Heard on Springer: _strewn_ [stroUn]

[Laurence Horn]

On Aug 26, 2011, at 4:41 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> 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.

And for Claudette Colbert the "bare" pronunciation was no pswaydo affectation; she was actually French, although I never noticed an accent.  I see from Wikipedia that her family emigrated here when she was three, which I guess explains that.  She had a great voice in any case, and was very funny, but then I'm prejudiced, since she was one of the actresses I had a crush on.

LH

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