Wednesday or Wensday???

[Maz]

This is my favourite Wednesday song (sung to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean):

If I had the wings of a sparrow,
The dirty black @rse of a crow,
I'd fly over Hillsborough tomorrow,
And sh1t on the b@stards below.

Chorus
Sh1t on, Sh1t on, Sh1t on the b@stards below, below,
Sh1t on, Sh1t on, Sh1t on the b@stards below...

 

[MontyVeda]

February. Most often pronounced.....................Feb-uary.

I say Feb-ru-ary even though it does seem awkward.

...

up 'ere it's Feb-ry

edit... I've now got January February by Barbara Dickson going round in my head... Feb-ry doesn't' scan

 

[colly]

Singe-ent the Baptist. People have been getting his name wrong for centuries.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Wensday for me. What about how the pronunciation of medicine? Newsreaders and reporters say medson. I remember some years ago they debated how to pronounce it,and they decided that medson was the way to say it.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Wensday for me. What about how the pronunciation of medicine? Newsreaders and reporters say medson. I remember some years ago they debated how to pronounce it,and they decided that medson was the way to say it.

More like medsin for me. It sounds like something you might enjoy on a holiday on the Italian coast.

 

[swee'pea99]

I've just remembered what it is you reminded me of. It was a programme - a series - not that long ago (3 months?) whose name I can't now bring to mind, about a guy who suddenly goes off on one of those random killing sprees, walking through a small village in the Norfolk Broads, or somewhere like that - somewhere very flat, and wet, and drab - shooting people as he goes. And the programme started with just the sound of a woman doing the shipping forecast, and it happened to be Wednesday, and I was struck by the way she did pronounce the first d in Wednesday. Barely, but distinctly. I can remember thinking at the time that it was one of those subtle, oh-so-slight signs by which the Establishment - the people who grew up with Radio 4 and went to public schools - recognise each other. Very much a U/non-U thing. Like the way they pronounce the 'wh' in white differently from the w in water...sort of blowing a kiss through the w as they say it. Personally I say wite and wensday, but I recognise that it's down to my lack of breeding.

You don't hear it very much these days, and I'm sure it'll go the way of 'tiss-you' (my gran thought 'tishoo' was awfully common), but it lingers...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've just remembered what it is you reminded me of. It was a programme - a series - not that long ago (3 months?) whose name I can't now bring to mind, about a guy who suddenly goes off on one of those random killing sprees, walking through a small village in the Norfolk Broads, or somewhere like that - somewhere very flat, and wet, and drab - shooting people as he goes. And the programme started with just the sound of a woman doing the shipping forecast, and it happened to be Wednesday, and I was struck by the way she did pronounce the first d in Wednesday. Barely, but distinctly. I can remember thinking at the time that it was one of those subtle, oh-so-slight signs by which the Establishment - the people who grew up with Radio 4 and went to public schools - recognise each other. Very much a U/non-U thing. Like the way they pronounce the 'wh' in white differently from the w in water...sort of blowing a kiss through the w as they say it. Personally I say wite and wensday, but I recognise that it's down to my lack of breeding.

You don't hear it very much these days, and I'm sure it'll go the way of 'tiss-you' (my gran thought 'tishoo' was awfully common), but it lingers...

I had a friend who went to Oxford who, whenever he saw a wh, as in when and why, would pronounce it hwen and hwy. For some reason it's posh to pronounce the silent letters out of turn.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Nobberism is actively encouraged at the BBC, why I don't know.

Well, it certainly was in the '60s, '70s and '80s, yes! Are you saying it still goes on?

 

[Keith Oates]

Another one that also annoys me is people that pronounce Herbs as Erbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aperitif]

is that pronounced no-ber or nob-ber?

In threechannelsmcgintys case it's 'no-beer'!

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Another one that also annoys me is people that pronounce Herbs as Erbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'Cos it sounds posh, innit!

Anyway, as for Wednesday, because of my accent, I (quite rightly IMHO) say 'Wedinsday'

 

[asterix]

Round here it's mercredi. It sounds like they are talking about something unpleasant, probly* because lundi and mardi were merde and they can't wait until le weekend.

*street for probably

 

[MontyVeda]

What about the 'd' in sandwich... it's mostly silent up 'ere,,,, and thinking about it, the 'ch' is more 'dge'... so san'widge

 

[MontyVeda]

I had a friend who went to Oxford who, whenever he saw a wh, as in when and why, would pronounce it hwen and hwy. For some reason it's posh to pronounce the silent letters out of turn.

I know a few people who've adopted a faux public school accent in order to sound more intelligent... the nearest they've been to public school is probably owning, or maybe just glancing at a copy of Tom Brown's Schooldays, and they do exactly that... hwen, hwy.. hwatever! pompous twonks

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Everyone on the BBC says our laws are enforced by the "plice".

as to Wed-ens-day and Feb-brew-ary well, that would be the scots influence on Radio 4. They roll their r's too.