Heard on Springer: _strewn_ [stroUn]

[Wilson Gray]

On Fri, Aug 26, 2011 at 2:11 PM, Ben Zimmer
<bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> Stephen Colbert, FWIW, says "FORmidable" in his recurring self-debate,
> "Formidable Opponent":
>

Very likely, it's Colbert's usage that has motivated me to ponder
this, one of the questions of the ages.;-)

Those of a certain age have fond memories of the late, great French
actress, Claudette Colbair.

_Colbert_ is a fairly common surname amongst the colored. When I
discovered that Stephen is a native of South carolina, I ceased to
wonder how that came to be the case.

Among the black families that I know, some use the ordinary-English
spelling pronunciation, others the pswaydo-Freynch pronunciation. IMO,
the use of the pswaydo-Freynch pronunciation is an an affectation. Of
course, there's no cool way to question anyone about that. So,

Youneverknow.

--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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