So how do you pronounce "fillet"?

WizSteve

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When I was working at a frame shop in Georgia, we called them "fill'-ets".

Of course, we had a road near-by named "Ponce de Leon" that came out as "ponce duh-lee'-on"...


And I know there's people out there that call them "fill-lays'".

I see that Picture Framing Magazine had an article titled "Elusive History of Frame Fillets" that appeared back in November of 99, but I can't seem to find a copy laying around anywhere. I can't find jack on Google either (though Mike@GTP's site comes up ninth when I search for "picture framing fillet history").

There's also an old Grumble thread here but no one answered the question...

So which pronounciation do you use? Do you pronounce it differently depending on who you're talking to? Do you care? :cool:
 
I believe it is regional. I learned framing in NY where we say fillet (more like fill-it actually. Then I worked for a while in CA where we said fill-ay.

I knew a sales rep whose territory encompassed 10 of the United States. She told me that her states were evenly split. 5 fill-it states, and 5 fill-ay states.

Since it's what I learned first I'm more comfortable with fill-it.
 
Southern state here, but I say fill-it.
I was taught to say fi-lay
One of my sales reps told me that was the correct way and it made sense to me sense fi-lay is spelled with one l.
 
When framing, it's fill-it.
When cooking it's fi-lay.

For me, anyway.

-Mike.
 
I have called it both, privately. When I talk to customers I call it fill'-et because if I said fi-lay some of my customers would want to know how we cook it! ;)

Now let me add my question. How do you prounounce faux? As similar to fox? Or Fo (long o)? Or fause?

Of course we say pecan as pe-cah'-n not pe'can.
(Oops, I feel a warped coming on...)

Betty
 
Although fillet derived from the middle French filet(pronounced fil-ay) our term fillet is a middle English stone masons term meaning "a narrow flat architectural member or a flat molding separating others". The English pronunciation is fil-it.

Around here if you are shopping at a Target store it is pronounced Tar-get if you are buying cleaning supplies, Tar-jay if you are buying clothes or home decor

Peter Bowe
 
If it's regional, the regions are pretty small.

I say fill-it and I believe John Ranes says fill-lay.

He's in the northern region of Appleton and I'm near the center.

I'm afraid if I say fill-lay during a design session, I might start drooling.
 
Quote

"Of course we say pecan as pe-cah'-n not pe'can."

pe-cah'-n('s) are for eating... pe'can('s) are for truckers...

Sorry-I had to...
 
Peter Bowes ' expleation is closest to the one I had given by Brian Barmet. He explained (In a class accompanied by Bill Parie,talk about pronunciation differances) thatas far as he knew the term came from the practice in welding (when an L shaped crevase was filed with soldier it was refered to as a "fill-it" or filet weld much as peter;s description in other building practices.
However Down here in N'Awlins wjere every thing has a French/Cajun accent it will be called a "Fe-lay' unlike the sassafras leaf condoment file used in Gumbos.To further confuse the issue iam sure you know what Bill Parie said it was,and when I asked Paul fredricks he also put the French pronunciation on it.I am also sure that John Ranes has similar Frenh influences.
But does it really matter ? wasn't it just recently that a noted University stated that even if you only use the correct first and last letters in your writing you wil be understood?And don't all of you mange(By the hardest to comprehend what I post?) so Fill-it or Fil-eh as long as we understad what we are both speaking about ,WHO CARES?
BUDDY
 
Captain English pronounces the 't' in fillet.

She also pronounces the 't' in Monet because she has had it RIGHT UP TO HERE WITH THOSE EVERLASTING WATER LILIES AND MAY BREAK OUT IN HIVES IF SHE HAS TO FRAME EVEN ONE MORE OF THEM.

I hope that settles the question.

Kit
 
Originally posted by Kit:
....she has had it RIGHT UP TO HERE WITH THOSE EVERLASTING WATER LILIES AND MAY BREAK OUT IN HIVES IF SHE HAS TO FRAME EVEN ONE MORE OF THEM.

Kit
Send me ALL those Monets (Mo-NAYS) you no longer want to frame.


-Mike.
 
Sooner or later, I guess this conversation had to make it's way to The Grumble. I've had this argument with Vivian Kistler on several occasions and I've heard all of the logically arguments multiple times.

The "Architechural stem from French to English" does sound the most reasonable, but the truth is, as Buddy has asked, Does it really make much difference.

For me......the "correct pronunciation" is easy....

