A woman is eating alone at a restaurant. Her waiter makes some small talk, takes her drinks order, and brings over some nibbles. She's friendly and the waiter thinks she's flirting with him.
She's ready to order and thinks this is his chance, swaggers up to the table, leans over to her and whispers, "fancy a quickie?"
She stands up, slaps him in the face and storms out of the restaurant.
Someone from the neighbouring table says to him, "Ah, I think it's pronounced 'quiche.'"
I (nonnative speaker of English) used to think it was pronounced neesh because my first language's cognate (Nische) is pronounced similar to that. But since hearing that scene I know that's not universally the case.
I have no idea what this spelling is called and I have no idea what any of the letters mean. Phonetic spelling? Regardless, it's so intuitive to instantly know how to pronounce it.
It was always "nitch" to me growing up in New England. Then I thought people were getting fancy and mispronouncing it as the internet rose. Then last year I found out that I am the idiot and "neesh" is the proper way.
But I still have a hard time saying it and not feeling pompous.
I am a french canadian, I can assure you niche is a french word, so Nish is technically the "correct" way of pronouncing it. Never heard it pronounced the french way by americans, only neesh. Maybe it has to do on where you are in the US tho.
68 Comments
watson387@sopuli.xyz · 110 pts · 102d
Neesh
meco03211@lemmy.world · 69 pts · 102d
Like quiche.
jestho@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 102d
Keetch?
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 102d
Kwitch
Romkslrqusz@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 102d
Kwee-Tchay
arctanthrope@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 102d
quicky
Shteou@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 102d
A woman is eating alone at a restaurant. Her waiter makes some small talk, takes her drinks order, and brings over some nibbles. She's friendly and the waiter thinks she's flirting with him. She's ready to order and thinks this is his chance, swaggers up to the table, leans over to her and whispers, "fancy a quickie?" She stands up, slaps him in the face and storms out of the restaurant. Someone from the neighbouring table says to him, "Ah, I think it's pronounced 'quiche.'"
TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.ca · 59 pts · 102d
"Neesh" which is the correct way to say it as far as I am concerned. It has Latin roots but the word "niche" is French and that is how they say it.
farmgineer@nord.pub · 4 pts · 102d
I pronounce it 'neesh' as well, but we're going to get into trouble if we pronounce everything with French/Norman/Latin routes the way it is (or was).
SGforce@lemmy.ca · 32 pts · 102d
Nietzsche
Anchorxiety@reddthat.com · 7 pts · 102d
God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.
usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 102d
Knee-chee
backalleycoyote@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 102d
Have you met his sister Kim?
in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social · 1 pts · 102d
Neeshjuh?
Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 31 pts · 102d
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 19 pts · 102d
Rhymes with fiche, quiche and capisce.
swordgeek@lemmy.ca · 14 pts · 102d
neesh for all purposes.
I've never heard anyone talk about a "nitch." Maybe an US dialect?
Gnergy@piefed.europe.pub · 2 pts · 102d
Everyone who has played through GTA 5 has heard the pronunciation "nitch" here: https://youtu.be/FlzZhGr8G9w?t=79
I (nonnative speaker of English) used to think it was pronounced neesh because my first language's cognate (Nische) is pronounced similar to that. But since hearing that scene I know that's not universally the case.
AyuTsukasa@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 102d
That is the first time in all my years that I've ever heard it pronounced that way, and now I'm wondering if I live under a rock.
iocase@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 102d
Pronouncing it "nitch" is how biologists pronounce niche when talking about "that thing an organism does well to survive"
k0e3@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 102d
How American biologists pronounce it.
Vespair@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 102d
"neesh" refers to something small, specialized, or insular and a "nitch" is a small recess in a wall, imo.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 12 pts · 102d
Nietzche
thenextguy@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 102d
We are the knights who say... Neesh!
AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 102d
niːʃ
e0qdk@reddthat.com · 3 pts · 102d
I say it more like nɪʃ personally.
Klear@quokk.au · 2 pts · 102d
Nooooo! Have mercy!
three@piefed.social · 1 pts · 102d
I have no idea what this spelling is called and I have no idea what any of the letters mean. Phonetic spelling? Regardless, it's so intuitive to instantly know how to pronounce it.
