Foyer / Foy-yay / Foy-er / Foy-ah / For-aye

[Tilt Fairy]

val-ay

does anyone say val-ette? I hope so. That would totally make my day.

[Thipu1]

I call them "Uh huh, that's nice, where's the cake?" 

Haha! Were we seperated at birth??

Foy-ah. (Or Foy-yay if putting on a mock posh voice) I only use it when refering to hotels.

I once knew a woman who pronounced things as she read them - sachet was sat-chet, and foccacia was focka-chia.

My MIL does that.  To her, the stone  granite is pronounced as 'GRAY-night'.

[Tilt Fairy]

This thread is really funny. Maybe my amusement is heightened due to the the glass of wine in my hand but regardless, for some reason, I'm finding this all hilarious.

[Slartibartfast]

DH's grandmother is from rural Kentucky, home of the PO-leece and CEE-ment.  I giggle every time she says things like that.

[Outdoor Girl]

And vee-HICK-ul.

[baglady]

NYC here.  We say "foy-er" unless we are being goofy, then its a foy-ay (like Tar-zhay for Target, or on-deeve for endive (N-dive)).

People like to have fun with words. 

Most people would call a platter of raw vegetables served with dip 'Croo-da-TAYS'. A friend, who knows better, enjoys calling them 'CRUDD-ites'.  He also likes to call hors oeuvres 'Horse Doovers'.

I call them hoors doovers ala Homer Simpson 

I call them horse ovaries a la Archie Bunker.

I don't use the word "foyer" much -- it's the front hall -- but when I do it's "foy-er," to rhyme with Verne Troyer and Conan the Destroyer. I know a fellow who says "Four-ee-yay."

[Optimoose Prime]

I'm from the mid-west US.  I say foy-er, and buffay.  Except my daughter had a speech problem when young and she called it fuffay.  So we go to the fuffay.

[kareng57]

But then, when referring to a self-serve display of food in a restaurant, most People in the US would call it a 'Buff-AY' while those in rhe UK would call it a 'BUFFette' 

I think someone's been pulling your leg there. We say 'buff-ay' in the UK too.

Lol yes. Have a stern word with them Thipu!

In the UK we say buff-ay and foy-yay.

Maybe not always.  Dh used to have a co-worker from the UK (this was probably around 30 years ago, at least) who also pronounced it as buff-fett.

[ClaireC79]

and as evidenced in this thread there are likely some in the US who get it wrong and pronounce it that - some people do pronounce words wrongly.  The standard UK pronounciation doesn't have a -ette on the end, it has an -ay

[marcel]

NYC here and we would say foy-er. 

I've noticed that people in the UK tend to use the pronunciation of a term's original language. 

Some years ago we were on a ship.  The theater was named after Vincent Van Gogh.  Here, the name is usually pronounced Van Go.  When making announcements about the day's schedule, the English Social Director always referred to the place as the Van Khok Lounge.  There were people who had a hard time finding the place for a day or two.

But then, when referring to a self-serve display of food in a restaurant, most People in the US would call it a 'Buff-AY' while those in rhe UK would call it a 'BUFFette' 

Ah, the glories of the English language.

"It's always a problem to know --
  Is the chap called Van Gokh, or Van Go?
  This doubt re the name,
  I confess, to my shame,
  Makes my highbrows go terribly low."

And just to add to the confusion -- I (lifelong Brit) call the self-serve jobbie, a BUFF-ay. (Teenyweeny -- just noticed your post -- but which syllable do you put the accent on?)

I would probably give both syllables equal stress. I think we can both agree, though, that it isn't a 'buffette'. (Although, I do sometimes say that as a little joke. I also enjoy saying 'ballette'.  )

On the Van Gogh thing, it is neither, both Brits and Americans simply can not pronounce the name correctly.

[Thipu1]

I understand there's a similar problem with the Capitol of Denmark, and I've heard this from Danes.

In English, it's 'COPE-en-haygen' or 'COPE-en-hahgen'.  In Danish, it's more like 'Coabn-hven'. The problem is that, when English speakers attempt the Danish pronunciation, it almost always comes like the German pronunciation and brings back uncomfortable memories of WWII.

[Tilt Fairy]

What about Warren Buffett?

[cabbageweevil]

On the Van Gogh thing, it is neither, both Brits and Americans simply can not pronounce the name correctly.

Please -- what IS the right pronunciation, then?  (Enquiring minds want to know...]

[cabbageweevil]

val-ay

does anyone say val-ette? I hope so. That would totally make my day.

I'm British -- same as you, if I'm right -- so I say "val-ette", accent on first syllable (not a word I use much in conversation -- haven't been the employer of a personal body-servant in recent times).

This thing gets complicated for me, by the archaic word "varlet" (serf / churl / plebeian and uncouth person).  Maybe they're related -- presumably an aristocrat's valet would be lower-class and thus a varlet...

[Tilt Fairy]

val-ay

does anyone say val-ette? I hope so. That would totally make my day.

I'm British -- same as you, if I'm right -- so I say "val-ette", accent on first syllable (not a word I use much in conversation -- haven't been the employer of a personal body-servant in recent times).

This thing gets complicated for me, by the archaic word "varlet" (serf / churl / plebeian and uncouth person).  Maybe they're related -- presumably an aristocrat's valet would be lower-class and thus a varlet...

That's true. I think valet parking over here isn't anywhere near to how it is in America. I'm 25 and I don't think I've seen a single valet in the UK ever. Though that may be because I'm pretty poor.