[LINK] Re: Link Digest, Vol 174, Issue 13

[Ivan Trundle]

On 08/05/2007, at 2:06 PM, Paul Brooks wrote:

> Agh, don't get me started on Australian regional accents. I'm from  
> Adelaide, where we are taught to speak properly - which sends my  
> NSW-born inlaws into fits of laughter as they continually try to  
> get me to say things like 'plant stand', and I have to remond them  
> that 'plant' does NOT rhyme with 'ant'. Must be their common  
> convict blood (sniff)! Still, I get the last laugh - my kids call  
> them 'bathers', not the local 'swimmers' or 'togs'.

I was taught (perversely) that 'plahnt' was for the stuff you hire to  
dig roads, whilst 'plants' was the stuff you plahnted after you'd dug  
up the road.

The joys of language. And the problem with curb and kerb is that they  
don't share the same set of meanings. I've never heard of anyone  
kerbing their use of poor English.

I plant my foot on your plant stand.

I had to curb my language after stubbing my toe on the kerb.