I am not the type of person who "needs" a cup of coffee to start their day. However, when I am at work I like to have a cup to settle and pass those minutes in between getting to the office, turning on my computer and checking last night emails. I think now is most about having something to do that my caffeine needs.
One day I was on my way to work in San Francisco, CA. I took the train because it is normally faster than driving and you do not have to worry of traffic or anything like that. It was a cold morning of February and I had to walk about 10 minutes to get to my office from the train station. On my way to work, I saw one of these coffee chains, the one with a green and white logo and I thought, well, I should get a coffee cup to bear this weather and have a nice morning start. I like bold flavors, especially when it comes to coffee and the two options were: Tribute or Peak. Tribute was advertised as a bold flavor and Pike as a mild flavor. I will order Tribute, or at least that was my intention.
Once I got in line I started to think what the right pronunciation of that word was, "tri-bute", like in "try" and "bute", "Tri" as in trilogy and "byoot", "Tri" as in triangle and "but". I was confused and concerned about this single word. I did not know how to pronounce it. When I got to the barista I said, not quite confident: Can I get a large "Try"-"Byoot"? Or something like that! The barista looked at me and gave me that look that represents "I swear to god I am trying to understand, but I am lost". After I saw his face I said. You know what give my a large pike instead. The barista then had a revelation and he said, "Ohh you meant Tribute?" Is that what you want. Of course, that is what I wanted but I was already too embarrassed to admit it. I stuck to the option that I knew how to pronounce.
I felt so embarrassed for a few minutes and clearly I have not let that go! hahaha. Now, every time I want to try or get something I do not know how to pronounce I go to the restroom, open my dictionary app and listen to the word, so I can get what I want instead of limiting my options.
Comments
I love coffee! So if I was in a real bad need for it and I didn't know how to say the order right, I would just go ahead and ask for the right way to say it just so I can get my coffee fix! Besides, if I didn't get my coffee at the time I needed it, I would probably pronounce everything wrong anyways! Hahaha! :)
Well it could be worse... I'd have pronounced something like "Tri-Butt" :D
I replied "doesn't it mean honest?" He said it could have that meaning too but by straight we mean heterosexual. Oh! I felt so embarrassed, so mine was about the meaning of the words not the pronunciation.
Btw, a coffee chain with a green and white logo?? No more clues? Lol...
Good day Erik, my wife likes to drink coffee with milk but I do not. When I come to the office, I like to drink a cup of tea instead. Breakfast is taken around nine-thirty or ten. you know what! Those people who work as waiters, waitresses or the ones behind the selling machines, they know how to pronounce their products. Believe me, they are experts in their places.