VULGAR PRONUNCIATION
[To the Editor' of THE SPECTATOR."
Sia,—Sir Claud Russell's letter, scolding Miss Helen Simpson- for trying,to reproduce a certain mode of speech- of- the vulgar' London male by writing "hart" for "half," puzzles me. Does-he-mean that one should-nevertry to. indicate departures: from the usual pronunciation- by spelling ?
Surely it is permissible to suggest what those who are- not graduates of our oldest university rudely call' the Oxford, Blest by writing down the directions given me the other day as "past a whaite house, between the water-tah and the pah station:" It appears to- me that a_ whole outlook on life is given in the remark of-a typist to her boy friend that she is. ." not in the mend for fewc1" ;- a pronunciation- immortalized by the decision of the censor to.fbrbida. play by. O'Neill tilt its title was changed to Strange /rderoat from Strange Interlesod: And is. there no interest in recording the rapidly- vanishing dialect in which. I once overheard, my batman describe the emergence of his superior' officer- from a- disintegrating billet " wivalit 'is trahsii-"?. • Or does Sir Claud RUssell proclaim his allegiance to that rapidly increasing•group (including all. the B.BIC. announcers). which has eliminated the, letter " r:" ? He sayshe hears no difference in pronunciation- between " gorn ". and "'gone." Does he find "born-" a perfect rhyme for " dawn," ? I still remember what a Scottish professor once said to. me about cockney rhymes ; but that was in the Colonies.—! am,. Sir, &a., 48 Queen Anne Siren, DErris BROWNE. Cavendish Square, London, W.1,
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