Considine

I've only heard the first.

I agree with VinnyD but be mindful of how the owner of the name likes it said. If you are familiar with a TV program called "keeping up Appearances?" Their name is Bucket but The Wife pronounces it "bookay". (Bouquet). The second option connotates a Jewish derivation and rightly or wrongly, many people want to disassociate themselves with that.

I understand why someone would prefer to be called 'bouquet' rather than 'bucket'.

#2 - I always assumed that the point of the joke was simply that the snobbish Hyacinth thought "bouquet" sounded in some way "classier" than Bucket, partly because a bouquet of flowers is a more appealing object than a bucket. It never occurred to me that there was any Jewish connection. Can you expand? Is Bucket an actual Jewish surname?

I think secretcover takes himself very seriously and is trying to ensure all branches he posts on take him as seriously.

You obviously haven't read some of the jokes I posted. If someone asks a question, it deserves an answer, not to have the posters sniping at each other. This is the only branch that I have been to where there is so much sniping. On one thread last night one poster was on with two "handles". Now, I don't care who you are -- that's just dumb.

The radio personality, Bob Considine, was definitely "dine."

Alan, I was talking about the second way of promouncing Considine. You are absolutely right about "the bucket woman"

#8 -- But what makes you think that anyone would think that Considine was Jewish?

I wonder if you're thinking of Jewish Americans who pronounce -stein as -steen (like the doctor in Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein).