Off-gliding to G

[Barbara Need]

David,

I am not certain. I think it is a short story with Miss Marple.
Something about a maid being either too old, or too young, to drop her
g's. I will try to remember to let you know when I next read through
AC's stories.

Barbara

On 26 Sep 2009, at 12:07 AM, David Bowie wrote:

> From:    Barbara Need <bhneed at GMAIL.COM>
>
>> I wonder how much this might be a reaction to the "g-dropping" in
>> participles (huntin', fishing', etc.). I have assumed that this was a
>> shibboleth in England based on its treatment in mysteries (there's at
>> least one Agatha Christie in which it is a clue!).
>
> Which one? I like to keep a mental list of novels where linguistics-
> type
> stuff plays a role like this, for the benefit of some of my lit
> students
> who believe nothing counts unless it appears in fiction somewhere.

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