I'm very appreciative.

The best part is, they don't melt in your hand.

Lend me a Tenor

31 May to 3 June 2017

John McIntosh Arts Centre
London Oratory School
SW6 1RX

with Superfly in the chorus
[Link]

I lived in America some years ago and route (in the American pronunciation) was one of the words that grated on me the most. Everyone I knew said it this way and had no idea what I was saying when I used the English 'root'.

The other word I always hated hearing was leisure, pronounced similar to lesion... ughh.

Edited by GlaziertoEagle (28 Jul 2015 5.36pm)

Not an Americanism but why do so many people (including on HOL) say "I for one" when the latter two words are largely redundant

My eldest daughter recently told me that my youngest needed her diaper changed. Sent her to her room

I don't mean to sound bitter, cold or cruel, but I am so that's how it comes out

If there was a vote, it didn't happen on OUR side of the Atlantic.

From the very British elocutionist John Walker's 'A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary and Expositor of the English Language, To Which Are Prefixed Principles of English Pronunciation Rules to Be Observed By the Natives of Scotland, Ireland and London' (1791):

ROUTE, rout, or root, s. Road, way.

Upon a more accurate observation of the best usage here I must give the preference to the first sound of this word, notwithstanding its coincidence in sound with another word of a different meaning; the fewer French sounds of this diphthong we have in our language, the better; nor does there appear to be any necessity for retaining the final 'e' ... Mr. Scott gives both sounds, but seems to prefer the first. W. Johnston, Dr. Kenrick and Mr. Perry pronounce both alike, and with the first sound.

[Link]

Rather hard to argue with that logic. But I dunno, maybe you guys like sounding as French as possible these days. A sad state of affairs for The Empire if true. I blame the Chunnel.

For the record, however, Americans pronounce it both ways, and with a slight plurality favoring your 'root' pronunciation. Generally speaking, 'root' is dominant on the US East Coast, and the further west you go in the country the more likely you are to hear it pronounced 'rowt' -- which is probably why you think we all pronounce it that way, since most American TV shows are produced on the West Coast.

A lot of Americans even pronounce it interchangeably -- depending, I suppose, whether or not there's enough Englishmen nearby to irritate -- and there's also a small but determined minority (including myself) who pronounce the noun form of the word 'root' and the verb form of it 'rowt'.

Chisel

Edited by doi209 (29 Jul 2015 1.11pm)