Inappropriate Tics

[steepholm]

I am a very shallow person. I feel terrible for the family of young April Jones, especially now it's emerged that she has cerebral palsy and needs medication. I feel terrible for April Jones herself. I'm awed by the way the local community has worked together to try and find her.

But I still can't help correcting the radio every time a BBC reporter fails to pronounce "Machynlleth" properly. What have I become?

Comments

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

Years and years ago, I applied for a presenter job at BBC Wales. (I couldn't actually be hired because they don't do work permits, but I sent it anyway. Young and naive!) Anyway, the sample audio bit was a traffic report that contained both 'Machynlleth' and 'Dolgellau'. This is how I learned that if you try to speak Welsh with an American accent you choke on your tongue. The result was not great, I'm afraid....

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

I just tried that myself, and you're not kidding! The tongue's just that much further back in the mouth to begin with, and it has nowhere to go but the trachea. Definitely not to be attempted except in the company of someone trained in the Heimlich manoeuvre.