R.I.P. RP
From Andrew Daley Sir: Why does Theodore Dalrymple (`Thick accents', 25 October), a writer with whom I usually agree, believe that the pronunciation of 'Newcastle' used by the majority of people who live in the city is essentially inferior to that used by the middle and upper classes in the South-East?
Mr Dalrymple's arguments in favour of Received Pronunciation seem to be circular and self-defeating. In the past, aping the pronunciation of the Home Counties elite was socially and professionally profitable; now it isn't — what is the problem?
Regarding cultural value, any examination of the rhymes in Shakespeare will reveal that his accent was closer to that of Wigan than that of Westminster: 'Good' rhymes with 'blood'!
Andrew Daley
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire
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