peterm1
Veteran
That's a good one... And I have actually heard SEEtl and TAKoma for seAttle and tacOma. I can make similar mistakes when I've read some word but not heard it spoken.
When it comes to strange pronunciations the Brits have everyone else beat. Possibly because some words (particularly names and place names) date back to old Norman names and possibly because of upper class Brit tendency to clip words. (e.g. Its not "girl"- it's "gel"). Also because Britain used to have very pronounced differences in local accents (before the days of mass media, TV and the like, when people lived locally and might never travel more than a few miles beyond their place of birth)
Some examples I can think of with a bit of help from Google:
Cholmondeley (Chumley)
Featherstonehaugh (Fanshaw)
Althorp (Altr'p)
Holborn and Holborn Abbey (Hoeb'n and Hoeb'n Abbey)
Leicester (Lester)
Leominster (Lemster)
Southwark (Suthick)
Worcestershire (Woostershire)
Chiswick (Chis'ck)
Belvoir and Belvoir Castle (Beever and Beever Castle)
I truly have a soft spot for old Britain and its wonderful quirks.
Rob-F
Likes Leicas
I've been under the impression that "color" is American, while "colour" is British. And yet, a lot of members here type "colour" and I don't think they are all British. Can you walk us through the subtleties of that?
You lost me with Z and Zed.
That's interesting. Writing by hand seems more thoughtful to me than typing. More of an intimate connection. A fountain pen makes it even better.
peterm1
Veteran
As to "color and colour" we in Australia have a history of following the old British spelling too. Though that is weakening..... modern media and the impact of American TV, films and culture generally have seen to that. When posting here and at other social media sites, my inclination is to generally use our traditional spelling in this and with other similar words where there are spelling differences, though sometimes I vary that and make a deliberate and considered choice use the American spelling - especially if I sense that I am in a discourse with an American person who may not be familiar with that tradition.
Pál_K
Cameras. I has it.
Here's one I've known about for a while: Mousehole (sort of like "mouz'l", I think).
You're right about the UK being a great place for regional accents - the oft-repeated story is that pronunciation could change within 40 miles. Perhaps not so much these days with mass media, as you've stated.
CMur12
Veteran
Here is an interesting article in the Wikipedia about the development of British and American spellings:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences
- Murray
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences
- Murray
peterm1
Veteran
That's an interesting one I have never heard before.
(Can I say this? Doesn't matter I am going to say it anyway.............. That pronunciation would make an "a#hole" an "azzle". hahaha )
peterm1
Veteran
All this talk about correct English usage reminds me of a funny bit of doggerel by Ogden Nash about (I suppose) how schooled people are on that subject.
" There is only one criterion........folks inferior say "one criteria"
" There is only one criterion........folks inferior say "one criteria"
David Hughes
David Hughes
A few places have it even worse; there's "Cogenhoe" which everyone knows as "Cook-na".
Regards, David
PS And correct pronunciation would ruin the limerick about the young lady from Tottenham...
David Hughes
David Hughes
Useful aid to pronunciation in tea rooms:-
I sat alone
and ordered scone.
The girl has gone
and brought a scone.
Regards, David
PS It's one of those permanently undecided things...
I sat alone
and ordered scone.
The girl has gone
and brought a scone.
Regards, David
PS It's one of those permanently undecided things...
David Hughes
David Hughes
and another thing;
and another thing;
I read in British magazines about digital cameras having image stabilisers.
So I search in the pdf and they don't; it seems.
Then the penny dropped* and I wondered why the Japanese authors or translators don't know that there's English and American English. Using "Find and Replace" would take seconds but...
Worse still, I see cameras with "ON" and "OFF" on them in France and other places where they don't speak English.
Regards, David
* Someone else can explain that expression.
and another thing;
I read in British magazines about digital cameras having image stabilisers.
So I search in the pdf and they don't; it seems.
Then the penny dropped* and I wondered why the Japanese authors or translators don't know that there's English and American English. Using "Find and Replace" would take seconds but...
Worse still, I see cameras with "ON" and "OFF" on them in France and other places where they don't speak English.
Regards, David
* Someone else can explain that expression.
moggi1964
Established
Good spot! I mistakenly used the American spelling to make my point. So yes, we use colour on this side of the pond. I do think that given the Brit's were at one time great colonisers we see the use of the British spelling across the world more so than the American one. I'ts just a guess on my part.
You say Zee and we say Zed for the letter Z.
I have my own writing implement, sadly it doesn't get much use these days and I suppose that can only be my own fault.
wolves3012
Veteran
You forgot Gloucester (Gloster) which amuses locals by tourists calling it Glow-sester or Glue-sester. Worcester often gets called War-sester by foreigners and Leicester becomes Lie-sester. You also forgot Rocester (Roaster), where JCB are based. Then there's the exception (of course) of Cirencester which is pronounced Siren-sester.
JeffS7444
Well-known
Marylebone in London was a fun one too.
moggi1964
Established
In Scotland the surname Menzies is often pronounced Mingus.
And Milngavie is Mulguy.
Ain't language fun
And Milngavie is Mulguy.
Ain't language fun
philslizzy
Member
I work for an international company. The local office has just reopened after lockdown. There is a COVID isolation room now furnished with PPE and full instructions on how to use the facilities.
This was written by the UK director and was completely full of spelling mistakes, misplaced apostrophes. Then there were the there/their/they're and affect/effect mistakes in all their illogical glory, not to mention all the other malapropisms.
I could not take it seriously. This was an official document circulating round the country, posted on the website (as a pdf) and as a press release.
I didn't have much education, never did my homework, wasn't encouraged by my parent or the teachers and left school at 15.
This was written by the UK director and was completely full of spelling mistakes, misplaced apostrophes. Then there were the there/their/they're and affect/effect mistakes in all their illogical glory, not to mention all the other malapropisms.
I could not take it seriously. This was an official document circulating round the country, posted on the website (as a pdf) and as a press release.
I didn't have much education, never did my homework, wasn't encouraged by my parent or the teachers and left school at 15.
charjohncarter
Veteran
In Scotland the surname Menzies is often pronounced Mingus.
And Milngavie is Mulguy.
Ain't language fun
And Dalziel is di-el or something like that.