thru

[Peter Richardson]

>
> Other borderline cases which are neutral include those where the variant
> spelling is long accepted, like the street sign saying "No Thru Traffic".

As mindful as any of the elusive nature of the standard, I still wonder
whether this version of _through_ isn't just a hobby-horse of state
highway departments. Our family has always pronounced the _thru_ as if it
were part of _thrust_, simply omitting the -st. Of course, our
pronunciation does proclaim our holier-than-thou attitude toward the
Chicago Tribune version, but the in-joke is good fun nonetheless, and is
used exclusively for the recital of highway sign messages, which can often
be an antidote to boredom on a long trip. (e.g. "Slow Down When Flashing")

PR