[quote=robert44444uk;162664]American English sounds fine, except for one thing that got my goat during my 3 years living there...

Whatever happened to the h in herb?[/quote]It's a regional thing. Where I grew up (Oklahoma), I heard both ways about equally, and I can deal with either. Generally I'll rhyme with whoever introduces it into the conversation, or else make it an elision that's conditional on the preceding phoneme:

[I]"H[/I]erbs and spices are common in kitchens, but some cooks just never know which 'erbs to use."

- - - - -

[quote=ewmayer;162701]I believe they're just following the Brits` lead on that one.[/quote]Listening to BBC got me in trouble -- when nervous I pronounced the "t" in [I]often[/I], which earned me a reprimand in speech class.

[QUOTE=cheesehead;162724]Listening to BBC got me in trouble -- when nervous I pronounced the "t" in [I]often[/I], which earned me a reprimand in speech class.[/QUOTE]

I've only ever pronounced it [i]ˈȯf-tən[/i] ... what speech class were you in - "How to Speak with a drawl, y'all"?

[QUOTE=ewmayer;162736]I've only ever pronounced it [i]ˈȯf-tən[/i] ... what speech class were you in - "How to Speak with a drawl, y'all"?[/QUOTE]Well I grew up in Southern California and my impression here is that I hardly ever heard the 't' in often pronounced as a child but over the last few decades I have heard it progressively more often. Initially it sounded pretentious or hyper-correct to my ears. I also grew up pronouncing ant and Aunt identically and feel a bit uncomfortable hearing "Aunt" pronounced differently with local speakers.

[QUOTE=only_human;162744]Well I grew up in Southern California and my impression here is that I hardly ever heard the 't' in often pronounced as a child but over the last few decades I have heard it progressively more often. Initially it sounded pretentious or hyper-correct to my ears. I also grew up pronouncing ant and Aunt identically and feel a bit uncomfortable hearing "Aunt" pronounced differently with local speakers.[/QUOTE]
My pronunciation of English is much closer to the English of England than that of North America. I use 's' rather than 'z' even though, strictly speaking, the latter is correct. No-one I know has used 'an' before 'h' in years. 'Erb sounds pretentious and I can't (not kant!) get used to aunt = ant. Roald Dahl was so struck by aunt|ant thing that he satirised it in [I]The Ant Eater[/I], set in San Francisco.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Beasts[/url]

What seems to happen in Australia under the gravitational influence of American culture is that younger people pick up American expressions but not American pronunciation nor its spelling. The only exceptions to that I've noticed particularly are add'ress (not 'address) and re'search (not 'research). But nothing stands still ... .

[quote=robert44444uk;162664]American English sounds fine, except for one thing that got my goat during my 3 years living there...

Whatever happened to the h in herb?

It just sounds wrong to me![/quote]
I suspect they are thinking of the french for grass.

Time to wheel out my coup de grace (French lawn mower)

[QUOTE=robert44444uk;162664]Whatever happened to the h in herb?[/QUOTE]What about the h in human?

[QUOTE=ewmayer;162701]You British-empire-style speakers stop saying "a[b]n[/b] historic..." as if the H were silent (what are we speaking, cockney?), and we will gladly re-insert the "hah" into "herb".[/QUOTE]I've never said that, it just sounds clumsy and wrong.

A couple of phrases that bother me are, "head over heels," which is the case for most of the time (maybe not for you Australians :wink:) and, "could care less."

[quote=lavalamp;162785]"could care less."[/quote]One of my Sunday-school teachers led a couple of sessions about his sincere contention that the elision of "-n't" from "couldn't care less" had some serious significance.

In the same vein, we were perpetually being exhorted to
"Give a damn" about such or such cause.

From Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up":

"Take nothing less
than the second best"

[QUOTE=cheesehead;162854]One of my Sunday-school teachers led a couple of sessions about his sincere contention that the elision of "-n't" from "couldn't care less" had some serious significance.[/QUOTE]It has far more significance than the normal subject matter for such a class.

Not really to do with this thread, but I've just heard a little nonsense rhyme that I quite like.

Yesterday upon the stair,
I mat a man who wasn't there,
He wasn't there again today,
Oh how I wish he'd go away.

I thought this might be helpful. From an email I received some time ago.
[quote]Guide to understanding Thames Estuary English. Especially helpful when talking to Chavs.

'spect.

