probably ranted about lots of times before..but 'deteriorate'...

[MaryAnnSingleton]

why can't people pronounce it properly ? Yesterday on R4 someone said 'deteriate'- arghh

Too many syllables. Frantic pace of modern life. How are parents pushed to their limit by juggling and the credit crunch going to find time for the extra 'or'?

LibRary, SecRetary, FebRuary^. Some of it's laziness, some of it's ignorance ~ they just don't know!

I have to disagree on the "February" issue Solo. FebRuary doesn't roll off the tongue very easily and I think it's a quirk of pronunciation. If someone spells it "Febuary" that is a definite case for pedantry

After all it's only missing out an "r" and that happens in English accents for all sorts of words.

Anyone want to start a campaign for those with non-rhotic accents to start pronouncing Rs?

Having a lovely Scottish rhotic accent myself I'm obviously ahead of the game in pedant-land, although I may have to work on my glottal stops

I am non-rhotic southerner and am lazy in the other direction - libr'y, Febr'y, secr't'ry

I do say 'deteriorate' properly though...

Most people seem to say secetry...

Plice.

As in 'I'm going to call the plice if the situation deteriates further.'

'rhotic'? [all excited about learning a new word]

rhotic vs non-rhotic

so when I say 'hard' it sounds like 'hahd', but Nelly pronounces the r and says 'harrrd'

Thank you. I must say your explanation was greatly superior to Wikipedia's

thanks too Mrs Badger !

Apparently the received pronunciation (ie BBC) of secretary IS sec'r'tree. I always end up saying 'libary'... ugh.

I have acquired a rhotic accent through long years of living in Scotland. Sits oddly with the original Scouse!

I get similarly annoyed about "oriented" as opposed to "orientated", although many people tell me it isn't wrong...

Well see, I was always taught that it was 'oriented' UQD, so I get similarly vexed by 'orientated'. My dictionary tells me that 'orientate' is a 'variant' of 'orient'. But I don't want a fight or owt.

I was driven mildly insane by a former boss - now a People's Peer - who always said 'prolly' for 'probably'. I used to sit there trying not to chew the desk in meetings. Not a good look.

My way makes most sense to me because it is "orientation" and there is no such word as "oriention".

Also:

"ecksetera"

"publically"

Grrrrrr....

...or indeed 'orientatation'

We need George W Bush. He'd just say it was "orientificationing" and be done with it. Mah fullow merkins.

Ambleyance.

Haitch.

drawring

nucular (dubya, hang your head in shame)

Every year at this time I mention the John Lewis wooden advent calendar we bought three years ago, whose box proudly announced that it had "draws".

draws with pitchers on uqd?

Thassit.