Date:  Tue, 14 Dec 1993 10:40:35 -0800

From:  "Thomas L. Clark" <tlc[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]NEVADA.EDU>

Subject: m-o-d-r-e-n



Your message dated: Mon, 13 Dec 1993 16:58:04 CST

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> Aside: A family friend from long ago (1940s) was given to hypercorrection.

> When she was waxing wise about all the good things of our era she intoned

> m-o-d-r-e-n will full confidence. Given other things she said, I'd say

> this wasn't metathesis. Has anyone else heard this form?

>            DMLance



A friend and colleague who became a DJ for a folk-music program on local

Public Radio intoned very formally the call letters for the station,

as he was required to do, and added "the news source for all of

s-o-u-t-h-r-e-n Nevada." I could tell he was using his best H. V.

Kaltenborn announcer's voice and wanted it to sound Official. After

he had done this for a few weeks, I called his attention to it.

He stopped using the metathesised form and went back to his regular

pronunciation of southern.

-------------------------------------------------------

Thomas L. Clark English Department UNLV 89154

tlc[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nevada.edu