AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 141, 13 June 1908, Page 7

AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I notice that "Old Salt" warns us that "we may expect to hear some ■fearful and wonderful English when the American fleet arrives. He saAv a man once who said "pitcher" for ■"picture," and he assures us that all Americans use the word in that way. Now, the writer is not much of a plunder, but he will bet a pint of peanut shells against a broken beer bottle that 'Old .Salt" can't find a single man of American birth in the entire fleet who uses the word in that way, unless in jest. When the Yankee says "pitcher," he means the thing that went too often to the well,, or the man who twirls the base ball is the man wtio pitches. If any one 'wishes to test this, let him ask the first Jackie he meets if he has got any New Zealand pitchers yet, and it's dollars to doughnuts that he wants to know what you mean. "Old Salt" has evidently been reading Mr. Dooley, and thinks his picturesque language the dialect of all Americans. There are a few Americans wEo are not recent arrivals from Tipperary. Of course the boys will mutilate the King's English very badly and sadly. They will say "lady" instead of "lidy," "paper" instead of "piper," "tailor" instead of "tilor/ , "cow" instead of "kcow," etc. You will find, if you ask them, that most of them wear shoes, but if the foot covering comes <well up towards the knee they call it a "boot," instead of "beaut." They are so ijjnorant as to think that "hnlf" should be pronounced as spelled, instead of "arf." | or "ha," and it's difficult to make them understand that "two" spells "tup." It's all very deplorable, but may be un- ■ endurable—for a week. Of course we can i show them the proper pronunciation of a. few of these words, but can't hope to reform their entire language—in a week. We must remember that they don't know any better, poor things. They are all supposed to say "Amurican," and talk through their nose. Of course they don't really do so, but as it is one of the most iron-bound of English ideas that they do, we will all loyally swear that they do—after they have I gone. Strikes mc I once heard a parable I aaouc a oeam and a mote. Wonder if it has any application.—l' am, etc., PERU.