Phoenix - The Elvis Forum

Colin B in 2017 wrote:...Should we pronounce his rank differently in the UK ?

He's called Lieutenant Columbo in the programme, pronounced 'Lootenant'.

In the UK, the army rank of lieutenant is pronounced 'Left-tenant'.

So, should we say it like that for Columbo ? I think not, because we don't have such a rank in our police force, so the US
pronunciation should prevail. "Left-tenant Columbo" would sound quite silly !...

Everything comes to he who waits !

I've now seen an episode of Columbo set in London: 'Dagger of the Mind' from 1972.

With such luminaries as Honor Blackman, Richard Basehart, Wilfrid Hyde-White, John Fraser & John Williams [remember him in Double Trouble ?]

In this show, the English characters pronounce it: 'left-tenant' [& yes it did sound silly] !

A mystery solved !

Colin B wrote:

Colin B in 2017 wrote:...Should we pronounce his rank differently in the UK ?

He's called Lieutenant Columbo in the programme, pronounced 'Lootenant'.

In the UK, the army rank of lieutenant is pronounced 'Left-tenant'.

So, should we say it like that for Columbo ? I think not, because we don't have such a rank in our police force, so the US
pronunciation should prevail. "Left-tenant Columbo" would sound quite silly !...

Everything comes to he who waits !

I've now seen an episode of Columbo set in London: 'Dagger of the Mind' from 1972.

With such luminaries as Honor Blackman, Richard Basehart, Wilfrid Hyde-White, John Fraser & John Williams [remember him in Double Trouble ?]

In this show, the English characters pronounce it: 'left-tenant' [& yes it did sound silly] !

A mystery solved !

As it was set in England, and that's the way it's pronounced, why does it sound silly?

John wrote:As it was set in England, and that's the way it's pronounced, why does it sound silly?

I already explained all that.

Please pay attention.

There is no such rank in our police force.

Being so used to the US programme, hearing him addressed as 'Left-tenant Columbo' sounded ridiculous.

Colin B wrote:

John wrote:As it was set in England, and that's the way it's pronounced, why does it sound silly?

I already explained all that.

Please pay attention.

There is no such rank in our police force.

Being so used to the US programme, hearing him addressed as 'Left-tenant Columbo' sounded ridiculous.

Please pay attention.

I know all of that. All I'm saying is we pronounce it a particular way, so what's wrong with that, regardless of the fact that we don't have such a rank in our police force, and that it is in fact an army rank?

Also, given that it's fiction, I'd say, "so what?"