Schooled! on Restaurant Name Pronunciations
Ways in which I have been embarrassed by reservationists when calling restaurants:
Reservationist: Thank you for calling dan-YELL.
Me: dan-YELL? That’s hilarious; I’ve been pronouncing it in my head as DAN-yule all this time.
Reservationist: [clears throat]
Reservationist: Good afternoon. How may I help you?
Me: Do you have any reservations for two for tomorrow evening available?
Reservationist: At which restaurant?
Me: Day-gus-TAY-shun.
Reservationist: All I have is a 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Me: I’ll take it. [gives name and telephone number]
Reservationist: You’re confirmed for tomorrow night at 6 for two people at day-gus-TAH-see-OWN
Me: . . . thanks.
GOD. And it’s not like I don’t know that Daniel is French and Degustation is Spanish. I shouldn’t be allowed out in public.
5 Comments
Kelly
This is precisely why you’re my hero; I would have been all, “Hi, I’d like a reservation for two tomorrow night at Dagumumblemumblemumble…”
But, you know, I’m a chicken shit that way.
plumpdumpling
Well if I had thought for a SECOND that there was a CHANCE the name could somehow be pronounced differently than it’s spelled, I would’ve hit Google up for a quick pronunciation search before calling. Even your mumbling would’ve been less embarrassing than confidently saying it entirely wrong.
The culinary world is out to get me!
Tracey
I read your review of Degustation before reading this. You need to post an update about how you didn’t really get it wrong!
Seriously, though. If they wanted it pronounced day-gus-TAH-see-OWN, they should have spelled it “Degustacion”. I think the reservationist was just being pretentious.
plumpdumpling
I was totally consoled even before we got there. Kamran asked me why I even cared what the reservationist thought, and I said that I don’t want to look like the hick I am all the time. He reminded me that I’m the one actually getting to eat at the restaurant, and she’s just the one taking calls for it.
Boo-yah.
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