Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

I've always felt Petty France to have been an unfortunate misnomer for a place.

There's a Petty Wales too, in Tower Hamlets.

[Serial_Apologist]

There's a Petty Wales too, in Tower Hamlets.

Someone got the accents confused.

[mangerton]

To confuse matters further, there's a district in Edinburgh called Little France.

[Ant]

Hello all,

A diminutive, somewhat childish, female officer who likes stroking the ship's cat = a petting petty petite Petty Officer - you forgot good-looking, ie pretty!

Regards Ant

[mercia]

Hello all,

A diminutive, somewhat childish, female officer who likes stroking the ship's cat = a petting petty petite Petty Officer - you forgot good-looking, ie pretty!

Regards Ant

I knew my efforts hadn't been wasted - well done Ant and welcome - do you know Dec ?

[Alain Maréchal]

I've always felt Petty France to have been an unfortunate misnomer for a place.

I was assured by someone who owned it, that there was a quite well-known 78 labelled as being recorded in Petty, France (a town unknown to Michelin).

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm not sure, but in the case of birthdays, the figure is always incorrect by one:-

If you were born on 25th November, 2011, today would be your 3rd birthday, even though you would be only 2 years of age.

[ahinton]

I'm not sure, but in the case of birthdays, the figure is always incorrect by one:-

If you were born on 25th November, 2011, today would be your 3rd birthday, even though you would be only 2 years of age.

I suppose that this would depend upon whether one regards the word "birthday" as connoting "anniversary"...

[ahinton]

I don't know whether this is extreme pedantry or just over-sensitivity, but over the weekend I found myself wincing every time Radio 3 told me they were celebrating Britten's 100th birthday - it was certainly the centenary of his birth - but is that the same thing ? [i.e. don't you have to be alive to have a birthday ? ]

I had thought as much myself - so it would have been fine for Ornstein, Carter and le Flem (as well as a handful of lesser-known composers) but hardly so for Britten.

[Nick Armstrong]

Pronunciation guidance here for them wot needs it. (Who doesn't pronounce 'Moët' with the 't' sounding?! )

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationadvice/10478701/Guide-to-pronunciation-from-Moet-to-diplodocus.html

[mercia]

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

[Sir Velo]

Pronunciation guidance here for them wot needs it. (Who doesn't pronounce 'Moët' with the 't' sounding?! )

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationadvice/10478701/Guide-to-pronunciation-from-Moet-to-diplodocus.html

Certain R3 presenters would be well served to take to heart the following advice:

"While everyone admires linguistic ability, you should restrain any desire to show off your skills by over-pronouncing foreign words."

"Generally, if foreign words are used in English conversation they are gently anglicised; guttural or phlegmatic consonants, trilled 'rs' and exaggerated glottal stops are unnecessary and obtrusive," it says.

Did anyone mention Katie Derham?

[mercia]

what's the "gently anglicised" of Lutoslawski then ?

[Nick Armstrong]

Certain R3 presenters would be well served to take to heart the following advice:

"While everyone admires linguistic ability, you should restrain any desire to show off your skills by over-pronouncing foreign words."

"Generally, if foreign words are used in English conversation they are gently anglicised; guttural or phlegmatic consonants, trilled 'rs' and exaggerated glottal stops are unnecessary and obtrusive," it says.

Did anyone mention Katie Derham?

[Bryn]

Anyony else here note Dave's taking the matter of a major cancer among men lying down yesterday. Not once, but twice, during PMQs he referred to "prostrate cancer".