"NY" on Fri, 13 Jul 2018 17:25:01 +0100 typed in
alt.windows7.general the following:
"pyotr filipivich" wrote in message
.. .
"Merry Mary is soon to marry."

For me, merry, mary and marry have three different vowels.

"My Aunt is afraid of ants."

Both the same. If I had to distinguish, maybe I would length the vowel in
aunt *very* slightly.

"A bison is what you worsh yer face in."

I might say all this in a fake Cockney accent, as spoken by Arthur Mullard,
or by Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part :-)

Or regional US/Australian.


I read somewhere of the phrase that was taught to aspiring debutantes at
"finishing school" who wanted to lose their provincial accents and acquire
an RP (Received Pronunciation - BBC) accent:

Pass me a glass - I want to have a bath.

The implication is that all the A sounds should be long, as in "ar", but I
lost it at the logic of the sentence - I've a mental image of a nubile lass
trying to shrink herself so she is small enough to have a bath in a glass
:-)

Or "if you think I'm going to take a bath sober ... pass me a
glass."

I recall reading that the English language has some 2300
expressions to describe the intoxicated state. (e.G., "Tired and
emotional", "a wee bit unmindful", three sheets, ****ed, and so forth)
I informed by then girlfriend of this factoid, and her response was
"Yes, and the Esquimoux have 32 words for 'snow'." I cracked up.)
--
pyotr filipivich
Next month's Panel: Graft - Boon or blessing?