slang/slant

[Tom Zurinskas]

> >What does this "test" other than the pronunciation of whoever
> >happened to be used to record those words by m-w.com?
> >
> >LH
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>Good point, and it's high time someone said this.  My Minnesota speech
>would be out, and California speech (with its ah/awe merger) would
>definitely be out, etc. etc.

Is it "in" now Bev?

So whose speech is "the chosen
>one"?  Dictionary makers aren't the arbiters of "best" speech; they just
>try (imperfectly) to reflect what they hear.  If they make tapes, they
>ought to add a caveat on the potential variation from their models; do
>they?

So you have big issues with m-w.com.  Better write them about your caveats,
especially the Minn ones.

>Look, no one is against helping kids learn to read, by whatever means
>work.   What we linguists object to is your insistence on ONE perfect
>pronunciation, and one that perfectly matches the spelling system--an
>impossible dream!

You speak for all linguists?  Was I seeking a perfect match?  I don't think
so.

>Kids CAN learn to read without "perfectly" matching
>letters to sounds, and without aiming for the sounds of some distant
>idealized speaker!

aiming?

Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL4+
See truespel.com and the 4 truespel books at authorhouse.com.

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org