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I know this term is almost never used these days, except in Ontario and in the UK, but I still hate to hear it pronounced as a "shiropodist" rather than a "kiropodist".

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Here in the state's we pronounce it "old retired foot specialist"

Saw a tragic Jennifer Aniston movie from the late 90's last night - there was a reference to a practicing 'sh - iropodist'. Set in New York at that point in time.

It still seems that even a recently as then the US public (ie scriptwriters) still used ye olde terminology for the 'podiatree' profession.

LL

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Remember, it's just a foot.

I believe Ive also seen both pronunciations in television:

-On a sienfeld episode I remember George mentioning he had to take his mother to the shiropodist (which I never understood because in NY this is old terminology and on another episode, Elaine dates a podiatrist and Jerry then launches into a tyrade regarding whether or not podiatrists are doctors)

-On the Sopranos, Tony said he had to get to his kiropodist (also old terminology)

-On Bob and Margaret (havent seen, only heard of), Margaret is aparently a shiropodist.

-On a side note, on a recent episode of 30 Rock, Tracy was diagnosed with Diabetes and so he attached a wheel to one shoe so that he would not lose his foot. It was very funny.

In the province of Ontario, Canada, all Ontario-trained foot specialists are still called chiropodists (pronounced kiropodists) but we're not all dinosaurs!

Of course if you can't afford to see the shiropodist you could always just try the shemist for a foot file .

R

netizens

It is all in the etymology. Chiro is a Greek prefix and 'ch' is pronounced with a silent 'h,' So if it is all Greek to you so far then it is 'iropodist' In translation to English, the Greek silent 'h' becomes a harsh sounding 'k'

kiropodist

The same is seen in school and Christmas (or K Mass)

Common bastardisation of the English language has clouded the origins of words causing mispronounciation. To the purists that is uncomfortable but the most likely way language evolves. The use of "shiropodist" in popular soaps etc it is likely to determine the future and how the word is pronounced.

What is far more interesting from an anthropogy/sociology perspective is the emotive reaction to "shiropody.' In context when the term is used in Seinfeld and Sopranos for example it expresses a comedic cliche which says much about the associated character e.g old, infirm, vulnerabe. In Seinfeld there are several references to podiatrists (including one dedicated episode) and here pods are associated with fit and healthy 30 somethings. Out of the blue George says to a minor character, "Try podiatry it is a good career." or something to that effect. At one time Jerry Seinfeld did endorse foot orthoses so it is unlikely the choice of words which appear on screen were ill informed.

People who feel most uncomfortable about being referred to as 'shiropodists' are the foot health professionals. What does that say about our self esteem? Chiropodist and Podiatrist are synonimous and continue to be used in legal documentation in US, UK and Australia. The popular trend is to use Podiatry and Podiatrist but Chiropody is still there and many people are very proud to be called chiropodists.

See ya corncutters
toeslayer

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Thank you! This has worried me for years! If I had known how to pronounce it, I might have become it when younger! The Spanish speaking bit insisted on Cheerop'dist, the classical bit said 'chiros' was Greek for hand, and should be kiropodist, like chemist, from alchemy, and I heard 'shiropody' and not just from those drinking champagne.
Join the Simplified spelling society today! Or be dyslexic!

It is indeed slack use of the English language which has resulted in the term 'shiropody'. I wrote to the Oxford English Dictionary staff some years ago pointing out that they accept that both the hard and the aspirated versions. Their answer was that the dictionary reflects useage rather than determines it, hence both useages are deemed to be correct.

I suppose that if you don't like it, you can stop using it.

All the best

Bill

Dear All,

I always thought it was:

CHOP O DIST

Oh well must put on my KEMEESE

Then off to the SHEMMIST

Then to be broken in two by the SHYROPRACTER

David in very Cold Sydney.