SandLight@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 102d
IPA or international phonetic ale
pedz@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 102d
https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet
durindana@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 102d
Neesh interests
But don’t forget the nitch in the living room wall
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 10 pts · 102d
Neesh
mushroommunk@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 102d
I kind of combine them. Neetch. It's kind of a niche pronunciation
zonklezoop@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 102d
It was always "nitch" to me growing up in New England. Then I thought people were getting fancy and mispronouncing it as the internet rose. Then last year I found out that I am the idiot and "neesh" is the proper way.
But I still have a hard time saying it and not feeling pompous.
UnpledgedCatnapTipper@piefed.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 102d
Out of curiosity, which part of New England? It was always "neesh" for me (Northeastern CT).
zonklezoop@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 102d
Way up heah in Maine, bub.
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 102d
There isn't a proper way, both are correct. I opt for neesh personally
Edit: who fucking downvoted me while saying nothing? Lmao
AmidFuror@fedia.io · 1 pts · 102d
That damn downvoter is always getting me too! And a lot of the times his friends join him.
Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 102d
We need to all come together and unmask them!
SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 102d
Yess yessss let the Algorithm flow through you
SolidShake@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 102d
Nike. Just do it.
FuglyDuck@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 102d
Both, and I'm not sure I have a hard and fast rule saying when one over the other. It's probably some sort of soft rule I'm totally unaware of.
But both are correct. (though Nitch is more american and Neesh is more british.)
TheOctonaut@piefed.zip · 5 pts · 102d
Do you mean nîche?
ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 101d
The only time I've ever heard someone pronounce it nitch is when they've never actually heard it said aloud and only knew the word from reading it.
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 102d
This is a great way to ask "did you grow up outside America, or as an American?"
systemglitch@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 102d
Neesh. That is the proper way.
CyanideShotInjection@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 102d
Pretty sure the english pronunciation is Neesh, but the origin is french and is closer to Nish.
FatVegan@leminal.space · 2 pts · 102d
It's tge otger way around. Tge correct way is neesh with a a longer i, but americans say nish like Nish Kumar
CyanideShotInjection@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 102d
I am a french canadian, I can assure you niche is a french word, so Nish is technically the "correct" way of pronouncing it. Never heard it pronounced the french way by americans, only neesh. Maybe it has to do on where you are in the US tho.
TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 102d
Depends if we're talking about a hobby or a habitat.
LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 102d
I say it the wrong way, so you probably shouldn't ask me.
FatVegan@leminal.space · 2 pts · 102d
I say it the opposite way
hogmomma@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 102d
Nee-chuh.
palordrolap@fedia.io · 2 pts · 102d
The follow-up question is basically "Are you a non-American English speaker?", however you choose to parse that.
So, it's "neesh" for me.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 102d
Nitch
finallymadeanaccount@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 102d
Noots
NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 1 pts · 102d
nī-txí
adespoton@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 102d
Fred? Is that you?
adespoton@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 102d
Depends on whether I’m talking to an American or some other English or French speaker.
Zephorah@discuss.online · 1 pts · 102d
Neetch
Hiplobbe@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 102d
Nizh
bryndos@fedia.io · 0 pts · 102d
Neeshay, Rhymes with cliche.
"Klye-cH" is fine for that too, so I guess "Nye-ch" is nice.
meco03211@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 102d
I'd pronounce it clee-shay. Are there really people that rhyme that with niche?
AstralPath@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 102d
If they do they're wrong. It's cliché; the French é sounds like "ay". 🇫🇷
LurkingLuddite@piefed.social · 7 pts · 102d
I have never ever heard someone pronounce "cliche" any other way than "klee-shay".
meowmeow@quokk.au · 3 pts · 102d
A person of refined taste right here. Very nic
heHubertManne@piefed.social · 0 pts · 102d
honestly I think I have used both.
tgcoldrockn@lemmy.world · -3 pts · 102d
necky (neh•kee): let's get niche
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com · -3 pts · 102d
Rhymes with bitch