Re: USAGE: two nations separated by single language, etc.

John Cowan wrote:
>
> 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.
Is anyone considered "affected" in Britain who adopts an American
accent?
The sense of affectation usually has to be inspired by a sense of
conscious
borrowing.  For instance, I've often wondered if Elton John has ever
been
criticized for singing in an American accent.  But then singers are
exempt, I guess, from this criticism.  'Specially his album "Too
Low For Zero" (which dates me): man he's really got it down.  I used to
be surprised when he gave an interview and this "other" accent of his
emerged.  To my young ears, then, he sounded American as apple pie.
When
he sang.

 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.
You know, I pronounce all these (except learned) exactly the same way,
doing as you do, whether I'm reading them aloud or speaking them.  I
never say /dRimd/; rather: "I drempt last night that the rabbit hutch
burn'down."

Hmmm.  I tend to use "burnt" only as a past participle:  "The beans are
burnt again."  And I don't say /lRnt/ either.  My speech habits started
out in Chicago, trained by a mother who had lost her southern accent
when
she came to Indiana.  We moved to California where I vigorously resisted
Valley Talk and the unrounding of should/could/good.

> 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.
No... they're all /dej/ for me.  And it's /tuzdej/; usually.

Heh heh... which Woody Allen movie was it where he accused someone
of saying "Jew go?" to him for "Did you go?"

Sally