the ongoing English usage

[Geoff Bannister]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:

Geoff:
Just trying to tie up on a few loose ends
..

Carol wrote in message 37073:
<< I'm trying to think of another expression that I first heard when
I was about twelve years old. I recall that it grated on my nerves
because, taken literally, it meant the opposite of the intended
meaning. >>

Catlady:
> "I could care less." That phrase still irritates me,

Carol:
Yes! That's the very one. If you could care less, then what are you
complaining about? It should be, "I *couldn't* care less."

Geoff:
Which it is, in UK English. I've never heard Catlady's version over 
here.

*******

Goodlefrood wrote in message 37085:

Geoff:
> I wouldn't disagree on the ending although I might
> write it as "sheh". It's very common...

Goddlefrood:
Can you clarify which sense of common you are using?

Could be this is just a north / south thing. Pronuciation
wise it sounds like shuh where I came from ... It's very
common up North, Liverpool excepted, where sheh would be
a closer approximation

Geoff:
I think this is more a problem of how you write your version 
phonetically. To me "shuh" would be akin to the sound of 
"shove". Having grown up with a North Country accent, then 
lived in London for 45 years and now being surrounded with 
West Country accents, I have a fairly wide  experience of UK 
accents and I'd stick to "sheh" – or possibly "sher"

*******

Carol wrote in message 37088:

Geoff:
> Your phonetic representation of the pronunciation of Worcester isn't
quite right.
>
> "Wusster" would be nearer the mark.

Carol:
Then, again, "oo" can be long, as in "too," or short, as in "wood."
I took Catlady's pronunciation to indicate the short "oo" of "wood."
At any rate, that's how I pronounce it.

Your "Wusster" I take to rhyme with "buster" or "fluster," neither of
which rhymes with Worcester if I'm correct.

Geoff:
In UK English, they all rhyme. 

I think the problem with "Wooster" is that many English people 
would associate this with Bertie Wooster in P.G.Wodehouse's `Jeeves' 
series of books and that is pronounced Woo-ster, the "Woo" in that 
case being the same pronunciation as the word used for courting 
your lady love.