March 4, 2008

AUtophagy or auTOphagy? Face off!

Posted by Eric at 6:38 pm | Category: In the Lab, Science

All right, time to settle a vitally important issue in lab science.

I’ve heard people pronounce “autophagy” as both AW-tuh-fey-jee and uh-TAW-fuh-jee. Clearly, it should be pronounced as the former, like any normal person. The latter pronunciation makes the speaker sound pretentious and silly, whereas the former makes him or her sound practical and to the point, like a serious scientist.

Don’t come quoting to me from the dictionary, either. Do you say “HA-rass” for “harASS”, though that’s the way it is in the dictionary? No, of course not. Because you’d sound like a silly fop otherwise.

Besides, everyone pronounces “autophagosome” as AW-tuh-FA-go-some, and not uh-TAW-fuh-go-some. And no one says uh-TAW-mow-beel for “automobile.”

So there. Those who say “uh-TAW-fuh-jee” will be teased mercilessly.

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6 Responses to “AUtophagy or auTOphagy? Face off!”

  1. The Fake Ben Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm

    There’s a guy in my program who studies autophagy. Every time he presents, he uses both pronunciations probably 80% of the time he mentions it. Pretty annoying. Pretty good example, too, that there’s really no consensus, even among those who study it.

  2. Eric Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 10:40 pm

    One person in my lab is studying autophagy right now, and she does the same thing. I only find it annoying when she uses the wrong pronunciation. :-P

  3. thom Says:
    March 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am

    Here it pronounced here:
    http://www.thefreedictionary.com/autophagy

    Less common does not equal wrong!

  4. Eric Says:
    March 6th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

    Less common is not always wrong, but language is a self-organizing system, and it is only useful insomuch as its users adhere to common conventions. So in language, popular is more right.

    And that pronunciation sounds awful. I stand by my convictions. Those who say aw-TAW-fuh-jee are silly and pretentious.

  5. adrian Says:
    March 7th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    finite v. infinity. similar for autophagy v. autophagosome. pretentious is best, especially if correct.

  6. Eric Says:
    March 7th, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    Still doesn’t explain autophagy vs. automobile. I stand by my way as the right way.

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