Question (Frank may know this)

Message

kayrharris · #1 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:55 pm

Is it Ab-ba or Ahh-ba?

Sirius Radio is having a whole week of Abba on one of their stations. Their promos all say Ahh-ba. For some reason (maybe because I live in the south) I thought it was Ab-ba. Just wondering.

jaybee · #2 Post by **jaybee** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:07 pm

Kay, that is just too cruel.

So in the same vein, I must add that I almost posted last week just to mention that every (and I mean EVERY) time that i hear "Dancing Queen" on the radio that I think of Frank.

silvercamaro · #3 Post by **silvercamaro** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:09 pm

jaybee wrote:Kay, that is just too cruel.

So in the same vein, I must add that I almost posted last week just to mention that every (and I mean EVERY) time that i hear "Dancing Queen" on the radio that I think of Frank.

Heh. This makes me so very happy.

Bob Juch · #4 Post by **Bob Juch** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:25 pm

I hear AB-BA all the time.

BTW, it's ar-ab, not a-rab.

kayrharris · #5 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:30 pm

The promo is grating on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. I really don't think I've ever heard anyone say ah-ba.

Rexer25 · #6 Post by **Rexer25** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:36 pm

kayrharris wrote:The promo is grating on me like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Sorry, this concept is foreign to me. What is a chalk board? If you scrape your fingernails on a whiteboard, there is no noticeable sound.

mellytu74 · #7 Post by **mellytu74** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:37 pm

That is SO cold!!

ROTFLMAO. But cold.

Rexer25 · #8 Post by **Rexer25** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:44 pm

mellytu74 wrote:That is SO cold!!

ROTFLMAO. But cold.

Sorry. My best humor seems to be satirical, which is not to every one's taste. At least it is recognized as an attempt to make people laugh.

mellytu74 · #9 Post by **mellytu74** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:48 pm

Rexer25 wrote:
mellytu74 wrote:That is SO cold!!

ROTFLMAO. But cold.

Sorry. My best humor seems to be satirical, which is not to every one's taste. At least it is recognized as an attempt to make people laugh.

Rexer --

I should have quoted kay here.

Our friend Frank Tangredi, the Puzzle & Scrabble King, really, really REALLY, REALLLLLLLLLLY dislikes ABBA.

However, your chalkboard remark is very funny, too.

kayrharris · #10 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:48 pm

Rexer25 wrote:
kayrharris wrote:The promo is grating on me like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Sorry, this concept is foreign to me. What is a chalk board? If you scrape your fingernails on a whiteboard, there is no noticeable sound.

Dry erase boards are all I have around here. Natalie got through school studying that way. She is visual and would spend hours with her dry erase board and talking out loud.

I still need to know if it's Ab-ba or Ahh-ba!!! I thought I knew until Sirius messed with my mind.

Here's Fanny! · #11 Post by **Here's Fanny!** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:55 pm

kayrharris wrote:I still need to know if it's Ab-ba or Ahh-ba!!! I thought I knew until Sirius messed with my mind.

I think in Sweden, it was AH-ba. But when they branched out, it was flattened out for the great unwashed.

When I was a kid (i.e. when Abba was popular), most regular people said AB-ba. But all the snooty types said AH-ba. As well as those who liked to act like they knew more than everyone else and had the 'inside scoop' on stuff.

I think it was a banana/banahna thing.

TheConfessor · #12 Post by **TheConfessor** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:19 pm

Looks like the original pronunciation was ah' bah. I assume that's still correct.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oMimCa6Hd0

kayrharris · #13 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:21 pm

Those foreigners! What do they know??

secondchance · #14 Post by **secondchance** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:43 pm

Kay, since their first single I've always heard them referred to as Ab-ba - not Ah-ba. I think no one ever really knows how to pronounce it, as the band is European and their name is really just an acronym for the 4 members' first names.

I take it you're not planning to see Mama Mia? I remember only kind of liking the play when I saw it a long time ago, but I think anything with Meryl Streep is worth a shot. And i do love the songs...

... i apologize in advance if i have offended anyone

TheConfessor · #15 Post by **TheConfessor** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:43 pm

This source looks pretty authoritative. And the narrator says ab' uh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M06bXWGHxc0

kayrharris · #16 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:16 pm

Thanks everyone! It just seemed so wrong every time I was hearing it on the Sirius promos. Then I started wondering if I had been saying it wrong all along!!

I really enjoyed the play, don't mind the music and may see the movie once it's on DVD. Our theater here is the pits. If you're not a teenager, don't care for sticky, yucky seats and just hope and pray that your car is still in the parking lot when you get out, then there is no reason to go. I keep hearing we're getting a nice new one some day, but until then, I'll skip the big screen.

Here's Fanny! · #17 Post by **Here's Fanny!** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:24 pm

kayrharris wrote:Thanks everyone! It just seemed so wrong every time I was hearing it on the Sirius promos. Then I started wondering if I had been saying it wrong all along!!

