Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

TelePrompter lets Commander-in-Chief Down as He Mispronounces 'Corpsman', Mangles French
Big Journalism ^ | February 6, 2010 | Michael Walsh

Posted on 02/06/2010 7:26:50 PM PST by This Just In

TelePrompter lets Commander-in-Chief Down as He Mispronounces ‘Corpsman,’ Mangles French

Posted By Michael Walsh On February 5, 2010 @ 5:20 am

Surely, the White House has someone on the staff who can teach the President how to pronounce the word “corpsman.” It would also be great if someone in media knew what a corpsman is, but the Harvard-educated press’s knowledge of anything having to do with the military is limited to the phrases ”baby killers” and “exit strategy,” so there’s probably not much hope there.

And maybe somebody else could point out that the Haitian Creole word for America — transliterated here as “Etazini,” but more commonly spelled “Zetazini”– is derived the French les États-Unis, and not from an Italian recipe for stuffed pasta shells.

Here’s the transcript of the TOTUS-assisted speech at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday:

One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world — Navy Corpsman Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: “Where do you come from? What country? After my operation,” she said, “I will pray for that country.” And in Creole, Corpsman Brossard responded, “Etazini.” The United States of America.

And here’s how the Harvard-educated President delivered those remarks:

Isn’t this the same man who said that more Americans should learn a foreign language — even though he doesn’t speak any himself?

It’s embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?

Speak for yourself, Mr. President.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bloggerspersonal; corpsman; notbreakingnews; obama
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last
Personally, I do not believe Obama mispronounced 'Corpsman'. I believe this was his passive/aggressive, underhanded, cowardly dig at a force he despises.

As far as the French goes, well, what did you expect?

1 posted on 02/06/2010 7:26:50 PM PST by This Just In
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: This Just In
Obama Corpsman
2 posted on 02/06/2010 7:29:58 PM PST by missnry (The truth will set you free ... and drive liberals Crazy!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Send him to Haiti for...errrrr....about 50 years so he can learn French. I think it was either intentional or just plain incompetence. Either way....he comes off REALLY bad.


3 posted on 02/06/2010 7:31:07 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (I don't have a 'Cousin Pookie'.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Corpsman

Let me guess

Barry said corpseman


4 posted on 02/06/2010 7:31:13 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tennessee Nana; All

Apologies in failing to include the link to the transcript. If you visit the site you’ll have access to the transcript.


5 posted on 02/06/2010 7:33:15 PM PST by This Just In
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

It was totally correct ebonics ,like “can I ax you a question?”


6 posted on 02/06/2010 7:39:26 PM PST by ReyTurner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

On GWB’s pronunciation of Abu Ghraib. And for what it is worth, I had a Kuwaiti tell me that GWB’s pronunciation was the closest to correct. The media kept it.

Jun 18, 2004 at 11 mispronouncing:45 am
Abu Grah-Eeb is the correct pronunciation of the name of the prison. The words were transliterated from Arabic, wh/ like many languages does not combine vowels to make a new sound but rather assigns each a consistent value. A is always “ah” and I is always “ee.”

If the vowel were meant to sound like A in fate they’d have written it Grabe.

That said, it’d probably have been simpler to transliterate it Grah-Eeb for us. I’ve noticed many reporters are aware the word has two syllables but can’t bring themselves to break in the middle so say Guh-Rabe.


7 posted on 02/06/2010 7:40:10 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Apologies in failing to include the link to the transcript. If you visit the site you’ll have access to the transcript.
____________________________________________

Its Saturday night..

I’ll take a break from self abuse...


8 posted on 02/06/2010 7:41:49 PM PST by Tennessee Nana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

The media kept it. Should read:

The media kept wronging it.


9 posted on 02/06/2010 7:42:21 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

“It’s embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?”

##############

I remember that and when he says “Corpse-man” and “Cinco de Cuatro”. Un-effen-believable. Or should I say, “El jefe es muy tonto” and “les miserables” are po’d.

I will not be talked down to by an ignoramus POTUS. Pass the damned escargot and bagettes, seive you play? LOL


10 posted on 02/06/2010 7:56:03 PM PST by JouleZ (You are the company you keep.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

bttt


11 posted on 02/06/2010 8:11:53 PM PST by Chi-townChief
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Don’t be so hard on him, he is fluent in Austrian.


12 posted on 02/06/2010 8:14:46 PM PST by mortal19440
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Good Grief!

As part of my CHRISTmas Show, I sing a song in Haitian Creole (Depuis Lonton Nan Bethlehem), and even I, Your Irish Indian Biker bass Player, Gets it Right. Haitians have remarked on my pronounciation and i have EVEN recorded the song with a Haitian baritone as a duet!

Without a teleprompter.

And although I am from Boston, the closest I ever got to Hahvahd was Singing Reggae Music at Porkie’s Western Front in Cambridge with my Blues band! LOL


13 posted on 02/06/2010 8:15:48 PM PST by left that other site (Your Mi'KMaq Paddy Whacky Bass Playing Biker Buddy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

“TelePrompter lets Commander-in-Chief Down as He Mispronounces ‘Corpsman’, Mangles French”

Merci beau coup


14 posted on 02/06/2010 8:18:37 PM PST by Grunthor (McCain; for when you really need to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jet Jaguar

Remember how everyone in the media (and many on here) slapped their heads every time GW said Nuclear? The way he pronounces the word is no different than a million others in Texas and other parts of the South.

Hubby is born and bred E. Texas and a Reactor Operator - while he says nuclear “correctly” now, it took him YEARS to break his Texas accent.

Dear Leader can butcher the language, butcher the economy, butcher our military and the media gives him a pass.


15 posted on 02/06/2010 8:21:05 PM PST by Brytani (Support Allen West For Congress - www.allenwestforcongress.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

As ou Grant said o Ted Baxter, “Oh, no. Now that he’s mutilated English, he’s branching out!”

But I think “Corpseman” was a Freudian slip.


16 posted on 02/06/2010 8:21:29 PM PST by TBP (Obama lies, Granny dies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

17 posted on 02/06/2010 8:21:38 PM PST by RightOnTheLeftCoast (Obama: running for re-election in '12 or running for Mahdi now? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

aye TOT zee NEE — a rather obvious corruption of the French.


18 posted on 02/06/2010 8:29:00 PM PST by GVnana ("Obama is incredibly naive and grossly egotistical." Sarkozy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: missnry

lol


19 posted on 02/06/2010 8:39:45 PM PST by Danae (Don't think the Constitution matters? Try living in a country without one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: This Just In

Obama is not an orator he is a dramatic reader who has no clue what he is actually saying as he reads his canned speech. As for a POTUS knowing another language George Bush probably had a working knowledge of spoken Spanish. Obama can’t pronounce English, but probably can recite the Koran in Arabic with a good accent


20 posted on 02/06/2010 8:43:51 PM PST by The Great RJ ("The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson