Jagwire

[Wilson Gray]

What about the dialect spoken by that hotel garden gnome? Does no one care?

-Wilson

On Jan 11, 2008 7:34 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> 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 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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