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Dear Garrison, I've often wondered

December 23, 2004 |

Dear Garrison,
I've often wondered why you pronounce "Guy" in Guy Noir to rhyme with "fly" instead of (as in French) with "flee". I suppose it must be because he's American, but then why isn't Noir pronounced to rhyme with "choir"? It just seems inconsistent. After all this time, however, I've become used to the way you say the name and would find the correct way jarring.

I'm looking forward to seeing your show in Duluth Jan. 8. Merry Christmas and see you next year!

Marilyn Kaeli
Hibbing MN

Marilyn, I could make the case that the French word "noir" is in common usage in English, pronounced as it is in French, so as a last name it can be pronounced that way. But of course the simple truth is that Guy Noir pronounces his name the way he pronounces it, and in America people have the right to do this. You could pronounce your name like "caeli" or "kiley" or "keeley" and the rest of us would have to accept it. We can argue further about this in Duluth.

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