How to pronounce “Madoff” and “comptroller”

Add comment January 8th, 2009

One of the things I have always appreciated about working for a newspaper instead of a radio or television station is not having to worry much about pronunciation.

For example, when we write about Bernard Madoff, accused of perpetrating a $50 billion scam, we don’t care whether the first syllable of his last name is pronounced “mad” or “made,” as long as the name’s spelled correctly. By the way, an informed source tells me it’s the latter, “MADE-off.”

I realize this is no laughing matter, but what else can I do? The second pronunciation makes for a better pun, as in “Bernard made off with $50 billion.”

If it had been “mad,” “mad off” doesn’t work, although plenty of people are “mad at Madoff.”

Either way, they were burned by Bernard.

Speaking of inappropriate laughter, the word “laughingstock” has been applied to Illinois a lot lately in relation to its problems with Gov. Blagojevich (talk about a pronunciation challenge!).

His Senate appointee, Roland Burris, is a former Illinois comptroller. The comptroller is the state’s chief accounting officer. Elsewhere, such an officer is called a “controller” — which is the way “comptroller” should be pronounced, too. That’s right — replace the “mp” with an “n” sound.

The word “comptroller” is just an alteration of “controller,” influenced by the French “compte,” meaning “an account.” Let’s put the “control” in “comptroller.”