Some words just don't feel right in the mouth. Here are a few:



exerciser. It just feels too long to say and the pattern feels rather odd in the mouth. I discovered this fact today at the gym and it totally ruined my workout. I remeber saying, "Well, if I'm an exerciser, then I will just have to cut my workout short today." I just couldn't go on knowing that the word, supposedly representing me, felt funny. I don't like to feel funny when I'm working out. I mean would you? There's nothing funny about tearing a muscle. Nothing! I think that exerciser should be replaced with another word, but unfortunately they ran out of space in the dictionary . . . this year. In my opinion, if the word weren't taken yet, a better word for one who exercises should be exorcist. Think about it. People will even go to the movies to hear that word.



ask. This is one of the most difficult words to say . . . for millions of African-Americans. I personally don't suffer from this ailment, but I feel so bad when I hear a child wanting to 'ax' someone a question and the other person goes running off in the other direction, calling the cops, fearing for their lives. Poor child ending up on probation or in some cell. All because of 'axing' someone . . . a question. The word doesn't feel right because it requires a person to carry out the 's' into an elongated 'ssss'. Why not help the children. Change the spelling to 'assssk' or have the optional pronunciation of 'axe'. This would save a lot of tax payer dollars, in my opinion.



Abercrombie. Need I say more?!?

colonel. Who was the genius who thought up the pronunciation for this word? I mean I can see it now. " . . . and we'll form villages, and the people who live in these villages will be called villagers. And when we put together a bunch of villages, we'll call it a colony, and the leaders of these colonies will be called kernels, but we'll spell it like colony. That way the British will get confused." At least the genius knew that I would have a pet peeve with the correct pronunciation of the word. Now thinking about it, maybe it was because of me that he changed it. Hmmm . . . that's deep and koony (pronounced: Spooky).

Loyola. This one is personal. I hate saying this word. It feels jumbled in my mouth, and when it finally surfaces it sounds more like: Lola or (put a Spanish accent on) Loy'ella. I fully acknowledge that this is my personal issue, but still! It just shouldn't be. What's wrong with naming a college Lola? My sister has a cat named Lola. Or Lolita? People will go to the movies for this name as well. I would you. Wouldn't you?