ASSA COMMONS - Our Parliament Building.
ART ATTACK - Extremely perturbed, as in "Don't tell Sharon . She'll have an art attack."
ARST - Past tense of ask. "Jordan, I must've arst ya free fazzund times to clear up yer room."
BANNSA - A person employed to deny access or eject troublemakers at a club. "Dave's got izself a job as a bannsa."
BANTY - A chocolate and coconut snack bar.
BAVE - To wash oneself.
BOAF - The two. "Oi Dave, ooja fancy most, Sharon or Tracy?" "Boaf" is the reply.
BRANSATCH - Motor racing circuit in Kent.
CANCEL - Administrative body of a town. "Darren, wive ad annuvva letter from the cancel."
CANTAFIT - Fake, as in money.
CHOONA - An edible fish purchased in a tin and usually prepared with mayonnaise.
CORT A PANDA - A big hamburger (smaller than an arf panda)
DAN TO URF - Sensible, practical.
DANNING STREET - Where the Prime Minister lives.
DANSTEZ - On the ground floor , where the biggest telly is.
DREKKUN - Do you consider? as in "Which dog drekkun'll win the next race?"
EFTY - Considerable. "Ere, Trace, this credit card bill's a bit efty."
EJOG - A small, spiky animal.
ERZ - Belonging to her.
EVVY - A big geezer who protects a smaller and more intelligent geezer, usually for money. "My name's Frank and this is my evvy, Knuckles."
EYEBROW - Cultured, intellectual.
FANTIN - A jet of water for drinking or ornament.
FARVA - A posh way of saying Dad.
FATCHA - Margaret, British Prime Minister 1979 -1990.
FINGY - A person or object whose name doesn't come to mind. " I wen out wiv fingy last night."
FONG - Skimpy undergarment.
FOR CRYIN AT LAD - Mild expletive showing annoyance or surprise. "For cryin at lad, Britney, if I say Yes will you give it a rest?"
GAWON - Go on. "Gawon Darren, eat ya granny's cabbage, it'll do yer good."
GIVE IT LARGE - To be thorough or enthusiastic.
GRAND - A football stadium. "It all wennoff atside the pub near the grand."
HAITCH - Letter of the alphabet between G and I.
IBEEFA - The Spanish holiday island.
IFFY - Dubious. "Ere, Trace, I fink this bread pudding you made last munf's a bit iffy."
INT - Indirect suggestion. " I gave Darren a sort of int that it was time to wash iz feet."
IPS - An unknown area of a woman's body to which chocolate travels. "That Mars Bar will go straight to me ips."
JA - Do you, did you. "Ja like me new airdo, Sharon."
JACKS - Five Pound note. "Lend us a jacks, wilya?"
JAFTA - Is it really necessary? "Oi mate, jafta keep doing that?"
KAF - Eating house open during the day.
KAFFY - A girl's name.
LAD - Noisy. "Jordan, turn that music dan, it's too lad."
LARJ - Enjoying oneself.
LEVVA - Material made from the skin of an animal.
LOTREE - Costs £1 for a ticket.
MA BLARCH - An arch near Hyde Park.
MAFFS - The study of numbers.
MANOR - Local area.
MINGER - An unattractive person (usually woman).
NARRA - Lacking breadth, with little margin. "Mum wannid to come rand but changed er mind. That was a narra escape."
NARTAMEAN - Do you know what I mean? (sometimes used as janartamean).
NEEVA - Not one nor the other.
NES - National Elf Service.
OAF - A solemn declaration of truth or committment.
OLLADAY - Time taken away from home for rest and adventure.
ONNIST - Fair and just, without a lie. "I never did it, onnist."
OPPIT - Go away , as in "Oi you, oppit."
PADDA PUFF - Soft, lacking aggression. "They're alright up front but they got a padda puff defence."
PACIFIC - Specific.
PAFFUL - Having much power or strength.
PAIPA - Sun, Mirror etc.
PANS AN ANNSIS - Imperial weight system.
PLAMMANS - A pub lunch usually made up of cheese and bread.
QUALIDEE - Good, as in "West 'Am's new striker's qualidee."
RAND - A number of drinks purchased for a group.
RANDEER - Locally. "There ain't much call for it randeer."
REBAND - Period of recovery after rejection by a lover. "I couldn't 'elp it. I was on the reband from Craig."
ROOFLESS - Without compassion.
SAFF - A direction of the compass, opposite north.
SAFFEND - An Essex seaside town.
SAWTED - Done, arranged, resolved.
SEEVIN - Very angry. "I woz seevin when I urd wot 'e sed."
TALENT - Attractive members of the opposite sex. "Dave's gan dan tan to eye up the talent."
TAN ASS - A modern terraced house.
TOP EVVY - A woman of plentiful bosom. "Ere look at that, Darren, she's well top evvy."
UG - An unattractive person. "Sharon's new geezer's a bit of an ug."
UMP - Upset, as in Got the Ump.
VACHER - A document which can be exchanged for goods or services. "I got a vacher to get in cheap at Forp Park."
WANNED UP - Tense. "I'm all wanned up at the moment."
WAWAZUT? - I beg your pardon.
WENNOFF - A fight commenced as in "It all wennoff".
YAFTA - You must : "Even if yer guilty, yafta av mitigating circumstances."
YOOF OSTALL - A place where holidaymakers can stay the night.
ZAGGERATE - To suggest something is better or bigger than is true. "Craig, I must've told ya a fazzund times already." "Don't zaggerate, mum."

[/quote]

Wiv apologeez for the long quote.