup de grace and mardi gras, we get coup de gras -- fat blow!

 

[BlackMoria]

Well, perhaps it has something to do with coup de grace being a French expression and the French pronunciation of 'grace' is with a silent '-ce'.

So, the people who seem to have offended you are pronouncing it correctly. :\

 

[ThoughtBubble]

So, did you politely mention it to anyone when they did it?

 

[Nightchilde-2]

If we combine coup de grace and mardi gras, we get coup de gras -- fat blow!

Fat Blow got the shaft!

 

[HiLiphNY]

'coo duh graw' is correct, yes.

Ok, while we're at it here's another: JUDGMENT.

Read it and weep. There is no 'E' after the G. Yes, somewhat illogical, however, it must be the most mispelled word here on ENWorld.

JUDGMENT.

Thank you. Resume normal activity.

 

[buchw001]

Well, perhaps it has something to do with coup de grace being a French expression and the French pronunciation of 'grace' is with a silent '-ce'.

So, the people who seem to have offended you are pronouncing it correctly. :\

I am no language expert, but I thought that this saying is French for "stroke of mercy".

Coup = stroke or blow
de = of
grace = mercy

If this is the case, then the French word for mercy is not pronounced with the silent -ce (again I am not an expert).

Jeff,

You sound like you know more about language. How do you say the French word for mercy?

 

[buchw001]

'coo duh graw' is correct, yes.

Ok, while we're at it here's another: JUDGMENT.

Read it and weep. There is no 'E' after the G. Yes, somewhat illogical, however, it must be the most mispelled word here on ENWorld.

JUDGMENT.

Thank you. Resume normal activity.

Actually in the silly, constantly changing English language, both spellings are accepted.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=judgment