Pet pronunciation hates

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by Flatlander

"You got some 'splaining to do, Lucy." -- Ricky Ricardo

[only_human]

Originally Posted by 99.94

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.

Interchanging voiced and unvoiced consonant letters in spelling has never bothered me much. I took a few Japanese Language courses in college and became comfortable with the close connection between voiced/unvoiced sounds that are distinguished by a diacritical marks in Japanese kana syllabaries. I don't expect the actual spelling to represent the voicing of any particular individual's consonants. Many times I am uncertain if I should be using an 's' or 'z' in spelling.

[markr]

Originally Posted by lavalamp

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

It's one of my favourites, too. If I recall correctly it is by Ogden Nash, but I'm recalling from a long time ago.

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by markr

It's one of my favourites, too. If I recall correctly it is by Ogden Nash, but I'm recalling from a long time ago.

Edward Lear would be my guess, but I forgot to Google again

[cheesehead]

Nash, I'm almost sure.

- - -

Hugh Means? Who's Hugh Means? Is this some pun?

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/hutchison/041016

- - -

A.A. Milne, at least, I've heard of.

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Nonsense-verse

- - -

Well, well -- an Amazon review (http://www.amazon.com/Family-Poems-F...f=pd_rhf_p_t_1) says:

[Caroline] Kennedy deserves credit for recognizing William Hughes Mearns with his famous four lines often supposed to be anonymous:

The Little Man
Who Wasn't There

As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.

William Hughes Mearns, apparently better-known as Hughes Mearns

That's Hughes Mearns.

No wonder he wanted to drop the William.

- - -

But that's not the last word -- or, rather, the correct title.

Or, rather, the correct title and all the words.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonish_(poem)

[OOPS - PHP doesn't want to include the closing parenthesis, so you'll have to click, then add a ")" to the URL -- you know, the right parenthesis that wasn't there]

(Not that Wikipedia is more reliable than Caroline Kennedy, but this article has a lot of authoritative-looking details and does include the Mad magazine version!)

[davieddy]

I know this was for musical effect (and wonderful to boot)
but how would you say "ten feet tall".
Here's how Grace Slick did it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quhj6...eature=related

[lavalamp]

She just sounds posh is all.

[Batalov]

I wonder if they were lipsynching even then? (Limitations of TV?)
I have an ear for these things -- it is note for note, sound for sound to the disk version.

(Incidentally, Grace just had a art exhibition right here, in downtown La Jolla, but we didn't go.)

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by Batalov

I wonder if they were lipsynching even then? (Limitations of TV?)
I have an ear for these things -- it is note for note, sound for sound to the disk version.

(Incidentally, Grace just had a art exhibition right here, in downtown La Jolla, but we didn't go.)

Yes it's the disc (as we spell it over here) version. Hope the video didn't confuse you too much. Back in 1967, videos weren't all rage, although they might
have been in the process of invention

Lavalamp: just posh? I Googled her the other day, and she's
old enough to be your 'king Grandmother. And delighted to hear
that she's still alive, unlike some others.

Here's another treat for you. My definition of the "original"
versions would be off the LP entitled "Surrealistic Pillow".
Meantime I Googled this (and several other versions) of
their other claim to immortality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIkoS...eature=related

The guitar solo at the end is especially unforgettable.

PPS I also discovered that they named their LP after someone
(I forget who) described their music as about as surrealistic as a pillow.
It wasn't Rowan Atkinson or Andy Warhol but it sounds to me like
a cross between "Black Adder" and a can of soup.

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by Flatlander

I thought this might be helpful. From an email I received some time ago.


Wiv apologeez for the long quote.

I presume you attended Jade Goody's funeral.

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by lavalamp

She just sounds posh is all.

Sorry if I sounded a bit snotty nosed just then.
I just noticed you hail from Manchester.
Love the Hollies and Herman's Hermits (notice I didn't mention
anything nearer the seaside of the Mersey)

Woke up this morning feeling fine,
Got nothing special on my mind.....

My best musico friend was a Mancunian.

Buzzcocks were my favourite punk band by a million miles.
London bands are seriously overrated.
I suppose you have to give the Pistols their due, but
The Clash and worse still Sham 69 (subtle name or what?)
were shite.

I particularly liked John Cooper Clarke.
Ripped off by some moron calling himself "Attilla the Stockbroker".

I could go on but won't unless provoked.

David