The pedants are revolting!

[TheStepfordChav]

Sorry, couldn't resist that.

OK, help me with this one - an hotel, or a hotel? An historic, or a historic?

Why do we got both, but never an hot (water bottle) or an high (shelf)?

Surely 'an' before an aitch means you drop the aitch, so cannot be correct? (So, an 'otel, an 'istoric.)

Off on a slight tangent, why Le Havre and not L'Havre? Again because of not dropping the aitch, or something else?

Your thoughts please!

Haha i must be so thick, i always thought you used 'an' before a word that started with a vowel. For example, an apple, an orange, an umberrela.

Ok i wll stop now

No, first time for pigeon. Have used pidgin plenty of times though!

Dingdong - (sigh) let me explain... (gets stick)

TSC I was unclear - actually meant getting your Danish friend to say 'pig-e-on'.

Like 'look, over there, how would you describe that bird? Grey?... yes..fat..yes... but what species of bird in particular do you think it is..."
In a very gentle, loving, caring way of course

Sorry, now I'm being thick. Yes, did try sometimes, but it wasn't easy. Just gave me a little moment of pleasure on the few occasions when it did happen unexpectedly. (I've led a sheltered life, can you tell?)

Ah, foreigners... I remember a French exchange student's incomprehension at why Folkestone isn't pronounced Fol-kes-tone. Priceless.

Norfolk foxes the rest of Britain too - Wymondham (pronounced Wind'em) and hundreds of others I can't remember (I've been on the Lambrusco and look like this: )

How about complicated surnames like Beauchamp? And places like Worcestershire? I think the English are just lazy and like to merge all the sylablles into one

I haven't been on here for ages, but I have a 'squirrel' one as well (though slightly OT). I speak German to my kids, and squirrel is Eichhoernchen.

I remember walking with an English friend through Victoria park, and explained to my then 2 year old children that that animal over there was an Eichhoernchen. My friend looked at me in complete and utter disbelief and said 'You don't seriously expect them to be able to say that, do you? It is far too difficult to pronounce!'

I briefly thought about pointing out that about 80 million people don't seem to have a problem with it, but decided to drop it

In central London it is quite common to be asked the way to 'Lye-ches-ter Square'. I think most people understand what the American tourist means (and, yes, it is usually Americans). Fifty years ago my (Rumanian) dad was definitely not understood when he asked the way to 'Marie Le Bonn' .

ha-hey! this thread got in mumsnet news!
I feel ... mighty real.

Do you mean the weekly round-up email? I haven't had it this week! .

I had an Italian boyfriend when I was studying in Pisa, and one night he romantically suggested coming back over to England with me so that he could visit More-cam-bay ("more" pronounced as in "amore").

(ps. I was at Lancaster University, I hadn't just randomly highlighted Morecambe as Love Central!)

lol morecambebay.
Paris, Rome, Morcambay. ~Yes, i think it works..

yes weekly roundup.. did you do something really bad?

At last I can come out of the closet and admit "I am a pedant". (is the punctuation OK in that sentence - should ther be any comas apostrophes''' or other punctuation?!?).