Sigh.....

[Dennis R. Preston]

Well, us guys would first want to know if the representation you give
of "legislature" did indeed have the affricate /tsh/ as the onset to
the last syllable (or even a /ty/ onset, common in some parts and
among some groups in the US South, and among some hypercorrectors).
If so, then it was either a) a slip of the tongue (which apparently
you guys never make) or b) a substitution of "legislature" for
"legislator," your interpretation. On the other hand, if the onset to
the final syllable was /t/ (with no following /y/), is it possible
that the reduction of the final vowel to /schwa+r/ or even a weak
syllabic /r/ perhaps misled you into hearing "legislature" if you
expected to hear something of the /o/ quality in the final syllable?

See how us guys are? We got a lot more tricks up our sleeves than
"wondrous regionalisms," though we welcome your sneering at us for
adoring them too.

dInIs

>Just when you thought it was safe, when the neophyte fleabite had
>crawled back to his hole....
>
>During a Sandra Day decompress on MSNBC today, 7/1/05 at about 11:15 AM
>
>Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) said of the esteemed disrobing O'Connor:
>
>>"She's a former state legislature."
>
>And you guys, I bet would just accept this as wondrous regionalism. Crikey!
>
>
>Then on the other Hand, in an ensuing press conference Teddy
>
>>"I urge President Borsch (sic)...."
>
>How apt! ;-) Even minus the "t"


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu