George Washeengton's Spich empeedeemint

[Wilson Gray]

That makes more sense than Northern "BRANtree" inexplicably becoming
pseudo-quasi-semi-Southern "BRAIN Tree."

-Wilson

On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 10:32 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
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>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>  Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>  Subject:      Re: George Washeengton's Spich empeedeemint
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  I always associate Braintree with "brainstem."
>
>   Creepy.
>
>   JL
>
>  Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
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>  Sender: American Dialect Society
>  Poster: Wilson Gray
>  Subject: Re: George Washeengton's Spich empeedeemint
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  And then there's the problem of why the suburb of Boston whose name
>  was once spelled as "Brantry" came to receive its current spelling of
>  "Braintree." I tried out the older spelling on my downhome relatives
>  and they agreed that [breintrI] was the way to go.
>
>  -Wilson
>
>  On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 4:01 PM, Dennis Preston
>  wrote:
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>  > Sender: American Dialect Society
>  > Poster: Dennis Preston
>
>  > Subject: Re: George Washeengton's Spich empeedeemint
>  > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  >
>  > Although the pin-pen merger appears to be old (as is also perhaps the
>  > [ej] in "bring"), there is little evidence that the major features of
>  > the Southern Vowel Shift would have been in place at Washington's
>  > time. That said, Ron's sarcasm is well-put. Even my grampaw (the
>  > hillbilly one, not the Hungarian) had many of my speech impediments.
>  >
>  > dInIs
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  > >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>  > >-----------------------
>  > >Sender: American Dialect Society
>  > >Poster: RonButters at AOL.COM
>  > >Subject: George Washeengton's Spich empeedeemint
>  > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  > >
>  > >Probably he could not even say his own name properly or even pronounce the
>  > >condition that afflicted him; doubtless also he said "pin" for "pen" and
>  > >"breeng" for "bring." All people from Virginia have speech
>  > >"impediments," and the
>  > >natives have had them for centuries.
>  > >
>  > >In a message dated 2/22/08 10:13:19 AM, AAllan at AOL.COM writes:
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >> In the Writer's Almanac this morning, Garrison Keillor said that George
>  > >> Washington had a speech impediment. In particular, he mixed i's and e's,
>  > >> both in
>  > >> speaking and in writing.
>  > >>
>  > >> I hadn't heard about this before. Anyone know about it?
>  > >>
>  > >> - Allan Metcalf
>  > >>
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >**************
>  > >Ideas to please picky eaters. Watch video on AOL Living.
>  > >
>  > >(http://living.aol.com/video/how-to-please-your-picky-eater/rachel-campos-duffy/
>  > >2050827?NCID=aolcmp00300000002598)
>  > >
>  > >------------------------------------------------------------
>  > >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>  >
>  >
>  > --
>  > Dennis R. Preston
>  > University Distinguished Professor
>  > Department of English
>  > Morrill Hall 15-C
>  > Michigan State University
>  > East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>  >
>  >
>  >
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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