I really enjoyed the play, don't mind the music and may see the movie once it's on DVD. Our theater here is the pits. If you're not a teenager, don't care for sticky, yucky seats and just hope and pray that your car is still in the parking lot when you get out, then there is no reason to go. I keep hearing we're getting a nice new one some day, but until then, I'll skip the big screen.

Since I read your post and answered, I've seen the Mamma Mia advert on Vh1 three times.

#18 Post by **littlebeast13** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:26 pm

Here's Fanny! wrote:
kayrharris wrote:Thanks everyone! It just seemed so wrong every time I was hearing it on the Sirius promos. Then I started wondering if I had been saying it wrong all along!!

I really enjoyed the play, don't mind the music and may see the movie once it's on DVD. Our theater here is the pits. If you're not a teenager, don't care for sticky, yucky seats and just hope and pray that your car is still in the parking lot when you get out, then there is no reason to go. I keep hearing we're getting a nice new one some day, but until then, I'll skip the big screen.

Since I read your post and answered, I've seen the Mamma Mia advert on Vh1 three times.

It runs constantly on the Wal~Mart TV......

lb13

kayrharris · #19 Post by **kayrharris** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:28 pm

I've seen the Mamma Mia ad several times tonight, however, they never use the word Abba (Ab-ba to me) in the promo.

ontellen · #20 Post by **ontellen** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:28 pm

Since I was the one who set Frank off on his tirade against ABBA - it's pronounced AB A. I saw Mamma Mia for the first time the Friday after 9/11 and kept looking up at the CN Tower in Toronto which hovered over the theater. At that point, we had no idea what was coming next but if they had decided to attack Canada, it would have been the tower.

I saw it again about 2 years later and Bjorn Ulvaeus was there after the show to take a bow.

So, I love ABBA. Shoot me. The Winner Takes It All is my favourite recording EVER. I can't wait to see the movie and will buy the DVD as soon as it's available.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #21 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:38 pm

littlebeast13 wrote:
Here's Fanny! wrote:
kayrharris wrote:Thanks everyone! It just seemed so wrong every time I was hearing it on the Sirius promos. Then I started wondering if I had been saying it wrong all along!!

I really enjoyed the play, don't mind the music and may see the movie once it's on DVD. Our theater here is the pits. If you're not a teenager, don't care for sticky, yucky seats and just hope and pray that your car is still in the parking lot when you get out, then there is no reason to go. I keep hearing we're getting a nice new one some day, but until then, I'll skip the big screen.

Since I read your post and answered, I've seen the Mamma Mia advert on Vh1 three times.

It runs constantly on the Wal~Mart TV......

lb13

I bought the Soundtrack last week and it's the only thingl that the girls want to listen to in my car.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #22 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:38 pm

littlebeast13 wrote:
Here's Fanny! wrote:
kayrharris wrote:Thanks everyone! It just seemed so wrong every time I was hearing it on the Sirius promos. Then I started wondering if I had been saying it wrong all along!!

I really enjoyed the play, don't mind the music and may see the movie once it's on DVD. Our theater here is the pits. If you're not a teenager, don't care for sticky, yucky seats and just hope and pray that your car is still in the parking lot when you get out, then there is no reason to go. I keep hearing we're getting a nice new one some day, but until then, I'll skip the big screen.

Since I read your post and answered, I've seen the Mamma Mia advert on Vh1 three times.

It runs constantly on the Wal~Mart TV......

lb13

I bought the Mamma Mia soundtrack last week and it's the only thing that the girls want to listen to in my car.

cindy.wellman · #23 Post by **cindy.wellman** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:06 am

I would say that I'm totally surprised that we were both wondering the same thing, Kay, but honestly, I'm not! OK, I'm surprised that we both posted about it on the same evening, and wondered about Frank. LOL

I watched a movie yesterday and saw the preview for the Mamma Mia movie. I heard several promos for the ABBA movie today. I was somewhat surprised because the movie I was watching yesterday was not that new. THEN, tonight we were watching Season 1 Disc 2 of Gilmore Girls, before switching over to the news. We ended up missing the news, but caught various anchors on ABC saying AH-BA this and AH-BA that.

Patiently waiting for word from Frank.....

cindy.wellman · #24 Post by **cindy.wellman** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:17 am

I've posted this prior to now..... but it really was funny/cool to think of Frank in the middle of Salzburg!!

LOL

TheConfessor · #25 Post by **TheConfessor** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:08 am

http://www.abbamail.com/ask_ian/askian_4sep2001.htm

My fiancé and I are having a disagreement as to how to pronounce the band’s name? Is it pronounced like the beginning of the name "Abagale", as in apple or is it like the Jewish term for father, with a soft "A"? Thanks for your help in resolving this. Tracy and Scott

There is no right or wrong way to pronounce “ABBA”. Americans tend to say “AAAH-BAAH”, Australians tend to pronounce the first syllable like the A in “apple”, while Swedes tend to say something that almost sounds like “UBB BUH”.