On 4/19/05, Dario Bonazza <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Italian pronunciation for "spider" is something resembling the English one > and not like "speeder". > Yes, we'd pronounce "spider" more or less like "speeder", but since it was > supposed to be an English word, it's pronounced like Englishmen are supposed > to. > Not sure if I'be been able to explain. > > I don't know the strange reason for thinking "spider" to be the English word > for a light convertible car. > > Maybe: > > 1) Someone said it's called "speeder". > 2) Someone else wrote it as "spider" (which is the Italian spelling for > pronouncing it as English people do with "speeder") > 3) Then someone else "knew" that spider has to be pronounced "spy-der" or > the like. > > So the speeder became a spider? Just my guess. > > Bye,
Thank your, Dario! I was hoping that an Italian would jump in and provide us with some answers to this burning question. So, the next time I'm in Italy, driving along some twisting mountain road, wind in my hair, engine at full-song, smile on my face in my Fiat 124SS Spider, I'll know what to say when I stop to pick up a beautiful woman: "Bella! How about a ride in my "Spider"!" "Okay then, where can I get a hold of you just in case hell ~does~ freeze over?" <vbg> cheers, frank (stealing old Steve Martin stand-up material...) -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
