Monthly Archives: September 2012

Many feel that accents in North Wales have begun to resemble those of Liverpool. Unlike similar notions, this one has evidence behind it, as I’ll discuss later. But first, let’s hear for ourselves. Below is a snippet of the speech … Continue reading →

Hi, friends and readers. I’d like to briefly apologize for being AWOL these past few days. After giving it some thought, I’ve decided posting will have to be light here these next two weeks. I have a move, a deadline for … Continue reading →

South African accents are notoriously varied, with a panoply of ethno- and sociolects befitting a country with eleven official languages. But almost all South African English is marked by its pronunciation of the ‘ee‘ in ‘fleece.’ In most English accents, … Continue reading →

My favorite line in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America is in its first scene, when a strongly-accented rabbi, mid-eulogy, lists ‘Eric’ among the deceased’s grandchildren. He interrupts his speech and addresses the audience: ‘Eric? This is a Jewish name?’ The rabbi uses … Continue reading →

An old saying goes “the Brits may have invented English, but the Irish perfected it.” Or maybe that refers to stout. Either way, there is truth to the sentiment: Ireland (besides providing the language with some of its most colorful … Continue reading →

Back in my musical theatre days, I couldn’t get enough of Rogers and Hammerstein’s classic melodrama Carousel. I’m still a fan, but wish somebody would retool the libretto; many of the show’s lyrics and dialogue are penned in a goofy pseudo-New England … Continue reading →