Jagwire

[Laurence Horn]

At 6:29 PM -0500 1/11/08, Paul Johnston wrote:
>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.

You're right, of course; working-class, but not as "low" as Cockney
or as (relatively) "high" as Estuary.  I just wasn't allowing as many
positions on the scale as I needed.   Tricky critters, those geckos.

LH

>  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:
>>>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>-----------------------
>>>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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