Love 'em or hate 'em, how are you pronouncing "culottes"?

April

When I was a girl in the 70s, we pronounced this word COOL- otts. Now that I'm older and have taken some French, I realize it's probably correctly pronounced "cu-LOTZ."

How are you saying it, either aloud or in your head?

8 years ago

General

52 replies

Latest reply was from Astrid

Aida

Veteran

COO-lots here

8 years ago

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I put the emphasis on the first syllable, but you've reminded me of the French Revolutionary term "sans-culottes," which I pronounce the opposite way.

8 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I say it cu-LOTZ.

Funny story though: for a very long time (basically until I went to college) I thought that they were called "gulocks" because that's how my mom said it. English is not her first language so although she is fluent she sometimes gets words wrong, especially foreign-based ones. She wore culottes so she definitely knew what they were, but she called them "gulocks" and nobody else I knew ever mentioned them so I had no idea that it was "culottes."

8 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The French way, darling.

cu-LOTZ

8 years ago

April

Veteran

Well, Diana, I grew up in the Boston region, so you could say that English was not our first language either. We pronounced all words as if a steamroller had run over them.

8 years ago

April

Veteran

I suspected as much, Angie. And of course, your culottes look wonderful and exist in a different universe than the ones I hate. As do Diana's.

8 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Ha! Actually now that you mention it, my mom lived in Arkansas when she first moved to the us in the late 60's, and that's probably when she first learned about culottes too. To this day she pronounces a lot of words she learned at that time with a slight southern drawl....

8 years ago

Anonymous

COO-lots here. And I pronounce gilet "long vest."

8 years ago

Helena

Veteran

Great question! French way too

8 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

My English mama pronounced it the French way in the 70s, and that's how it's stuck in my head.

8 years ago

Joyce B

Veteran

I also pronounce it the French way.

8 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

ROFL @ Xtabay,....me too. : )

8 years ago

Mauvish

Active Member

growing in Pakistan we called them Cu-lootz too.

I remember wearing them in 95 when i pre-teen something like the picture attached. lots of print mixing and completely maximal.

(its not my picture, just a random image from google.)

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8 years ago

Marilyn

Veteran

cu-LOTZ

LOL, Xtabay. I say long vest as well.

8 years ago

kerlyn

Veteran

COO-lots here, as well!

8 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

When I had my first pair I think we were calling them gauchos.

My mother in law from Egypt referred to all underpants as culotte.

8 years ago

anne

Veteran

Like Angie!

8 years ago

Staysfit

Veteran

As they do in Paris!

8 years ago

Anonymous

COO-lots here.

8 years ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

COO-lots! And I do remember "gaucho" as an alternate name too.

8 years ago

Bonnie

Veteran

COO-lots is the way I pronounce it.

8 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

Coo lots.

8 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Cu-LOTZ I think, but I actually have an auditory processing problem in hearing accents. So maybe CU-lotz, I would have to ask someone else and no one is up this early.

8 years ago