Hitcher!

[Beemer]

Oh my god, I know it's only an opinion piece, but even so - "If English spelling cannot be trusted to tell us clearly how to pronounce words, then our only recourse is to pronounce words the way they are spelt..." says Laurie Bauer.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/colum...-pronunciation

Methinks the BDOTGNZA needs to get a work programme for 2009 underway NOW!!!

[James Deuce]

Laurie Bauer is a pretentious idiot. In fact the linguistics school at Vic need an enema. None of this stuff is hard.

I'm tired of people making it out to be so, and to have linguistics "professionals" weigh in on the side of the ignorant lends yet more weight for the need to drop courses that attempt to remodel accepted conventions so that people's feelings aren't "hurt".

[MSTRS:Me]

Laurie Bauer is a pretentious idiot. In fact the linguistics school at Vic need an enema. None of this stuff is hard.

I'm tired of people making it out to be so, and to have linguistics "professionals" weigh in on the side of the ignorant lends yet more weight for the need to drop courses that attempt to remodel accepted conventions so that people's feelings aren't "hurt".

Absolutely. The dog's name was Nigger. Can't change that...

[MisterD]

Fucking socialists and their race to the lowest common denominator...go on, destroy the millenia of history contained in the english language why don't you.

I'd like to take the full Collins dictionary and shove it so far up Laurie Bauer's arse you'd hear the pages rustle when he coughed...

[Beemer]

Fucking socialists and their race to the lowest common denominator...go on, destroy the millenia of history contained in the english language why don't you.

I'd like to take the full Collins dictionary and shove it so far up Laurie Bauer's arse you'd hear the pages rustle when he coughed...

As long as it's the hardcover edition I've got, with 1872 pages!

[Hitcher]

Hmmm. Although our language originated from the British Isles, I think that there are dangers in doing things the way a bunch of pretentious toffs may prescribe.

I cite Stupid First Name Syndrome, where "parents" give a child a name that written bears no resemblance to how it is pronounced. Particularly those effette Irish monickers with no vowels. Neve should be spelt Neve. Rory should be spelt Rory. It's not rocket science.

I cite Stupid Surname Syndrome, such as evidenced by the lovely Hyacinth Bucket (pron. Bookay), and those pommie cop shows that expect us to believe that Dalziel is pronounced Deeal, or that Strachan is pronounced as Strawn.

I cite the whole Stupid Pommie Placename Syndrome. The only people who worry about it are the Poms. I just want to know why there's a cunt in Scunthorpe.

We speak New Zealand English here, and that is what the BDOTGNZA have sworn to uphold!

I needed a rant. Thank you to the poster of this thread!

[MisterD]

Particularly those effette Irish monickers with no vowels. Neve should be spelt Neve. Rory should be spelt Rory. It's not rocket science.

No, Hitch it's Gaelic...

I cite Stupid Surname Syndrome, such as evidenced by the lovely Hyacinth Bucket (pron. Bookay), and those pommie cop shows that expect us to believe that Dalziel is pronounced Deeal, or that Strachan is pronounced as Strawn.

..or our local islander names with punctuation masquerading as letters, or expecting us to believe Rokokokokokoko has a "th" sound in it somewhere?

I cite the whole Stupid Pommie Placename Syndrome. The only people who worry about it are the Poms. I just want to know why there's a cunt in Scunthorpe.

Believe me when I say, there's more than one...

[mashman]

and those pommie cop shows that expect us to believe that Dalziel is pronounced Deeal, or that Strachan is pronounced as Strawn.

Gaelic again i'm afraid... now whuck up...

[ManDownUnder]

I have a problem with the idea of pronouncing words the way they are spelled.

Let's start with Rendezvous...

[riffer]

Mate, it's hard enough without bringing in the French.

Don't the Spanish also pronounce the "z" like "th" because some King had a lisp?

[Ronin]

Guess how this is pronounced.

[Big Dave]

a-tatch-meant.

[davebullet]

Guess how this is pronounced.

Hotdick Street

[awayatc]

like potatoes and tomatoes......?
please explain why they are pronounced differently....

Nah....don't bother...

[Beemer]

Guess how this is pronounced.

Probably Coburn?

I've had this trouble all my life - my maiden name is Lougher - pronounced Locker - blame the bloody Welsh for that! In fact the 'ough' sound can be pronounced 14 different ways. Here is a sentence that uses them all:

"Rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman John Gough strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough on Coughlin Road near the lough (dry due to drought), he coughed and hiccoughed, then checked his horse's houghs and washed up in a trough."

As you can imagine, I got used to answering to any of those variations when I was at school - but I drew the line at the 'island' pronunciation - 'Faye Loafa'!