Pedants' Corner

[Tony Griffiths]

Our local garage is called "Lovers Leap". Without looking up the story, how should it be punctuated?

[Nick Lettington]

Without knowing the story, whether one lover or two made the leap, I would suggest that you have punctuated it correctly. 

As with a few other things in life, "if in doubt, leave it out..."

[Mike Costigan]

It might be an instruction for future visitors...

[Colin Morgan]

If it has a reputation as a lovers' leap then it has probably happened more than once?

[Bob Olive]

Hi Howard,
I'm too busy getting worked up about the pronunciation of Omicron. I maintain it should be a long O as in Omega and an EE as in
Oh-mi-cron rather than Ommickron to be concerned about anyone else's feelings!

You may be interested in the Cambridge University's website which demonstrates the UK pronunciation vs the US version. Click of the relevant speaker symbols to hear it. Mary Beard also has an opinion on the matter...

[John Mason]

Does all this abolish local dialects such as Ar………Yes. Nee-ow……No. Ay-up yooth.(to a man) or Ay-up midduk (to a lady or small child)……… Good morning/afternoon. The list goes on for ever.

John Mason.

[Reckless Rat]

Sheffielders are known as Dee-Dahs to others from the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire, as their accent is subtly different from that of Barnsley, Rotherham or the flatlanders from Doncaster.

A typical greeting in Shefffield would be "Nar den dee what da doing" whereas a Barnsley chap would probably greet you with "Ey oop old luv, are thy all reight?"

All that, with only a few miles of separation. No wonder proper foreigners (those from south of Mansfield) can't cope.

[Biddlecombe]

Then a corse ther be proper souf wer Iz from in the verist.
My mum had a saying, said as a greeting to a friend and their reply......
"Watcher" ..........Hello
"Werz goin?"..... Where are you going?
"Down varm"......To the farm.
"Wot wee?".........What are you taking?
"Vathers grub"....Father's lunch.
"Giz a bit"...........Will you please give me some?
"Shaint" ..............No I will not.
"Guts".................You are selfish.

Oh yes the top line is "Then of course there is the proper south, I come from The New Forest."

[Ian Dunford]

It's a well known fact that a Bristolian and a Geordie would have no ideal what the other is saying.

[John Mason]

Recker’s I am well aware of differences in Yorkshire accents having spent Initial, intermediate and final training courses in Yorkshire in the late sixties.

John Mason.