The world must know. Again.

[mrissa]

Dear fellow writers: SAKI IS NOT A BEVERAGE. SAKE IS A BEVERAGE. SAKI WAS A WRITER. THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. GET IT RIGHT. Ahem. Thank you for your time.

Cc: copy editors.

Comments

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. Does this happen often?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Often enough to be noticeable, and I have a professional example in my possession yet again.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Not just writers -- but alas, I've kind of despaired of people getting it right in conversation.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I often ascribe that to American mushy pronunciation, but...sigh. Apparently not.

[reveritas.livejournal.com]

(What do they say? Sake, like "Oh, for Christ's sake"?

Or sacky like Joe Sakic?)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I hug you long-distance for this analogy, Squasha.

[reveritas.livejournal.com]

I knew you'd like it. Cooked it up special.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

Sah-kee. Like the writer.

I can list all the perfectly logical reasons why people make this mistake -- but that doesn't reduce my annoyance any.

[reveritas.livejournal.com]

That's totally how I say it. Socky like hockey. ;)

[bbovenguy.livejournal.com]

"It may be rice wine to you, but it's still sake to me." *sploosh*

Yes, I'm old, but that's what popped into my head.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but who else here is olde enuff to get the reference?

Veeeeery Eeenteresting.

[bbovenguy.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else got it!

[moiread]

Maybe they're vampires! Maybe that really is a cup of hot steaming person! </nothelping>

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Alas no. The vampires come in elsewhere.

Also there is a teenager in a grunge band T-shirt. And I went, "Really? He is all retro and stuff?" Apparently no.

[moiread]

A vampire story with grunge teenagers drinking "saki". Oh dear. Is this a Poppy Z Brite book or something? Do they also drink absinthe and all have piercing green eyes and twee names?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Actually it's good enough that I'm not sending it to the discard basket unread, so I'll be writing a real review probably tomorrow or Thursday. There are just these...blips....

[reveritas.livejournal.com]

I just want to tell you that my computer is chirping in time with your pointing icon -- or maybe it's a cricket. Something is doing it ...

I would love some sake. Kampai!

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Hey, at least it isn't the Pieta painting by Michaelangelo...

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

Yuck. I usually give a pass for words that are transliterated 9e.g. matza/matzah/matzo/matzoh), but sake is pretty standardized in English!

Note: last time I was in Japan I had at least four or five different types of sake, including one that was sweet and sparkling - I asked if it was mixed with soda like a wine cooler, but apparently not, though it sort of tasted like one. There was also a manager in Saijo who dragged me over tot he sake breweries for a small tasting on our lunch hour. That was fun :-)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Well, and the reason sake is standardized in English is that there are five Japanese vowels, and the difference between ke and ki is clear.

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

That is a very good point.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Somewhere Hector Hugh Munro is laughing. Probably in bed with Yukio Mishima.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

Send in the polecats!

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

I want you to make more posts like this JUST SO YOU'LL USE THIS ICON.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We were singing the "no more monkeys jumping on the bed!" song.