I need a word for...

[deird1]

...the really odd sensation of not realising that two things are the same thing.


This has happened to me before, many times. For instance: after decades of hearing Americans talk about Rice Krispies, I saw a box on a tv show, and suddenly realised that they were the same thing as Rice Bubbles. (I'd been picturing something more like Cornflakes, but made from rice.)


And, most recently, I watched an American show with the subtitles on. Which meant that, when "Tamara" came on screen, I could see that people were calling her "Tamara".

I have, apparently, spent years watching tv shows with people called Tamara.

The thing is, though, that in Australia, I'd say "ta-MAR-ah". In America, it seems to be "TAM-ra".

For years and years, I have seen character after character called Tamra, and never ever realised that it was actually just a different pronunciation of Tamara. And now I'm a bit weirded out.

Comments

[velvetwhip]

It might me. Because while, come to think of it, I have also heard it pronounced as "TA-mar-a", I have never heard it reduced to two syllables. But the USA is a vast place and we have an amazing number of regional vagaries.



Gabrielle

[lliira]

Yeah, when I thought about it I realized I'd heard TAM-a-rah sometimes too. But never three syllables reduced to two for that name.