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Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Wed May 29, 2019 11:38 pm
by Joan
I was just reading a "hilarious" true life story about a New Yorker in Texas asking about the TV show Pawn Stars, but he kept pronouncing it Porn Stars. Much merriment ensued.

I was baffled, the I realised this was the r-lessness I keep hearing about on my American linguistic podcast. Trying to here the "r" in the way an American pronounces "car" is as difficult to me as tonal languages.

This lady sounds like she is saying porn over and over again to my ears. Or pawn. Okay, that's not quite true. I can distinguish the two pronunciations but I would take either to be porn or pawn based on context.


Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 8:39 am
by Mister Paul
Brummies say the same thing. Then, I don't think they know the difference.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 8:57 am
by Rutabaga
You say fellayshio and I say fellarshio,
Let's call the whole thing off?

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 10:03 am
by Joan
Rutabaga wrote:
4 years ago
You say fellayshio and I say fellarshio,
Let's call the whole thing off?
That made me think of this, which has spontaneously become an earworm

You say fellatio, I say pistachio
Fellatio! Pistachio! Fellatio! Pistachio!
Let's call the....

As I can't get it out of my head, I'm writing a libretto I can work that song into.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 10:03 am
by Joan
Porn was just an example.

Car and Ka would be another.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 10:15 am
by Rutabaga
I have heard the latter referred to as "a kayay" though.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 10:30 am
by Mister Paul
Joan wrote:
4 years ago
Porn was just an example.

Car and Ka would be another.
I think that one might have been intentional.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 11:00 am
by Rocky
Six, sex, sucks

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 11:23 am
by LowlifeDes
Rocky wrote:
4 years ago
Six, sex, sucks
Sacks

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu May 30, 2019 12:29 pm
by ransos
Rocky wrote:
4 years ago
Six, sex, sucks
NZ? On a ferry from the south to north island, the captain invited us to "dick tin". Apparently, you could see dolphins from there.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:32 pm
by JohnToo
As this seems to be a ready made accents thread...

We are in Yorkshire (Hovingham to be precise) for a week. My wife has taken to pronouncing things with a full-blown Yorkshire accent. I suggested to her that this could be seen (coming from to all appearances a southerner) as patronising or mocking. She in turn pointed out that, when in France, pronouncing place names the French way is merely common courtesy.

Which of us right?😁

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:39 pm
by Joan
They are Yorkshire folks: they are going to take offence whatever you do, with your soft, southern ways.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:03 pm
by Dunckel
So long as she dont start writing int fake Yoksheire axsent

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:45 pm
by Mister Paul
My sister moved from Birmingham to Cheltenham about 18 years ago. She immediately went from saying bath to saying barth. She still has to force herself now, to the point that she will do things like occasionally saying cart instead of cat.

Hiding natural accents is something that I have a big thing about. They should be celebrated, not disguised. My brother's kids go to private school. Within six months their elocution lessons has removed most of their Brummie.

We live in North Somerset now. I talk how I talk. Our youngest is called Peaky at school and he loves it. Mind you, in Weston-S-M Brummie is the norm.

Re: Are PAWN and PORN homophones in your accent?

Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:50 pm
by Joan
JohnToo wrote:
4 years ago
She in turn pointed out that, when in France, pronouncing place names the French way is merely common courtesy.😁
Please please tell me that she doesn't say, in English "we are going to Paree!"

If she does, you are married to a monster.