Labov on vowel shifts

[Laurence Horn]

On Aug 28, 2012, at 7:52 AM, W Brewer wrote:

> MN: <<<Whud Jew join? (different phonological process)>>>
> WB: I remember checking out the UCLA chess club, but have no recollection
> of what happened. My fondest memories were of the Santa Rosa CA chess club
> in the early '70s, until they inexorably succumbed to Fisher mania, which
> forced out all us potzers.
>
> LH: <<< Peter Trudgill . . . named after a popular snack food of Italian
> origin.>>>
> WB: What? Pizza Trudgill? What sort of topping did he have? Some wicked
> affrication there.
>
Yes, I meant affrication.  And yes, it was pizza.  I didn't want to make it *too* obvious, but as Amy notes "pita" isn't really Italian--or palatalized.  (OK, it would have helped if I'd actually said affricated.)  Maybe "pizza" doesn't count as snack food?  I should have specified an Italian food that many of my neighbors (falsely) believe was invented in New Haven; that would have narrowed it down for some.

LH

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