h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Xan made me grin with that classic "quarter-pounder" line. Very apt!

The Germans would pronounce it BURger King - much as the English pronounce it (except Mol & Co). But the Burger King is usually completely empty. No one goes there. They'd all rather queue for ages at the McDonald's next door.

There are people named Roi Berger.

Florida Sailor...

We have the same joke in Texas except we replace Kissimee with Mexia and Burger King with Dairy Queen. Mexia is properly pronounced "Meh-HAY-ya" and confuses most folks.


When I visited the UK in 1985, I was perplexed by the loss of the possessive "S" at Wendy's. Is that still a thing? Getting a burger at "The Wendy"?

Never heard of Wendy's / The Wendy, sorry.

<BB<

Ah... They apparently pulled out of the UK entirely in 2000.

http://www.thecaterer.com/articles/28286/wendy39s-uk-pull-out-nets-1631.5m


I probably went to the one in King's Cross. Anyway, it was weird how the ones in the UK were called just "Wendy".

Our tour guides kept providing us with the worst of "traditional English faire" for dinners (One day the sent us to an Italian restaurant called "Cagney's" and served us some pitiful roast beef and Yorkshire puddings, bleh ) and just the hotel "continental breakfasts" of some toast or crescent rolls and maybe a piece of fruit. By day 4 I was craving something familiar so we went to the "Wendy". A few days later I discovered the wonderful foreign food selection though.

There's also a couple called Joel Burger and Ashley King who will get married soon, hyphenating their surnames. I assume then the emphasis will be on the second word.

*not* like Yorkshire pudding?



I vaguely remember a Wendy's restaurant in London, but it was certainly in the genitive case. Maybe vandals had stolen part of the signage when you visited?

I like Yorkshire puds, but these were not good. N.B. this was in an otherwise Italian restaurant.


****

Correction. Cagney's is apparently still open 30 years later and it's described as an "American style" restaurant. No wonder their Yorkshire pudding was sub par.

Hmm... Their website proclaims they are "London's Oldest Restaurant, EST. 1978".

Hmmm, must be ironic.

Maybe their "desert menu" dates from the time before life colonised the UK.

A quick google indicates that London's oldest restaurant, Rule's, was established in 1798.

Maybe Cagney was dyslexic?

We've found another one. Capri Sun (the fruit drink).

CAP-ri sun
Cap-RI sun
Capri SUN



Mol

I'd pronounce 'Capri' the same as in 'Ford Capri'.

<BB<

When in doubt, I usually use Spanish phonetics for the vowels, however, the word 'sun' is unequivocally of Anglo-Saxon derivation.

Italians and pretentious Brits: CAP-ree

Other Brits: ca-PREE

The ads for Capri Sun on British television pronounce it CAP-ree sun.

I've never heard anyone saying it.

It's interesting to make the comPAR-ee-son.

>>I'd pronounce 'Capri' the same as in 'Ford Capri'.

I'd say the former starts with 'CAP', whereas the latter doesn't start on damp mornings.

I've only heard Capri pronounced "cah-PREE", whether it's an island, pants or juice in a bag.

"Maybe vandals had stolen part of the signage when you visited?" [Icy North]

I need *way* more coffee. I thought "signage" was "sausage."