General / Off-Topic Lieutenant - Which is it 'Left'tenant or 'Loo'tenant?

Ben Ryder · Mar 28, 2015

I just don't know?

Any ideas? Which it is and why?

I hope it's not Loo attendant!

Yaffle · Mar 28, 2015

'left-tenant'

We're British!

Jezzah · Mar 28, 2015

It's both I guess depending where you come from but I'd plump for LEF rather LOO.

Ant_Solo · Mar 28, 2015

If you are British it is pronounced left, if you are American it is pronounced Loo.

Jackie Silver · Mar 28, 2015

Ben Ryder said:
Any ideas? Which it is and why?

Whichever you feel like. If you really want to say it properly, pronounce it "placeholder", which is what it means.

OfftheRails · Mar 28, 2015

David Tennant.

Poplin · Mar 28, 2015

So how would you guys pronounce "In lieu of"?

Kramster · Mar 28, 2015

We brits pronounce it 'left' but in this instance I think the americans may have got it right (mad I know)
Lieu is 'in place of' or 'instead of' while tenant refers to the officer commanding the unit. The rank is held by a junior officer who represents or is under a more senior one.

Yaffle · Mar 28, 2015

Poplin said:
So how would you guys pronounce "In lieu of"?

The correct way, of course.

It's like Kansas and Arkansas.

Jackie Silver · Mar 28, 2015

Yaffle said:
The correct way, of course.

It's like Kansas and Arkansas.

Kansaw and Ark-an-sass. Easy!

Cradle2Grave · Mar 28, 2015

It's 'lef'. Other people just say it wrong.

Cody · Mar 28, 2015

Jackie Silver said:
Kansaw and Ark-an-sass. Easy!

Vasious · Mar 28, 2015

Poplin said:
So how would you guys pronounce "In lieu of"?

Kramster said:
We brits pronounce it 'left' but in this instance I think the americans may have got it right (mad I know)
Lieu is 'in place of' or 'instead of' while tenant refers to the officer commanding the unit. The rank is held by a junior officer who represents or is under a more senior one.

That sounds awfully French to me

khaitom · Mar 28, 2015

"Lef", unless you're Crocodile Dundee - Loo-gah-ba-roo-gah anyone?

Also - http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/lieutenant

"lieutenant
Pronunciation: /lɛfˈtɛnənt/"

Ximrats · Mar 28, 2015

Vasious said:
That sounds awfully French to me

Ahhhh, we can't be having that now

Equinoxe · Mar 28, 2015

It's 'lef'tenant, if you're British (and therefore speak the language correctly). It's 'lew'tenant,if you're American (and, therefore, wrong)

Almighty Bob · Mar 28, 2015

You Yankee and 'Royal' navy types are forgetting the army version pronounced Leffftenant by us common soldiers.
I think it may be French though so it may have a little hat on the e which makes the masculine a neuter and includes the feminine.

I hope that concludes this nonesense

obliterator · Mar 28, 2015

The word lieutenant comes from french word "lieutenant", and the way we pronounce it in french is a lot closer to "loo-tenant". So no, "leftenant" is not the right way to pronounce it.

talshiarr · Mar 28, 2015

Garage is French-derived, so stop calling that place you park your car a 'GEHR-age' and call it a 'gah-RAHGE' instead. Then we'll consider saying 'lef-TEN-ant' even though there isn't an 'F' within a hundred miles of it.

ShadowWolf Kell · Mar 28, 2015

Almighty Bob said:
You Yankee and 'Royal' navy types are forgetting the army version pronounced Leffftenant by us common soldiers.
I think it may be French though so it may have a little hat on the e which makes the masculine a neuter and includes the feminine.

I hope that concludes this nonesense

I just know the Brits pronounce it as Left. Americans and French as Loo. And the Germans as Loit. Does that about sum it up?