Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Bombshell: Scientific research indicates Australians don't know how to pronounce phonetic spellings of their own dialect

All right, all right. I strike my colors and surrender my sword. Next thing, you'll be telling me that this isn't an old, established Australian tradition.

If nothing else, my post prompted this interesting essay by TimT.

7 comments:

JeffS said...

If scantily clad chicks chasing each other around a track isn't an old, established tradition, it should be.

Steve Skubinna said...

First time in Oz I picked up a book, "Let Stalk Strine." It helped immensely in understanding the quaint patois of the locals. I graduated to Kevin Bloody Wilson and eventually, after long and careful study, was able to blend in.

Paco said...

Jeff: I think it ought to be an international competition; maybe an Olympic event.

JeffS said...

There's an idea, Paco!

Anonymous said...

'kenoaf

bruce said...

" 'kenoaf "

- Haven't heard that since I was a kid. Actually we used to articulate it a bit clearer as " f-ckenoath ".

And that would still be an abbreviation of 'My (emphasised) Oath!'

Again derived from 'I give you my sacred oath'.

Or if you prefer, 'kenoaf!

bingbing said...

I remember at an academy I worked at a few years ago, one of the head honchos told me in a meeting that he wanted me to teach American phonetic sounds (e.g. how we pronounce the "o" on "hot" compared to the yanks) to my young phonics class.

I just stared at him blankly and informed him if he wanted that, why didn't the academy get one of the two American teachers there to do the class?