Pronunciation…and listening well

I find regional dialects (accents) really interesting and often wonder how they developed? When in Gloucestershire recently, I was talking to a lady from Gloucester about Malvern, which is over the boarder in Worcestershire. She seemed somewhat perplexed and asked where Malvern was? Well to cut the story short, the problem was my pronunciation! In my southern accent I say Maul-vern in Gloucestershire and elsewhere they say, MALL-vern. Not a big difference I know but enough to cause a hiatus in the conversation and potentially it could cause……………

A young student was trying to earn some money over the summer holiday. He knocked on the door of a wealthy neighbour and asked if there was anything he could do for cash.

“Yes”, the man replied. “You can paint the porch. The brushes and paint are in the garage.”

Three hours later the student reported back, “Well, it’s all painted, but I have to tell you that it’s not a Porsche; it’s a Ferrari.”    ( 2011)

Br. Michael Daly. C.J.

October 2012