G-ful "gnu"

[Benjamin Barrett]

It's that US-bias of the OED that's confusing the issue!

Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

On Jan 27, 2013, at 12:23 PM, Damien Hall <damien.hall at NEWCASTLE.AC.UK> wrote:

> In British English, "gnu" is usually g-ful - /g at nu:/ - so Flanders & Swann were using their native pronunciation.  I'd never heard it any other way until I went to live in the States!
>
> Date:    Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:55:46 -0800
> From:    Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject: G-ful "gnu"
>
> About halfway through today's broadcast of "Radio Lab" =
> (http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/15/) is a g-ful pronunciation of =
> "gnu," referring to the animal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU says =
> that "GNU" is g-ful). I looked at my phone shortly afterward and it was =
> 1:31, so it should have occurred within five minutes before the halfway =
> mark. It was in the discussion about Wile E. Coyote.
>
> I believe the speaker was over 60, based on the vague recollection I =
> have of the timeframe involved. That segment is also available at =
> http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/15/singled-out/.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Sat, 26 Jan 2013 21:47:55 -0500
> From:    "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject: Re: G-ful "gnu"
>
> At 1/26/2013 06:55 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>> About halfway through today's broadcast of "Radio Lab"
>> (http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/15/) is a g-ful pronunciation of "gnu,"
>> referring to the animal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU says that
>> "GNU" is g-ful). I looked at my phone shortly afterward and it was
>> 1:31, so it should have occurred within five minutes before the
>> halfway mark. It was in the discussion about Wile E. Coyote.
>
> Of course if you want a g-lee-ful pronunciation of gnu, hear Flanders
> and Swann.  There's also a ringtone for your clock ... I mean phone,
> at e.g.
> http://www.justsomelyrics.com/1653356/Flanders-And-Swann-The-Gnu-Song-Lyrics
>
> Joel
>
>> I believe the speaker was over 60, based on the vague recollection I
>> have of the timeframe involved. That segment is also available at
>> http://www.radiolab.org/2010/oct/15/singled-out/.
>

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