2007-06-19 04:03:32 · 11 answers · asked by Jimbo 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
It's a shift of sounds called a metathesis; while Bush's pronunciation is generally not accepted, it has been used by other presidents as well (yep, Bill Clinton did it too), and is in fact a fairly common mispronunciation. It tends to make a person sound less educated when that person says "nucular" instead of "nuclear," but it's not as uncommon as some of us might like to believe. The "nucular" pronunciation drives me nuts, too, but it is out there and even listed in some dictionaries as an alternative pronunciation.
2007-06-19 04:28:10 · answer #1 · answered by Jeff R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is a little like people who say they *pacifcally" do not want to do something - instead of "Specifically"......
Other folks use "pathetic" to mean childish etc when in fact it means diminutive / small etc.
Another favourite is "almost unique" and "nearly unique" - either it is - or it isn't!
Other folks think "chronic" means "really bad" - like I have this chronic pain in my left **** cheek. In fact chronic simply means over a (long) period of time. A chronic pain might actually be very mild and almost undetectable.
In short, folks pick up bad habits with language - just as we do with everything else :)
Mark
2007-06-19 11:17:25 · answer #2 · answered by Mark T 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's a redneck thing--and also a snide way of making fun of nuclear power if you are not a redneck, as in "I love nucular powah coz it give me no worries bout puttin stuffs in de air."
2007-06-19 11:09:38 · answer #3 · answered by henry d 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Local dialect.
Low education level (just like libary instead of library).
Speech impediment.
Probably many other possibilities I can't think of right now.
2007-06-20 02:44:18 · answer #4 · answered by ModerndayMadman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are dumb. Its just like when they say libary instead of library and aminal instead of animal. Also cimanon is another one that bugs me. So is drawling instead of drawing. America gets stupider everyday.
2007-06-19 14:55:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only idiots like George W. Bush do that.
2007-06-19 11:07:48 · answer #6 · answered by Lee 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
lucky you, you really must have very few problems in life to be worrying about something like this. and anyway, i've never known anyone pronounce it nucular!!
2007-06-19 11:08:36 · answer #7 · answered by monkeynuts 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I blame Bush!
2007-06-19 11:13:26 · answer #8 · answered by n8 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe you do, but the rest of us pronounce it 'nu-cle-ar'
everyone below is goign on about Bush so I guess it's an American thing then?
2007-06-19 11:06:59 · answer #9 · answered by pirate_princess 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ahhh, I know! Or when they use the word ironic in place of coincidence!
2007-06-19 11:07:35 · answer #10 · answered by Sara 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