My back yard has plentiful chipmunks, black and grey squirrels, rabbits, and shrews/voles*, and red foxes. Occasionally a raccoon.
We don't usually get deer in the yard, but they live nearby and we see them on walks.
* = I confess I can't tell the difference between shrews and voles
― Exit, pursued by a beer (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:28 (nine months ago) link
We had a contingent of German grad students teaching undergraduate German classes when I was in college. They got so excited by squirrels. Apparently, they are quite scarce in Germany
There's an old YouTube meme about how Germans have problems pronouncing the word "squirrel".
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:44 (nine months ago) link
Actually I'm not sure how English people pronounce squirrel given how extremely non-rhotic most of them are.
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:46 (nine months ago) link
Apparently Marlene Dietrich couldn’t pronounce the word “Help!” in English until Jo directed her to pronounce it phonetically as in German.
― Live and Left Eye (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:49 (nine months ago) link
I haven't seen one squirrel since moving to Montana. (There are some, particularly in certain cities; I just haven't seen any out where I live.) The gray ones were everywhere in NJ, and my wife used to see black ones when she worked at Princeton University.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:52 (nine months ago) link
x-posts I was there a few months back and my cousin said it's the hardest word for him to pronounce in English. I got him trying on video. Tbf though eichhörnchen isn't the easiest to pronounce either.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:53 (nine months ago) link
You should hear Japanese people try it!
As a recent convert to Minnesota life I've been very happy to see urban rabbits and chipmunks, you don't get anything like that in London. Lots of grey squirls here too. Also a deer thundered past my window early one morning, but I haven't seen it again so maybe it was just a large dog? Albeit a large dog galloping down the middle of the roadway with no owner in sight.
― I fell asleep at kabuki (Matt #2), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:59 (nine months ago) link
The Germans called them "Vielfreßer"
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 15:46 (nine months ago) link
i learned only recently there are fireflies in utah - more in the north part of the state, around low river drainages iirc. never seen them myself.
― ꙮ (map), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 15:59 (nine months ago) link
x-post - that means like someone/thing that eats a lot but also weirdly seems to be the word for wolverine.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 16:12 (nine months ago) link
looked it up - it does mean someone who eats a lot literally but it's the word for glutton. They were calling the squirrels gluttons. :)
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 16:13 (nine months ago) link
We have large dogs down here too.
― pplains, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 16:35 (nine months ago) link
xp Yes, exactly--they are almost always nibbling.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 16:59 (nine months ago) link
aiui humans can contract leprosy from armadillos only by eating their under-cooked flesh (so always use a meat thermometer when preparing armadillo)
― Brad C., Wednesday, 19 July 2023 17:14 (nine months ago) link
xp to gyac, to be fair, this Irish babysitter cared forme from the age of 6 months to about a year— I have no memory of her
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 17:52 (nine months ago) link
I am sad that despite going to California pretty much every year from 2003-2015 that I never saw a raccoon.
here in Oakland, we actually have a family of blonde raccoons living by the lake... not true albinos, just some kind of mutation.. I see them fairly often, they're prolific swimmers
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 18:07 (nine months ago) link
I'm given to understand that firefly larvae are especially badass predators - they can numb and liquefy their prey.
― Exit, pursued by a beer (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:38 (nine months ago) link
When I lived in Brooklyn I was regularly delighted by the chipmunks in Prospect Park, which in themselves are I suppose no more remarkable than squirrels, but we don't get them in the UK. Americans say squirrel funny ime
― Alba, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:43 (nine months ago) link
I suppose it's just that they emphasise the u and we emphasise the i
― Alba, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:44 (nine months ago) link
skwirl
― the world is your octopus (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:45 (nine months ago) link
My daughter's girlfriend called them squiggles one time and now that's what we call them
― Exit, pursued by a beer (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:50 (nine months ago) link
Eh?
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 20:57 (nine months ago) link
You can't spell TEAM with either of those letters though.
― pplains, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:07 (nine months ago) link
I don't know, that's roughly how it sounds to me. I see skwi-rel and they say skwu-rel (apologies to IPA). There is more to it than that though, I realise – Americans tend to almost say the whole thing as one syllable whereas I stress the skwi.
― Alba, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:27 (nine months ago) link
Skwurl
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:27 (nine months ago) link
* I say skwi-rel, not I see skwi-rel, though quite often I do see skwi-rel
xpost
― Alba, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:28 (nine months ago) link
Yes, I think the main difference is Americans tend to not to pronounce the -rel part.
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:33 (nine months ago) link
... or not very strongly.
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:34 (nine months ago) link
I dunno, if you listen to Google's US and English pronunciation (controversially labelled as "British pronunciation") the rel is pretty clear
https://www.google.com/search?q=pronounce+squirrel&rlz=1C5CHFA_enGB976GB977&oq=pronounce+squirrel
― Alba, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:39 (nine months ago) link
Sounds like skwurl to me...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6B2JRU4Rk
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:46 (nine months ago) link
Whereas...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGyWifMrDsA
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:48 (nine months ago) link
There was a thread many years ago that I can’t find but sarahell and a few other people were riffing on the “change girl to squirrel” in a song lyric fun. i still sing “hey little squirrel, i wanna be yr boyfriend” when i have a notable interaction with one
― butt dumb tight my boners got boners (the table is the table), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:52 (nine months ago) link
Yes that wouldn't work in England - but it would in Scotland because "girl" is pronounced "gir-rel"!
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:57 (nine months ago) link
In America it’s one syllable - here it’s 2. I hate it.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:58 (nine months ago) link
shockingly old to learn that 'squirrel' in an international tongue twister, had no idea
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:58 (nine months ago) link
Hate GRA-HAM too. Gram. Sounds better and easier.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:59 (nine months ago) link
Hike up your skirt a little moreShow your squirrel to me
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 21:59 (nine months ago) link
The French can't pronounce it either.
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:00 (nine months ago) link
It’s a horrible word! it’s tough for everyone involved.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:00 (nine months ago) link
I'm not entirely sure Americans consider it one syllable, hmmm
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:01 (nine months ago) link
Oh God no, that's horrible. Also I'm not aware of anyone every calling Billy Graham Billy Gram so what's up there?
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:01 (nine months ago) link
Compared to the way it’s said here? Also the us is huge bit I’ve only ever heard “skwrul”. It’s prob 2 syllables somewhere in the south.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:02 (nine months ago) link
People in the southern U.S. very definitely say "Billy Gram" (or maybe sometimes "Billy Graym").
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:02 (nine months ago) link
I would say Billy Gram! Gram crackers. Billy Gram. I can’t say it as 2 syllables it sounds weird.
― Benson and the Jets (ENBB), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:03 (nine months ago) link
OMG that is so weird!
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:05 (nine months ago) link
haha yeah I am team gram all the way
― out-of-print LaserDisc edition (sleeve), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:07 (nine months ago) link
Billuh Graym
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:08 (nine months ago) link
I reckon that's yet another example of Americans using French pronunciation of names - Graham is apparently Anglo-French.
― John Donne In Concert (Tom D.), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:08 (nine months ago) link
americans saying Craig as Creg always sounds weird to me
― ( X '____' )/ (zappi), Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:25 (nine months ago) link
There's also "melk," "pellow" "warsh your hands", all kinds of regional differences
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 22:30 (nine months ago) link