Alan Jones wrote:
> "Ildhund" <jnllb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:ffdg18$anj$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> Bert Vaux wrote...
>>
>>> 3. The questions are designed to be relevant to speakers of English
>>> worldwide, not just in the United States.
>>
>> Designed badly, then, in my view. Most of the questions seem to
>> relate to purely American linguistic oddities. I do hope the author
>> will consider a similar geographical survey of quirks in British
>> English - "What is your normal greeting on meeting an acquaintance?
>> Hello, Na'then, Eyup" or "Does your pronunciation of 'scone' [a
>> variety of bun] rhyme with 'gone' or 'stone' or 'boon'?"
>
> Not entirely fair, I think - e.g. the "alley" question includes
> ginnel and snicket. But no distinction is made between British
> _regional_ and _social_ dialects e.g. the "dinner" question, nor any
> allowance for social context e.g. the "public lavatory" question (the
> same person may use "loo" or "toilet" or "gents" etc depending on
> whom he is addressing and on what occasion).
The fallacy is in the subject line - this is noth to do with dialects.
--
John Briggs
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