I accompanied my newly-engaged friend L wedding dress shopping on Saturday. This was my third time as bride-buddy. I'm getting good at buttoning and zipping and helping brides climb in to yards and yards of fabric.
So at this one place the bridal salesgirl brought out some dresses and was telling us about them. "These ones are ahmpeer cut," she said to the bride. "They have an ahmpeer style waist, which will be very flattering on you." Right, okay, thanks. I wasn't really listening very closely so it took me a minute or two to realize she was referring to dresses that I would have described as empire-waisted dresses. At least, I always thought it was pronounced 'empire.' Ahmpeer?
So am I the chump who's been mispronouncing an obvious word for years, or is she?
I don't think it's you, I've always heard it empire as well.
Posted by: kmsqrd | April 19, 2005 at 08:44 AM
My dictionary says in this context, either way works, but they put the "Ahmpeer" pronunciation first. I don't know if that's supposed to imply that Ahmpeer is more popular.
Posted by: boo | April 19, 2005 at 08:53 AM
I didn't even know it was possible to pronounce it "ahmpeer"
Posted by: Scheherazade H. | April 19, 2005 at 09:52 AM
the only person i know who consistently pronounces it "ahmpeer" is a friend who speaks fluent and unaccented French, and also happens to sew like a madwoman. i always thought it was just all the time she spent in Paris that made her say it that way, as I've never heard anyone else do it—not even in a bridal salon.
Posted by: kristine | April 19, 2005 at 10:07 AM
As a guy and probably wont ever wear a wedding dress, I figure I just wont worry how it is pronounced.
Posted by: Monjo | April 19, 2005 at 10:30 AM
"Ahmpeer" is the French pronunciation of the word, which is written the same in French and English. It wouldn't surprise me if the French pronunciation is the standard one in the clothing industry, but like so many things in speech it probably depends on who you're talking to!
Posted by: Tim | April 19, 2005 at 12:44 PM
on "what not to wear," which is a TLC show on Friday nights in which people get advice on how to dress well, they say "ahmpeer." Prior to seeing that show I had never heard it pronounced that way.
Posted by: | April 19, 2005 at 01:52 PM
There were extremely excellent scenes in the movie "The Empire Strikes Back".
Good originality and great imagination in this movie!
I'm very interested in science fiction movies.
Posted by: Creford | April 24, 2005 at 10:57 AM
Its 'om-pîr' or 'om peer' ladies..
If you are talking about the clothing style that was prevalent in France during the first part of the 19th century, you will pronounce it 'om peer'.
And if you are talking about a political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations; and ruled by a single supreme authority, then it would be 'empire'.
Posted by: Himani | April 15, 2007 at 08:24 AM
oddly we gals at work were talking about the empire/ompeer pronunciation battle.. ompeer sounds snooty i guess.. and if you want to sound like you're way up there on the fashionista ladder you say OOOHHMMM per... oommmpeer sounds like it's something new out.. a big secret fashion statement... when it's been around for years... back in the 60s all brides wore EMPIRE waisted dresses to hide that little bundle growing in their bellies...
if Stacey and Clinton would get back to the basics and just say Empire... everyone would know what they're talking about.. instead of sounding like they've come up with some big secret to fashion.. the ooommpeer waist
waist/waste... this conversation has been a waste of time..
Posted by: Barb | August 23, 2007 at 02:31 PM