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Feiring is pronounced Fire-ing (as in squad)
January 19, 2008

For years I never corrected the mispronounciation of my name.

It never made a difference until I had to accept my James Beard award when Lidia called out Alice FEARing. I was a sport about it.

Recently, a friend of mine told me that Peter Wasserman (who should know better) questioned her accuracy, "Why are you pronouncing her name Fire-ing?"

Peter knows me longer, so she doubted herself.

Even someone I had an affair with about 17 years ago introduced me this summer as Fear-ing.

Ouch.

firing.jpeg

Two years ago my mother, who has been a Feiring since 1946 told me, maybe we should give up and change the spelling of our name so people can get it right.

Hell, if that was the case, I'd just as soon take her maiden name of Avrech, I like it so much better. It's too late for that. So, after years of being a sheep and letting the world call me what they felt like I'm making a request.

Fire-ing as in line. Fire-ing squad as in ring of fire. Fire-ing.

Many thanks. Appreciate it.


Comments

I'm glad you explained that. I pronounced I Fear-ing. But not anymore!

 Dale Cruse on January 20, 2008 01:32 AM

thank you! case in point. i just went over to a relatively good friend who intro-d me to her new b-friend as Alice Fearing who has a book coming out that 's going to be huge, How to Drink Wine and Meet a Guy. (okay, she had just come back from a party and was three sheets to the wind, but.........still! In that context I guess Fearing is better than her version of my book title.--alice

 Alice on January 20, 2008 02:23 AM

It's also the correct pronunciation. Some purposely mispronounce their own surname (especially the tricky "ei" or "ie" sound) to accommodate the vowel sounds in the States. My sister, Heike, had this problem with her first name and she despised having it, so when she named her first daughter she put in an extra letter in "Kiersten" so people would get it right.

Our Swedish forefather had his name Americanized. Ironically, it's now more common in Sweden than the previous spelling "Kahlberg." My Swedish first name is also an indicator of country. When I introduce myself in Germany as "Lars," the Germans recognize my American accent by the "r." (Lars is also common here.) In the States, they think I'm a foreigner, especially when I say I'm from Texas. There's no drawl. Yet, my Swedish friends pronounce it differently than Germans do.

 Lars Carlberg on January 20, 2008 10:47 AM

I thought it was FAIRing, as in neighbor and weigh.

 Steve L. on January 20, 2008 04:58 PM

Kinda like the Diane Arbus thing ( she preferred to be calle Dee-Ann).

I totally understand. Most folks want to pronounce my name Sah-voe'-lah. When I tell them
Che'-voh-la, they look perplexed. When I tell them as in Cello (che'-loh) they seem to get it. For about 2 seconds.

Fireing Line - that's a good name for a snarky wine blog...or are you still in Ms.Nice mode?

Cheers - you look mahvelous, dahling...

 Alfonso on January 20, 2008 08:06 PM

A--Thanks for letting me know! You'll always get the Italian pronunciation from me.
And, yes, thank you, I am still in nice mode, but watch out, an entry is upcoming that will bring out the snark, but I am battling with framing it in a 'nice' way.

 Alice on January 20, 2008 08:30 PM

If I were a Freudian, I'd say there was a whole lot of subconscious messaging going on here...FEARING Alice, Alice FIRING the shots that felled one or more wine titans...tiny but formidable (French pronunciation of course.)

BTW, of course it's FIRING, who could think it wasn't? I don't speak German but I do know that little rule, for the love of Meek.

 Terry Hughes on January 21, 2008 10:47 PM
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