Mispronunciation at the BBC. Whatever next!

Probationer teachers in her class?
Good grief, are they that bad they have to go all the way back to primary school? [shakes head]

jeni! Behave!

Wot me?

Its not so much pronunciation that I get angry about. I dont get too hung up on grammer unless it renders what is being said as ambigous. I can cope with local accents providing people sound the consonants in the words. Without these language is reduced to incomprenhensible vowel sounds. Its usually younger people who do this. "Is that known as estuary english"

I do not want a return to the oh so posh BBC english of the 1960s. But people could speak more clearly. There is a lady on Radio 4 gardeners question time who has a strong Lancashire accent but she is intelligible as she sounds the consonants.
An example of speakers with poor clarity the young girls who deliver news updates on BBC televison on the early evening. They appear to have been given a brief to sound trendy.
Or I suppose I could go for a hearing test.

Why do some people say "marshmEllow" for "marshmallow? Is it an English usage as I never heard it when I lived in Scotland. I am also hugely amused by "skellington"

I agree, nelliemoser. Most regional accents are fine so long as people articulate.

I love "skellington". It has a humourous appeal. Or do I mean humerus?

I think "skellington" is often used in a tongue-in-cheek way. I remember it from the old music hall song, 'A Mother's Lament', recorded in the 60s by Cream - these are the lyrics only:

lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/y/yourbabyhasgonedowntheplughole.shtml

Has anyone noticed that, as the 2012 Olympics, approaches a new type of athlete has appeared – the cheater. I heard this twice on the BBC news on the day the torch was lit.

Thinking about sport, I should like to know where Wemberley is. Perhaps someone from the London Assemberly (both heard frequently on the BBC) could tell me.

I like regional accents on TV too, but I did chuckle when I heard a business presenter say the other day that there was "trooble in't boardroom..."

Mamie, I used to have a strong Salford accent (much softened by having left Lancashire nearly fifty years ago) and did get a bit fed up with Southerners saying 'Cum quick, trouble at t'mill'. I used to tell them that the first hundred people who had said it to me had also thought they were being funny and original. I would never dream of commenting on anyone's accent or trying to mimic it - just normal good manners, I think. (I know you were not being patronising, Mamie and I must confess that Fred Dibnah used to make me smile!)

Taking the p* out of other people's accents is not just a British thing. Absentdaughter has lived in New Zealand for 12 years and sounds quite kiwi to my ears. However, she still encounters silly people who mock her British accent (for British read posh). No doubt, she still sounds quite British to New Zealanders, but she has never said hice for house in her entire life.

Where did the other two ** go?

They got p*ssed off!

There is systematic asterisk elimination going on on GN, absent. I've remarked upon it before.

Greatnan's answer is better.

I hope we are not going to have our posts censored- we are all consenting adults and anyone who doesn't like what we post need not read it.

I'm sure I saw an actual swear word on a thread not long ago - though I'm not going to repeat it here just to see if it gets through!

Words which are now considered rude or crude were very often in normal use a few centuries ago. One person's colourful language is another person's swearing. There are only a couple of words I would not use, because they sum up a contemptuous attitude to women and their bodies.

Greatnan Yes, I once wrote a magazine article called "A Rat up a Drainpipe" about the use of female biological imagery as a means of abuse. Weren't the 1970s an exciting time?

I'm sure I heard that one word was an acronym of a legal term ' for use of carnal knowledge' can any of you medievalists confirm?

I think that was an explanation devised after the word had been in use for centuries. There are etymologically similar terms in other languages, which do not fit relevant acronyms. It was just a mediaeval word for a basic activity, short and expressive. Come to think of it, it is a bit onomatopoeic if you say it repeatedly out loud and use your imagination.

I've forgotten

BBC news readers seem to have invented a new Cabinet Member – the Pry Minister. I know we live in an age of CCTV and personally intrusive legislation, but is this appointment really necessary?

There's another one that sets my teeth on edge - the tendency to make a statement sound like a question when the pitch of the voice is raised at the end!!

Aaarrrgghhh - just like Americanese!!

I think it's more Australianese....