April 17, 2012
by Graham
11 Comments
Following my post on Utøya last July, John Maidment asked me about the pronunciation of Breivik, and I gave an answer here. I’m still hearing the pronunciation with schwa from some broadcasters, including some Radio 4 newsreaders, so maybe that … Continue reading
April 14, 2012
by Graham
2 Comments
During the 1970s and 1980s, there was frequent adverse comment in the press and to the broadcast media (I was at the end of quite a lot of complaints) about the phrase “at this moment in time”. Complainants generally said … Continue reading
March 18, 2012
by Graham
5 Comments
In a New Year broadcast, the veteran radio critic of the Daily Telegraph, Gillian Reynolds, took the BBC’s “Today” presenters to task for their umming and erring. When they were about to interview someone, she said, they must often have … Continue reading
February 22, 2012
by Graham
13 Comments
The points of the compass provide us with an interesting example of one word having two opposite meanings: A westerly wind is coming from the west. A person travelling in a westerly direction is going to the west. The same … Continue reading
February 11, 2012
by Graham
8 Comments
The realisation of /θ/ as /f/ in English (and similarly for its voiced equivalent) has long been thought of as a Cockney trait, made fun of by generations of comedians, and bemoaned by countless traditionalists as heralding the demise of … Continue reading
January 17, 2012
by Graham
3 Comments
Jack Windsor Lewis (here) either acclaims me as or accuses me of – according to your point of view – being a champion player of the rant against unusual pronunciations. He also names John Maidment in the same context. I … Continue reading
January 9, 2012
by Graham
6 Comments
I don’t know why, after all these years, I should still be surprised by odd pronunciations, but I am. Two that have recently come my way, both from the BBC, are eviscerate, pronounced /iˈvɪskəreɪt/ by Simon Sebag Montefiore presenting the … Continue reading
January 3, 2012
by Graham
5 Comments
I thought that would get your attention! The substance that these controversial objects are made from is causing some confusion. There are two separate materials: silicon and silicone. Silicon is a non-metallic element, symbolised by Si, used for its properties … Continue reading
December 9, 2011
by Graham
4 Comments
John Wells’ blog post yesterday deals with ejectives in English. He’s kind enough to mention my own post on this subject some time ago, but I’m surprised he believes that I think it’s a recent phenomenon. I wrote then “I … Continue reading
November 25, 2011
by Graham
3 Comments
For the benefit of those who can’t receive BBC1 television, I shall start by saying that Garrow’s Law is a period courtroom drama, set in late 18th entury London. Garrow is a young barrister intent on improving the quality of … Continue reading