Item the First: Sayeth my teabag wrapper, "Surprisingly enough, with a name like Tazo Honeybush, this tea contains none of the buzz of caffeine." Funny; I would have said, "Surprisingly enough, with a name like Tazo Honeybush, this is a tea and not a porn star."
Item the Second: This PBS page claims that we in the Pacific Northwest are shifting our vowels so that words like "beg" and "bag" come out almost the same, with the vowel sounding like the one in "bake." Also, "good" sounds like "gid" and "look" sounds like "lick." Having tested my own speech, I have to admit they're pretty much right. I already knew that, in true Wild West form, I said "frr" (almost like "fur") instead of "for", and "git" instead of "get," and I drop most of my g's, so to speak, for words endin' in -ing. And "cool" comes out as two syllables for me, just about. But I hadn't noticed the "What kind of beg, paper or plastic?" thing yet. Coo-wul.
Item the Third: You know you've been reading The Silmarillion too long when you giggle at the brand name "Melnor" on your lawn sprinkler, and start making up a heritage for it. Melnor, also called Cunithielanien, son of Maginor. When I turned the water up a little too high, and got sprinkled, I even went so far as to tell Steve, "Beware, the arm of Melnor is long. And cold, and wet."
Item the Fourth: I forgot to fangirl about a book I recently read, so now is the time. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. So utterly charming and funny and poignant. Somehow the very charismatic narrator reminded me of
kalquessa, even though kalquessa is neither British nor a denizen of the early 1900s. (But it's still a compliment, Marie, really!) And thank you to modmerseygirl for recommending that one in the first place.
Item the Fifth: We have taught Zachary the Jedi mind trick. Useful, don't you think?
Item the Second: This PBS page claims that we in the Pacific Northwest are shifting our vowels so that words like "beg" and "bag" come out almost the same, with the vowel sounding like the one in "bake." Also, "good" sounds like "gid" and "look" sounds like "lick." Having tested my own speech, I have to admit they're pretty much right. I already knew that, in true Wild West form, I said "frr" (almost like "fur") instead of "for", and "git" instead of "get," and I drop most of my g's, so to speak, for words endin' in -ing. And "cool" comes out as two syllables for me, just about. But I hadn't noticed the "What kind of beg, paper or plastic?" thing yet. Coo-wul.
Item the Third: You know you've been reading The Silmarillion too long when you giggle at the brand name "Melnor" on your lawn sprinkler, and start making up a heritage for it. Melnor, also called Cunithielanien, son of Maginor. When I turned the water up a little too high, and got sprinkled, I even went so far as to tell Steve, "Beware, the arm of Melnor is long. And cold, and wet."
Item the Fourth: I forgot to fangirl about a book I recently read, so now is the time. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. So utterly charming and funny and poignant. Somehow the very charismatic narrator reminded me of
kalquessa, even though kalquessa is neither British nor a denizen of the early 1900s. (But it's still a compliment, Marie, really!) And thank you to modmerseygirl for recommending that one in the first place.Item the Fifth: We have taught Zachary the Jedi mind trick. Useful, don't you think?
Comments
2. Apparently since I live in Orange County, CA, I speak "News At Eleven English" i.e. I don't really have any perceivable accent as such but rather a pronounced lack of one. If that makes any sense. Or so I'm told. *shrug*
3. "Beware, the arm of Melnor is long. And cold, and wet." You win at the internet.
4. I've had that on my to-read list for years! (It's in good company....poor overgrown to-read list.) And hey, any time people associate me with anything Victorian and British it is a good thing!
5. The Force is strong with this one. I feel an overwhelming urge to zerbert your child. (If this sentence alarms you, it may help to know that I am told "zerbert" translates roughly as "to blow a raspberry on subject's tummy" in other parts of the world.)
2. As a linguist I'm obliged to tell you that everyone has an accent, and a dialect. Some Southern Californians even have a distinct one--"surfer speak", might call it. However, you probably do speak close to "standard American English," as do a lot of us from coast to coast.
3. Teehee. Thanks.
4. The heroine isn't a standard Victorian...she's feminine and brave and frank and unique, and all that good stuff. So when you do get around to reading it, hope you don't think, "This whiny brat reminded her of me? Thanks for nothin', Lemonhead."
5. Zerbert. Hee! That's a new one for me. *goes into the lexicon*
You should know your teabag whore quote is gonna go in my facebook. XD
Did I ever mention that Amber's first word was "wampa"? At the time, I was uber-pissed, but it gets funnier the more I think about it. And yes, babies knowing the Jedi mind trick is tres useful.
Z : (waves hand) You don't want to feed me strained spinach.
mom : (sounding a little sleepy) I don't want to feed you strained spinach.
*grin*
So far he doesn't want any food but milk anyway...so maybe it's already working!