Jagwire

[Paul Johnston]

I wouldn't characterize the Geico gekko as Estuary English, which I
take to be (or at least, have been) a compromise between Cockney and
RP, a new local de-facto Standard of SE England, with the acceptance
of a fair few  vernacular features (e. g. glottal stop, Diphthong
Shift, l-vocalization, etc.) .  The gekko's too broad-spoken for
that, but he's not the broadest Cockney you can get either.  He
sounds upper working class to middle working class to me--someone the
average American tourist might encounter as a London working-class
person.  For someone who is broader, more like what you'd get in the
council estates of East or South London--if anyone gets BBC America
on cable and sees the home improvement show Changing Rooms, the
capenter Handy Andy Kane.  Now he's London Vernacular--he even
glottalizes voiceless fricatives sometimes.

Paul Johnston
On Jan 10, 2008, at 10:19 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Jagwire
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> At 5:58 AM -0800 1/10/08, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> Britons usually say "Jag-u-ar."  They also say "Antig-u-a" and
>> "Nicarag-u-a."
>>
>>   The "Jag-u-ar" pronouncer in a TV commercial aimed at Americans
>> was undoubtedly hired to enhance the car's snob appeal.
>
> That's been my guess, and yes, the commercial is still running.
>
>>
>>   Old saying: "Everything sounds snootier with an English accent."
>>
>>   Well, some English accents.
>
> Illustrating the last point is the Geico gekko, whose decidedly
> unsnooty Estuary English (not cockney, but far from RP) is intended
> to impress us with the sense that he's a regular guy.  Or as much of
> a regular guy as a gecko can get.
>
> LH
>
>> Susan Rosine <basenjiluvr at MSN.COM> wrote:
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>> -----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society
>> Poster: Susan Rosine
>> Subject: Re: Jagwire
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> ----------
>>
>> I've only heard "Jag-wire" my entire life. Born in Colorado,
>> raised in Wash=
>> ington state, now back in Colorado. Mother from Alabama, Father
>> from Indian=
>> a. I did once, not too long ago, hear a commercial for the car,
>> and they p=
>> ronounced it Jag-You-Are. I noticed the commercial didn't run very
>> long.=20
>> SusanOn Jan 8, 2008 6:34 AM, Sam Clements wrote:> >>=
>>>  Subject: Jagwire> >>> Of course I'm talking about Jaguar.> >>>> >>=
>>>  Since I'm not a linguist, is there an explanation for the =3D>
>>> >>> misp=
>> ronunciation of the word? I never encountered it until I worked
>> =3D> >>> =
>> with some people in Middle Ohio, who also happen to be
>> undereducated(and =
>> =3D> >>> coincidentally from Southern Ohio/Western Pennsylvania).
>> Or am I=
>> =3D> >>> reading too much into their family backgrounds?> >>>> >>>
>> Anywa=
>> y, is this something as simple as saying "warsh" for wash,
>> "tarred" =3D> >>=
>>>  for tired? =3D20> >>>> >>> Sam Clements
>> =
>>
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