The World Is At An End

[bainbrig]

Just listening to an interview by Sarah Montague on The World at One, in which she intoned...

"GCHQ ..." blah blah. Pronouncing the third letter as HAITCH!

What is the world (at one) coming to when senior be-titled BBC people can't pronounce H at aitch.

Desperately,

BB

[Zacs-Master]

Maybe it's time to assess your life, BB, if things like this lead you to post your despair on a public forum?

[Baldric]

Don't see a problem, even BB knew what it meant ;o)

[ummmm]

Really? I say Haitch, shoot me now!

[Cloverjo]

I have to admit ‘Haitch’ drives me mad too.

[sanmac]

"Haytch is a standard pronunciation in Irish English and is increasingly being used by native English-speaking people all across the country, irrespective of geographical provenance or social standing. Polls have shown that the uptake of haytch by younger native speakers is on the rise. Schoolchildren repeatedly being told not to drop Hs may cause them to hyper-correct and insert them where they don't exist."

Jo Kim

BBC Pronunciation Unit

The above does not really "prove" anything, but I thought it was interesting.

[maggiebee]

What drives me mad is the way the (predominently) English drop the H at the start of a word. They say an Otel. Scots say a Hotel with the emphasis on the H.

[naomi24]

maggiebee, that's because it is a French word - the 'h' is silent. The English are quite correct.

[Neveracrossword]

Chambers gives 'hotel', with the first letter sounded, then 'otel' is secondary and marked as 'old'.

[maggiebee]

Yes Naomi, the English are always correct except when they are wrong. I only gave hotel as an example but there are plenty of others.

[Zacs-Master]

Homage

[naomi24]

It's pretty much the norm, maggiebee, well at least in well-spoken circles. I’d hate to suggest the Scots ‘anglicize’ the word. ;o)

[retrocop]

Haute Cuisine . French. Pronounced Oyt Kwe zeen

[retrocop]

I wouldn't greet about it even if it skunners you hen.

[ToraToraTora]

well the Scotts put vowels in places where they don't exist, eg Arems instead of arms.

[Mamyalynne]

We mangle words constantly here,

This topic always makes me smile, my darling Dad was in 'H' heaven if you put a microphone in his hand.

Happy memories.

[ToraToraTora]

I had to call an insurance company the other day and the recorded voice spouted the usual "you must give accurate info yada yada etc" except it didn't say "accurate" it said "acrut" -aaaaarrrrrrrrggggggghhhhh! Don't even get me started on Nucular! once a GWBism now common among TV talkers - I share your pain BB.

[Denton]

I hate Burgalry instead of Burglary,a lot of people use that.

[pumpjack]

what ...........??????????????????????????

[Peter Pedant]

the age of having sarndwiches on the lorrn
is long gawn
( I think it should be "garn" but there you are)

I noticed the cute GCHQ view that it wouldnt do anything but as a govt dept was ready assist if asked ....

which is kinda no the russians didnt do it this time

I didnt notice the haitch - but I live in the North
and as Pres Trump might say - it is touch and go if I understand anything

[sanmac]

I hate it when people put the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle