From Slashdot

[Wilson Gray]

Aw, Bev. It's not a fight! It's just that some people are
psychologically driven to have the last word.

Once, I was in a conversation that went something like this.

A. "You're right."

B. "I *know* I'm right."

A. "I *said* that you were right!"

B. "I don't need you to tell me that I'm right!"

A. "Well, you're right about that, too!"

Etc., etc., etc.

Two people fighting for the last word are like two assholes trying to
jump through each other.

I'm aware that I'm a last-worder and I try to avoid slipping into that
mode, but I'm not always successful.

FWIW, I use Northern-BE "UM-brella," corrected from Southern-BE
"UM-ba-rella." I've never heard "DIS-patch" in the wild, I don't
think.

BTW, Beverly, if you want the last word, you have it. :-)

-Wilson

On 7/19/07, Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at ohio.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: From Slashdot
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The fight really isn't worth fighting, Wilson!  Do you fuss about UM-brella
> and DIS-patch too, btw?  Perfectly normal South Midland pronunciations.
>
>
> At 03:11 PM 7/19/2007, you wrote:
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> >Subject:      Re: From Slashdot
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >"FOR-midable" is currently being used in the voice-over for an ad that
> >occasionally runs on local TV. Otherwise, it's been dekkids, ca. the
> >Vietnam era, since I've heard the word used. As for "exquisite," I
> >hear it all the time on TV, on the radio, and in the wild, and it's
> >always "ex-QUIsite." I fight the good fight and continue to use
> >"EX-quisite," but I'm pretty much alone in that. Even my wife uses
> >"ex-QUIsite."
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >On 7/18/07, James Harbeck <jharbeck at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       James Harbeck <jharbeck at SYMPATICO.CA>
> > > Subject:      Re: From Slashdot
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> > > >I say, "Well, you never know." In the '50's, IIRC, "FOR-midable"
> > > >became "for-MIDable." Now, the word seems to have returned to
> > > >"FOR-midable." OTOH, the shift of "EX-quisite" to "ex-QUIsite," which
> > > >may have occurred around the same time - memory fails - appears to be
> > > ><sob!> permanent.
> > >
> > > Funny. I use "forMIDable" and am used to hearing that; I only expect
> > > "FORmidable" from Brits. OTOH, I'm quite used to "EXquisite"; I use
> > > it myself (but not invariably -- however, I don't have a clear
> > > criterion to trot out governing my choice; I suspect it's related to
> > > which pronunciation I've most recently heard, and perhaps which
> > > general tone or register I'm using) and I think I may hear it more
> > > often than "exQUISite," though I can't say so with certainty, since I
> > > don't hear either all that often.
> > >
> > > James Harbeck.
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> >
> >--
> >All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> >come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> >-----
> >                                               -Sam'l Clemens
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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