This is probably the most annoying thing of all to the French. Not only do we pronounce the battles incorrectly {Crécy should be 'Cray-see' and Waterloo 'Watt-air-loh'}, with Agincourt {'Ah-zan-coor'} we even get the spelling wrong.
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
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The author Stephen Clarke emphasizes the frustration of the French regarding the mispronunciation and misspelling of their historical battle names. He illustrates this annoyance by providing examples such as the English pronunciation of Crécy, which should be said as 'Cray-see,' and Waterloo, pronounced 'Watt-air-loh.' Clarke points out that even Agincourt suffers from mispronunciation, revealing the broader issues of cultural and linguistic misunderstanding.

This critique highlights how these inaccuracies can irritate national pride among the French. Clarke's observations suggest that what may seem trivial to some, like the pronunciation of names, can hold significant cultural weight and add to the broader annoyance felt by the French towards outsiders who misinterpret their heritage.

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1000 Years of Annoying...
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Stephen Clarke
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Other quotes in 1000 Years of Annoying the French

Anglo-Saxon and Franco-Norman came into closer contact, and the linguistic survival techniques on both sides led to the emergence of a supple, adaptable language in which you could invent or half-borrow words and didn't have to worry so much about whether your sentences had the right verb endings or respected certain strict rules of word order and style {as this sentence proves}. The result was the earliest form of what would become English.
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
Anglo-Saxon and Franco-Norman came into closer contact, and the linguistic survival techniques on both sides led to the emergence of a supple, adaptable language in which you could invent or half-borrow words and didn't have to worry so much about whether your sentences had the right verb endings or respected certain strict rules of word order and style {as this sentence proves}. The result was the earliest form of what would become English.
Tanacharison {who could relate to the cow because he claimed that the French had boiled and eaten his father}
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
Tanacharison {who could relate to the cow because he claimed that the French had boiled and eaten his father}
Philippe also brought along musicians - mainly trumpeters and drummers - to scare the enemy. Even then, French music was known to terrify the English.
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
Philippe also brought along musicians - mainly trumpeters and drummers - to scare the enemy. Even then, French music was known to terrify the English.
James II's second wife, an Italian Catholic princess called Mary {at the time, there was an edict whereby all female royals were to be called Mary to confuse future readers of history books}
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
James II's second wife, an Italian Catholic princess called Mary {at the time, there was an edict whereby all female royals were to be called Mary to confuse future readers of history books}
This is probably the most annoying thing of all to the French. Not only do we pronounce the battles incorrectly {Crécy should be 'Cray-see' and Waterloo 'Watt-air-loh'}, with Agincourt {'Ah-zan-coor'} we even get the spelling wrong.
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
This is probably the most annoying thing of all to the French. Not only do we pronounce the battles incorrectly {Crécy should be 'Cray-see' and Waterloo 'Watt-air-loh'}, with Agincourt {'Ah-zan-coor'} we even get the spelling wrong.
it must have been hard making a silent movie about a girl who hears voices.}
Stephen Clarke 1000 Years of Annoying...
it must have been hard making a silent movie about a girl who hears voices.}
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Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
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Now that you're an adult, you might still feel a pang of guilt when you decline a dinner invitation in favor of a good book. Or maybe you like to eat alone in restaurants and could do without the pitying looks from fellow diners. Or you're told that you're "in your head too much," a phrase that's often deployed against the quiet and cerebral. Of course, there's another word for such people: thinkers.
I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
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I found Esau's field guide at the bottom of my pack. Taking a candle into the bedroom, I read his book until my eyes grew heavy. From his vast notes, it seemed that almost every plant and tree in the jungle had a reason for existing. I caught myself wishing there was a page in his guide that had my picture on it with the reason for my existence written underneath in Esau's neat hand.
Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
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Here's a nifty solution: Each couple that marries should take on an entirely new surname, chosen however they want as long as both agree to it, so that a day after the wedding, both husband and wife can hold hands and joyfully journey off to the municipal offices to change their passports, driver's licenses, signatures, initials, bank accounts, etc.
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