"cumberbund"

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Nov 20, 2008, at 2:27 AM, Lynne Murphy wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Lynne Murphy <m.l.murphy at SUSSEX.AC.UK>
> Subject:      Re: "cumberbund"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> But in western NYS, I knew it as 'cumberbund'.  I would've thought the
> 'mispronunciation' is at least as widespread (if not more) than the
> 'real'
> pronunciation.

"mispronunciation" was not my label, of course.

in any case, i asked two friends (both ca. 50, both white) about the
word at lunch yesterday -- by describing the object and asking what
they called it.

one (a woman who grew up in maine) offered "cummerbund", the other (a
man who grew up in bethlehem, pa.) offered "cumberbund".  each was
surprised at the other's variant.

like several others who posted here, i heard only one "b" in the word
in the rap song.  it then occurred to me that there are undoubtedly
people who think that the word is *spelled* "cumberbund", but is
normally pronounced, 'casually', with only one "b".

arnold

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