It has come to my attention that visitors are pronouncing oeuvre as though it were a small mechanical fault in a French car. This must stop.
The Approved Sound
The word should leave the mouth like a sigh that has read several books. It is not "ooo-ver." It is not "oover," like the appliance. It is a sound one makes upon realising the dinner party will go on for another two hours.
I will not render it phonetically here, as phonetics are for people who intend to be understood.
On When to Use It
Never about your own work. Always about mine. The correct sentence is: "Nigel's oeuvre resists interpretation," followed by a respectful silence and, ideally, the purchase of a print.
A Note of Mercy
For patrons who find the word treacherous, the Institute permits the following substitutions:
- "His body of work": acceptable, if a little muscular.
- "His whole... thing": discouraged, but I have heard worse at biennials.
- A slow, knowing nod: universally correct and impossible to mispronounce.
We are, above all, an inclusive institution. We simply expect you to be included quietly and with the correct vowels.
Nigel Ponceby-Smythe, Director-General for Life