OXFORD ACCENT IS UNKNOWN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17834, 30 April 1926, Page 5

OXFORD ACCENT IS UNKNOWN.

UNIVERSITY MEN RIDICULE CHARGE. Mr St John Irvine’s denouncement of the Oxford accent, cabled from London to-day, is received with ridicule by university men in Christchurch, who are acquainted with the English universities. Professor T. G. R. Blunt, Professor of Foreign Languages at Canterbury College, said: "There is no Oxford accent. There is no difference between the accent at Oxford and the accent at Cambridge, or at any other large English University. The Oxford accent is good English." Professor Blunt said that Mr St John Irvine had raised the Oxford accent bogey by a letter in the ** Morning Post,” and had been holding it up to public gaze at every opportunity, but could not make anything more substantial than a bogey out of it. His statements were absolutely ridiculous. The Rev E. C. Crosse, head master of Christ’s College, discussing the cable message, said that he did not know what was meant by the “ Oxford accent.” There might be an Oxford manner, but an Oxford accent he did not “PRINCE OF WALES GUILTY.” LONDON, April 28. During the course of a debate at the London School of Economics on the English language, Mr St John Irvine, dramatist and novelist, declared that the Prince of Wales had a marked Cockney accent. The Prince’s parents pronounced their “ r’s,” but the Prince did not. lie also said “ howp ” when he meant "hope.” Mr Irvine added that he had recently heard one of the Prince’s brothers say “ Dook of Yawk.” Mr John Irvine denounced the Oxford accent’s invasion of the stage and pulpit. lie demanded that many clergymen be unfrocked for the use of it. The Oxford accent had migrated from the East End slums to the West End slums. lie appealed to the female portion of the audience to refuse to marry men with the Oxford accent, and thus refuse to perpetuate the abominable breed that was ruining the beautiful English language.