Lost in Transliteration

One would think names, brand names, and transliterated English words would stay the same from one language to another. I mean, we all pronounce 'Sarkozy' with a French accent, right? Right...?

Anyway, here is a short and incomplete list (sure to be expanded as time goes by) of funny Israeli pronunciations. This isn't just about putting the acCENT on the wrong syLLAble, but complete eff-ups of the words. First, I will list the English word, followed by the Israeli equivalent, and some hopefully witty comment about the latter.

Lauper (as in, Cindi): Laufer. This has an explanation, as the letter פ for P and F sounds is the same, and there are rules about when to use it as such, but c'mon! It's her name. Girls just wanna have pun? This country can handle פלפל = falafel without any p/f switches, which clearly explains their priorities.

Boeing: Boing. Talk about the mile high club.

Bowling: Bow-eling. There is a funny dipthong on this word that makes this game seem like it has drastic effects on your GI tract.

Lincoln (as in, Abraham): Lin-co-len. They spell his name with the Hebrew letter lamed (ל) in the middle, thus ensuring that every Israeli pronounces his name with a solid three syllables and ignoring every English grammar law that explain silent letters.