Re: OT: Two countries separated by a common language

Tristan McLeay wrote at 2003-05-17 15:03:08 (+1000)
 > Mark J. Reed wrote:
 >
 > >On Sat, May 17, 2003 at 10:02:20AM +1000, Tristan McLeay wrote:
 > >
 > >
 > >>(Scones here, are, of course, the same thing as scones in England,
 > >>except that no-one would dream of using a long o in the name.
 > >>
 > >>
 > >
 > >Where is it that no-one would dream thus?  Around here they're
 > >definitely [skoUnz], not [skOnz].
 > >
 > >
 > Australia. Specifically Victoria, but I've never heard anyone
 > mention a difference in it between states, unlike, say, /gr&f/ vs
 > /gra:f/[1], or peanut butter vs peanut paste. (I once made a
 > reference to a Terry Pratchett book in which there was a scone of
 > stone. I pronounced scone with a long o, so it would rhyme with
 > stone, because that sounds better and was no doubt the
 > intention. The people I was talking to did not understand me, even
 > though they knew I was talking about the book (I've forgotten its
 > title) and they'd read it.)
 >

_The Fifth Elephant_.  The Scone of Stone, of course, is a reference
to the Stone of Scone (pronounced /skun/, or something like it - it's
a toponym), AKA the Stone of Destiny, traditionally used in the
coronation of the kings of Scotland, and recently returned to
Edinburgh after being held in London for 700 years.  (It'll be
temporarily taken to Westminster whenever a new British monarch is
required, apparently.)

And to the consistancy of dwarf bread, of course.

(I can't possibly tie this in to conlanging, but it might provide
someone with some concultural inspiration.)