Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

I was sure that Plomer (William) would be pronounced Plummer until this past weekend

How was it pronounced? Ploe-mer or Ploomer?

Lootoslavski? Is that gently anglicised?

I remember in French phonetics classes being told that no French sounds were exactly the same as English ones. We had to practise saying: 'Tintin est terrible' and making our t's [sic[ sound French not English ...

[mercia]

Ploomer?

by more than one person

[french frank]

by more than one person

I'd say that was correct. Not that I'm especially competent to judge.

[Word]

Americanisms

Not wishing this article to descend into a never-ending debate about American versus British pronunciation, let's just say that both are correct in their own context.

That said, obviously 'aluminium' has a second, clearly pronounced 'i', the 'h' on 'herb' is anything but silent, and the 'de-' in 'defence' has only one 'e', not two.

Anything else is wrong, wrong, wrong.

... but they didn't mention 'schedule', the correct pronunciation of which is increasingly rare to hear, and that 'last', 'fast', 'path', 'bath', etc. have long 'a's!

Who doesn't pronounce 'Moët' with the 't' sounding?!

Indeed.

[Phileas]

... but they didn't mention 'schedule', the correct pronunciation of which is increasingly rare to hear

I have a 1951 edition of the Concise OED that says a shedyool is a list and skedyool is a timetable.

[jean]

Not once, but twice, during PMQs he referred to "prostrate cancer".

You'd be surprised how old that...let's call it a variant...actually is. From the OED:

1686 C. Peter Observ. Venereal Dis. viii. 65 The Prostrate Glandules being either eaten away, or too much relaxed, and so weakened by the continual Ulceration.

1742 J. Parsons Descr. Human Urin. Bladder 6 It..is often mistaken for the purulent Matter of an Ulcer in some of the Urinary Organs; or for some Weakness in the prostrate Gland, Vesiculæ Seminales.

[jean]

... but they didn't mention... that 'last', 'fast', 'path', 'bath', etc. have long 'a's!...

Not up here they don't!

[Word]

I have a 1951 edition of the Concise OED that says a shedyool is a list and skedyool is a timetable.

Interesting .
The Pocket Oxford dictionary that I have to hand (sixth edition, 1978) only gives the 'sh-' pronunciation though it does mark the 'timetable' definition as being chiefly U.S.

[Word]

Not up here they don't!

[Nick Armstrong]

Indeed.

Apart from anything else, it makes saying "Moët et Chandon" much more euphonious (no unpleasant "eh eh" in the middle).

[amateur51]

Apart from anything else, it makes saying "Moët et Chandon" much more euphonious (no unpleasant "eh eh" in the middle).

Be reasonable, who drinks Moët when The Widow is available? :whistle;

[vinteuil]

Be reasonable, who drinks Moët when The Widow is available?

... I agree that Moët wd not be a first choice - but then neither, for me, wd Veuve Clicquot.

I wd suggest Ruinart or Jacquesson. Bollinger is nice, too...

[amateur51]

... I agree that Moët wd not be a first choice - but then neither , for me, wd Veuve Clicquot.

I wd suggest Ruinart or Jacquesson for starters. Bollinger is nice, too...

I'm a Billecart-Salmon kinda guy

[vinteuil]

I'm a Billecart-Salmon kinda guy

... I knew that that Duncan-Smith chappie was all heart - a deeply misunderstood man, clearly.

[amateur51]

... I knew that that Duncan-Smith chappie was all heart - a deeply misunderstood man, clearly.

Shurrup vints - I eke out the minor celebrations of my days with the estimable own label Cava from Stevenage, far better than it sounds at £7.95 - but let a chap dream, can't you?