"listener1/20/2014 07:53:00 AM Listen for where Harry's mates say his name with an edge of annoyance. That's when they drag out the vowel sound so you can hear it properly. A British trait of accent. :-)"
Ah, good idea. Reversion from acquired speech patterns to one's native speech at times of stress is quite common. I recall the humorous story about the fellow from Lousiana who had lived in NYC and acquired the pronunciations toe-mah-toe and poe-tah-toe, among others. Returning home and going to a restaurant (conveniently for the joke), he ordered some of each with his meal, using his carefully acquired accent. Being surprised by the amount of the bill, he blurted out something like "Whah, Ah nevah in mah lahf heerd of such a prahs fer sum t'maters an' p'tateters!"
Oh, I can't believe that when I posted all these front page photos a few weeks ago, I completely missed honouring MLK, Jr!!! Well, now that I'm safely home from Maine, let me see what can yet be done! :-)
Used to tickle me in China, that when speaking Chinese, and I couldn't remember the right word, some other foreign word would fill itself in if I knew one, rather than dropping back to English. . . . which for me could be Latin, German, French, Spanish or Greek.
puddle--I would say that great minds dysfunction in the same way, but would bet anyone who has any knowledge of three languages or more does the same thing. One searches (under pressure) for the right word to use in a foreign language, can't think of it, and the brain grabs the closest thing out of the "foreign language" section, not being picky about the particular subsection, thinking time is of the essence. It's probably the same primordial response that served our remote ancestors well when, confronted with a charging beast, they didn't have exactly the best weapon to hand--they used whatever WAS to hand. If not a spear, then a rock, a loud shout, a punch in the nose--anything. When dealing with beasts it still works today, but with languages the result can be altogether bemusing.
In my Sophomore year of high school, I was taking 2nd year German and First year French (as well as English, of course). My French teacher was not amused when she asked me a question in French and I answered in German. I thought it kind of neat that i had double translated, but in the end I decided to drop French. Only then did my French teacher say she was sorry I was leaving. Ah well, I took French later with my kids.
Another warm, DRY day; I got the plum tree largely pruned (I didn't thin it enough last year), and packed it in when the light made it difficult for me to distinguish among live and dead twigs. Miyoko was weeding in the back yard and saw a pair of doves checking out the little shelf we made under one of the eaves for them--I had forgotten to upgrade it, so quickly put a higher side on it and installed a perching branch. I hope they come back and inspect the upgrade. And now to watch another Harry Potter movie (No. 3--Prisoner of Azkaban). Accent research, of course; not mere entertainment or sloth.
Huzzah for Howard!
ReplyDelete"listener1/20/2014 07:53:00 AM
Listen for where Harry's mates say his name with an edge of annoyance. That's when they drag out the vowel sound so you can hear it properly. A British trait of accent. :-)"
Ah, good idea. Reversion from acquired speech patterns to one's native speech at times of stress is quite common. I recall the humorous story about the fellow from Lousiana who had lived in NYC and acquired the pronunciations toe-mah-toe and poe-tah-toe, among others. Returning home and going to a restaurant (conveniently for the joke), he ordered some of each with his meal, using his carefully acquired accent. Being surprised by the amount of the bill, he blurted out something like "Whah, Ah nevah in mah lahf heerd of such a prahs fer sum t'maters an' p'tateters!"
--Alan
Alan, I was just going to ask you how the movie went, when I did the time zone math and realised you are probably just getting it started. :-)
DeleteOh, I can't believe that when I posted all these front page photos a few weeks ago, I completely missed honouring MLK, Jr!!! Well, now that I'm safely home from Maine, let me see what can yet be done! :-)
ReplyDeleteFront page has been adjusted! :-)
DeleteUsed to tickle me in China, that when speaking Chinese, and I couldn't remember the right word, some other foreign word would fill itself in if I knew one, rather than dropping back to English. . . . which for me could be Latin, German, French, Spanish or Greek.
ReplyDeleteOops, or Italian. Not actually much of any of them 'cept Latin, so it was the most often fill in, lol!
Deletepuddle--I would say that great minds dysfunction in the same way, but would bet anyone who has any knowledge of three languages or more does the same thing. One searches (under pressure) for the right word to use in a foreign language, can't think of it, and the brain grabs the closest thing out of the "foreign language" section, not being picky about the particular subsection, thinking time is of the essence. It's probably the same primordial response that served our remote ancestors well when, confronted with a charging beast, they didn't have exactly the best weapon to hand--they used whatever WAS to hand. If not a spear, then a rock, a loud shout, a punch in the nose--anything. When dealing with beasts it still works today, but with languages the result can be altogether bemusing.
Delete--Alan
In my Sophomore year of high school, I was taking 2nd year German and First year French (as well as English, of course). My French teacher was not amused when she asked me a question in French and I answered in German. I thought it kind of neat that i had double translated, but in the end I decided to drop French. Only then did my French teacher say she was sorry I was leaving. Ah well, I took French later with my kids.
DeleteAnother warm, DRY day; I got the plum tree largely pruned (I didn't thin it enough last year), and packed it in when the light made it difficult for me to distinguish among live and dead twigs. Miyoko was weeding in the back yard and saw a pair of doves checking out the little shelf we made under one of the eaves for them--I had forgotten to upgrade it, so quickly put a higher side on it and installed a perching branch. I hope they come back and inspect the upgrade. And now to watch another Harry Potter movie (No. 3--Prisoner of Azkaban). Accent research, of course; not mere entertainment or sloth.
ReplyDelete--Alan