USAGE: two nations separated by single language, etc.

Raymond A. Brown wrote:

> >Whereas when I say "learnt" and "burnt", which I grew up with
> >(Ghu knows why), my wife tells me I sound British and affected,
>
> Hey - British it is
> - but affected????
That *is* the stereotype of RP speech in this country, where it is a
far more posh accent than in its native places.  As I say, I am
by no means RP otherwise; I just happen to have /bRnt/ and /lRnt/
with American "r", and also /dREmpt/, with intrusive /p/.
I usually *write* them "burned" and "learned", of course, and
if I am reading the word "dreamed" out loud, I render it
/dRimd/.  But in spontaneous speech I use the forms above.

On the other hand, she also says I sound like a lowbrow for
saying /tuzdi/ rather than /tjuzdej/ ~ /tSuzdej/, for the 3rd day
of the week.

I can't win.  I can't even break even.  And I certainly have no
desire to get out of the game.

--
John Cowan      http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)