"effeminate speech", 1801

[Michael Quinion]

Fritz Juengling wrote:

> He also claimed that the father of the Boy Scouts, Baden-Powell
> pronounced his name to rhyme with 'Noel.'  Can anyone provide any
> sources for these claims?

That second claim is correct, I believe. Baden-Powell had such
trouble with people pronouncing his name wrongly that he wrote a
little ditty to help them:

  Man, women, maiden
    Please pronounce it Baden
  As for the Powell
    Rhyme it please please with Noel.

But I can't give you chapter and verse for when he wrote it.

--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: <TheEditor at worldwidewords.org>
Web: <http://www.worldwidewords.org/>