<font size=4>At $12.00 a foot......It's a Fill-lay!</font size>


(As the Christmas season is getting closer, we'll probably see a question on the pronunciation of Poinsettia over on Warped soon.)

[ 11-12-2003, 10:58 AM: Message edited by: John Ranes II, CPF, GCF ]
 
Put me in your Monet camp, Kit. Haven't had to face one for quite some time.
When we do one, it usually gets a FILL-it because it engenders more MUN-ee.

Betty, it's pronounced "f-owe", no hestitation in between. Just because it's French, and in French, "au" is pronounced as a long "o" vowel sound. And you don't need that "x" either. And you can seethat the French are so contrary: it shows up in a lot of places.

No offense to anyone of French origin: our language is nuts as well. :D

Oh, but what about "mauve"? Is it "m-owe-v" or "m-aw-v"? I like the latter, which puts the lie to most of my pontification on matters grammatical and pronunciational.

[ 11-12-2003, 11:01 AM: Message edited by: MerpsMom ]
 
Originally posted by John Ranes II, CPF, GCF:
(As the Christmas season is getting closer, we'll probably see a question on the pronunciation of Poinsettia over on Warped soon.)
poyn-seta.


-Mike.
 
So, John, does Vicki Schober sell Faux Fill-ays?

That would be mystery meat or one of the vegetarian substitutes.
 
Cha-ching
 
I'm SO AWARE of the distinction ...

(how aware ARE you??)

Well, I'll tell you ...

Whenever I pull into a gas station, I say,
fill-ay up!


(OD'd on the Vac-U-Mount again....)

[ 11-12-2003, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: FramingFool ]
 
Emibub when you said,"I've always said "You fil-lay a fish, you use a fil-let on a mat."You left out File'( a Native American Herb),(,is herb or erb?)Oh God! every time you bring up one, still another mystery pronunciation pops up)which has very little to do with fish .Unless you put fish in your Gumbo (which I am told is the African word for Okra) and you don't use Okra to thicken it.Will this ever end?Yes! The way I type who can't tell what language I am useing or if I can spell correctly much less phoentically .But I can use all of these: Filets in framing ,I can also Filet fish ,and I have used File' in my Gumbo when ever I haven't used Okra along with the other herbs and spices,that is often served at Christmas time in New Orleans when the tables are decorated with Poinsettias .
But what's important is do ya'll understand me?And further more do our customers know what we are speaking about?
BUDDY
 
My answer is fill it.
But on to a bigger questions...how do you say caramel? Is it Kar mel or Karah mel?

I went on vacation over the summer with a few friends for a week...the one friends became obsessed on the second day when she heard me pronounce it. It has been six months and each time we talk she mentions it. I don't care I do it just to piturb her.

Tell me your opinion.
d
 
Buddy-
That should be ok-ree !

Kit-
Monet: "Mo-nay", not to be confused with Manet: "Man-ay". Say it with me now,

Manet, Monet...and Jack! ;)

(Gosh, it's late...)
 
Caramel, Kar mel or Karah mel?

Elementary, elemen tree or elemen tary?

Lose, loose, Loss, this is more of a pronuciation thing.
One day it took me an hour to figure out whch was which.

Iron, i rin, i urn, i ron?

Ornament or christmas balls?

I can not say certain words so I use other words so people don't make fun.

d
 
The instructor of my first framing class told us that "unless you plan to grill it and eat it, it should be called a fill-it; a fi-lay is a choice cut of beef." I believed him until a customer who is a British subject let me know that "he was wrong indeed. It is always fi-lays in our framing, and for dinner we have a wonderful fill-it of beef."

Guess its a lot easier to pronounce it "that little piece of wood that looks like another frame inside the mat."
 
Uh oh -- I always thought it was spelled filet for the boneless fish or filet mignon -- but Scott Foresman Advanced Dictionary doesn't say so -- and fillet for the "little trim pieces".

Scott Foresman has BOTH definitions for fillet with "Fill it" as the first pronounciation but says "usually" "fi lay" -- and also shows "fill ay" !

I personally think fi lay sounds better and fill it sounds crude.

I've also heard some say it is a "fil lay" mat and a "fill it" when it is wood!
 
"Little skinny bit of wood", that should solve it, unless you want to go the whole hog and call it "little skinny bit of wood without a rebate (re-bay) or rabbet (ra-bay)".
 
I call 'em wood liners...
---
Mike
 
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