Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Even that's better than Feb-yoo-erry.

[Flosshilde]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce it 'Feb-rue-arry', which is the only other pronounciation I can think of.

[ahinton]

"The time now is..." - I mean, would anyone care to know what the time was 13 minutes ago?
"The time is just coming up to..." - really? - it's physically and visibly on the move and approaching something or someone?
"Let's have a summary of the news" - what, read by Quentin Letts?

OK, these examples, all to be found on the Today programme de temps en temps on BBC Radio some number other than 3 are pretty mild compared to some, but...

[Bryn]

Time for yet another mention of the all but ubiquitous 'nucular'.

[ahinton]

Time for yet another mention of the all but ubiquitous 'nucular'.

Is it really that? I've not heard it for quite some time now; not since the Bush was cut down, in fact. But yes, it was indeed irritating, though not to be misunderestimated. As I remember someone saying years ago, "nucular weapons are weapons of mass destruction - that's to say they don't exist"...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce it 'Feb-rue-arry', which is the only other pronounciation I can think of.

That is the correct way.

[gurnemanz]

Watch out for Febbry now we're in that month...

In a former life, I taught English at a Germany university for four years. German speakers are geared up to pronouncing words very precisely and carefully enunciating everything that is there. I can remember having to point out that a typical feature of idiomatic English pronunciation is just this assimilation or elision of consonants, especially in a cluster of three where the middle one, especially t, usually fades away e.g Christmas. If you pronounce the t you are either a foreigner or a very serious pedant. Likewise: postman, dustman, best man, postpone, facts, adjustment, chestnut, first name, breastplate, waistcoat, test match etc etc. Also sometimes p as in raspberry, pumpkin. The t" in "often" is often omitted. Similar natural assimilation of consonants is very common and not wrong, as in Wednesday, supposed to, sixth, cupboard.

Whether we pedants like it or not, language flows like river finding its natural and easiest route. It is not a canal with concrete banks.

[jean]

...The t" in "often" is often omitted...

That was indeed the only correct pronunciation, until the masses learnt to read.

Gen. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan ?

King. Often !

Gen. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one ?

King. I say, often.

All (disgusted). Often, often, often.

Gen. I don't think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you
ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say " orphan." As I understand
you, you are merely repeating the word " orphan " to show that you under-
stand me.

King. I didn't repeat the word often.

Gen. Pardon me, you did indeed.

King. I only repeated it once.

Gen. True, but you repeated it.

King. But not often....

(And so on...)

[Bryn]

Is it really that? I've not heard it for quite some time now; not since the Bush was cut down, in fact. But yes, it was indeed irritating, though not to be misunderestimated. As I remember someone saying years ago, "nucular weapons are weapons of mass destruction - that's to say they don't exist"...

I am sorry to find that 'nucular' is indeed close to ubiquitous status of late. I hear it used by a wide variety of speakers, including journalists, politicians and even some scientist. It's the new clear mispronunciation.

[jean]

It's the new clear mispronunciation.

It's just a bit of metathesis, that's all.

We've been doing it for centuries - for example, OE bryd, hros, wæps give modern bird, horse, wasp.

[ahinton]

That was indeed the only correct pronunciation, until the masses learnt to read.

Gen. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan ?

King. Often !

Gen. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one ?

King. I say, often.

All (disgusted). Often, often, often.

Gen. I don't think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you
ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say " orphan." As I understand
you, you are merely repeating the word " orphan " to show that you under-
stand me.

King. I didn't repeat the word often.

Gen. Pardon me, you did indeed.

King. I only repeated it once.

Gen. True, but you repeated it.

King. But not often....

(And so on...)

Some famous Amercian brothers' take on this was not only more recent but more succinct, although I've always wished that its last line had been "let's Carl the whole thing Orff"...

If you or anyone doesn't quite get the rest of the reference, suffice it to say that it could be argued that Donna Amato might perhaps have been wiser not to have included Rhapsody in Blue in her repertoire...

[ahinton]

I am sorry to find that 'nucular' is indeed close to ubiquitous status of late. I hear it used by a wide variety of speakers, including journalists, politicians and even some scientist. It's the new clear mispronunciation.

Really? I must be listening to the wrong programmes! (or rather the right ones)...

[Serial_Apologist]

It's just a bit of metathesis, that's all.

We've been doing it for centuries - for example, OE bryd, hros, wæps give modern bird, horse, wasp.

Swapping k and s around is quite common hereabouts - "taking a ricks" for "taking a risk" for instance, maybe always a part of West Indian dialect in south London.

[jean]

Ax for ask is common in West Indian speech, and in Irish:

I’m simply surrounded by lovers,
Since Da made his fortune in land;
They’re comin’ in crowds like the plovers
To ax for me hand...

It turns out that it, too, is found in OE.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

How would you pronounce "one"?

I pronounce it "wonn".
But my very posh primary school teacher pronounced (almost) like "wann". The northern variant on this was, as may be expected, "wunn".