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Mispronunciation at the BBC. Whatever next!

(134 Posts)
lizzieb Wed 08-Jun-11 16:16:14

The moment a certain weather lady broadcasts (usually on Today or PM) I have to turn off before I hear her pronounce "this afternoon" "this afterneen". I've written to the programme presenters but they take no notice.
AND those programme presenters who use 'teeu' for 'to', yew' for 'you', and who introduce Yvette Cooper as Yvette Queueper........

baggythecrust! Wed 08-Jun-11 16:25:31

Where is CertainWeatherLady from? Could it be her regional accent? I've had a guess but I could be wrong. Be interested to ascertain the area that pronunciation is from.

lizzieb Wed 08-Jun-11 20:02:08

I don't know. I don't like to use her name on this forum. Is there a regional accent that says neen for noon? The rest of her accent is pretty Queen's English as she is spoke.

baggythecrust! Thu 09-Jun-11 09:53:31

I wouldn't know her anyway as don't see weather forecasts on tv. What I'm thinking is that she may be from Northern Ireland or Scotland, but of course I couldn't say without hearing her.

shysal Thu 09-Jun-11 10:19:46

Surely as long as we inderstand what is being said the accent or pronunciation should not matter. Vive la difference!

baggythecrust! Thu 09-Jun-11 10:21:09

Quite! Bang on, shysal.

artygran Fri 17-Jun-11 19:18:08

Would someone please tell me why no-one at the BBC seems to be able to pronounce the word "nuclear"? I am sick of hearing reporters and others saying "nucular". Have you noticed how many Americans say "nucular"? Aargh!!

pompa Fri 17-Jun-11 19:33:57

Isn't this just like baath and barth depending on which end of the country you come from. I love regional accents.

LesleyC Sat 25-Jun-11 17:47:55

I do know what you mean Lizzieb. I don't think it is regional, unless you count upper class Londoners as regional. A lot of the Notting Hill broadcasting types seem to say it.

Greatnan Tue 08-Nov-11 13:19:46

I had to laugh when the oh-so-posh woman on the ridiculous 'Ladettes to Ladies' said she was going to teach them proper 'pronounciation'.
With the coming of wisdom with age, I have managed to shed my inverted snobbery and now accept that someone who says ' orff' for 'off' is just speaking in a way which is natural to them.

absentgrana Tue 08-Nov-11 14:11:51

I had a tantrum (well got a bit a cross) yesterday evening, but with Channel 4 News rather than the BBC. We had "nucular" several times artygran and then what I have always called a coffin was referred to as a casket. In this country a casket is a small box or chest, not big enough for a body and somewhere for keeping valuables. It's like the way train station has superseded railway station, but at least that makes sense.

susiecb Tue 08-Nov-11 14:20:12

Oh its the saying the for thee that irritates me and a hotel when its an hotel!
and while I'm at it who is that new shouty finance person on BBC breakfast - too loud and too strident bring back Simon!

absentgrana Tue 08-Nov-11 14:25:22

susiecb Isn't it only an hotel if you don't pronounce the h à la Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha? I think most people aspirate hotel these days and one wouldn't say an horse? Could be wrong, of course…

Ariadne Tue 08-Nov-11 15:10:44

"Julery" for "jewellery". And "prostrate" for "prostate".

nanachrissy Tue 08-Nov-11 15:29:19

Susiecb, you've hit on my no.1 annoyance, the when it should be thee. It is so much harder to say that way, why doesn't someone tell them???? angry grin

Greatnan Tue 08-Nov-11 15:41:14

I don't think it is correct to aspirate 'hotel', absentgrana. My grandson insists on saying 'haitch' which really annoys me!

numberplease Tue 08-Nov-11 15:41:20

I used to work in a canteen, and it really grated on me when my oh so posh and proper supervisor used to talk about "asparagRass soup!

absentgrana Tue 08-Nov-11 15:49:56

Greatnan ôtel as an English pronunciation of hotel is quite old-fashioned and hotel is regarded as acceptable by the five dictionaries in my office. I wasn't suggesting that you should pant like a dog at the beginning of the word. grin Yes, I hate "haitch" too.

Greatnan Tue 08-Nov-11 16:17:18

Old fashioned suits me!

absentgrana Tue 08-Nov-11 16:26:27

numberplease It would have been better if she's used the colloquialism sparrow grass which is at least colourful and appealing, rather like the sailors on the Bellerophon who called their ship the Billy Ruffian.

Carol Tue 08-Nov-11 16:45:03

...and why do they say on the BBC 'innIvItive' for innovative? I also get fed up with nucular.

Greatnan Tue 08-Nov-11 18:56:08

I am told that decimate no longer means to destroy one tenth, but that is how I will continue to use it.

I have heard politicians who didn't know the difference between militate and mitigate.
And most annoying of all, newpaper copy writers who don't know the past tenses of drink and sink, or the difference between lay and lie.

Carol Tue 08-Nov-11 19:14:28

......and led and lead - they use both for past tense - I've seen it on screen in the Points of View programme.

Stansgran Tue 08-Nov-11 22:04:15

and re occur instead of recur(Times 2 crossword) and di ssect instead of
dis sect

absentgrana Wed 09-Nov-11 16:03:41

susiecb and Greatnan Wouldn't it be interesting if an hotel became a notel, just as but in reverse, norange became orange and nuncle became uncle?