On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:31:24 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:


Thanks Vic, my dear friend and colleague

I'll answer that this way.
Guy and his wife- from NYC - are in Hawaii for the first time, on
vacation.
Problem is they are arguing about how to say Hawaii.
The wife says it should be pronounced Ha-Vy-ee.
Husband says it's Ha-Wy-ee.
It's spoiling their vacation, because that's just how they are.
They decide to get off the beach, find a native Hawaiian, and settle
it once and for all.
So they walk to a working class neighborhood in Honolulu, find
a big dark-skinned guy sitting on a stoop, and wearing the traditional
Hawaiian garb that looks like what saw when they'd see a native pork
roast beach party on Hawaii Five-0.
They know there's a Hawaiian word for native pork roast beach party,
but always dance around that, figuring that just saying native pork
roast beach party would keep the peace. And it's clear enough.
Even Hawaii Five-0 is called just Five-0 in their household.
Being big fans of Five-0 and Don Ho, and even knowing the words of
"Tiny Bubbles" by heart only exacerbates this disagreement about how
to pronounce Hawaii beyond their normal level of bickering.
They like Hawaii. Why let it come between them?
They could find plenty else to divorce over, so they both figure they
won't let it be Hawaii
So here they are actually in Hawaii, and it has come to a head.
They even agree on how the question will be asked, so as not to
influence the person they ask. Small victory right there.
Husband says to the guy, "Excuse me, sir. My wife and I are having a
slight disagreement about how to pronounce the name of these fine set
of islands that comprise the 50th state. How do you pronounce it?"
The guy says, "I say it Ha-Vy-ee."
Wife smirks at husband, say to him, "That settles that."
She turns to the guy and says, "Thank you sir! Thank you very much!!"
He replies, "You're velcome."

And so, my dear friend and rec.boats colleague, my reply to your most
generous thanks is "You're velcome!"

--Vic