Here we go with some of my favorite messages, about pronunciation. Last week I remarked on the name K-E-R-R as it applied to a former governor. Listener John wrote: “According to NCpedia, both names are properly "kar" with double dots over the "a". I've heard the "kar" variation all my life (more than six decades) for both the street and the man, and also a lake in the northern part of NC.” Sounds good to me. Thanks for the correction, John.
And this from Anonymous:
I strongly object to being asked to MIS-pronounce English words. English is a hard enough language to speak without compounding the problem, with words spelled one way, but pronounced totally differently. There are many examples within our language but the Camp LeJeune & Kerr Avenue are classic examples. W/no offense to the origination of the mispronunciation, I really don't care how an individual, 100 years ago, wanted his name pronounced. If someone can show me an 'R' in the word 'LeJeune' I'll (mis)pronounce it that way. Same w/Kerr Avenue, locally pronounced 'CAR' avenue. Continuing these mis-pronouncements only points out a local resident. Everyone else (in the world), is using the phonetic spelling to pronounce the word .. correctly. It is time to start using the English language correctly. Sometimes moving into the current age, (e.g. indoor plumbing, not having to use candles @ night, horseless carriage) is a good thing :)
I thank Anonymous for the message. I hope he or she will notify us the minute English spelling becomes consistent and coherent.
Here’s a bit of feedback concerning a different point of language that NPR sent to stations Wednesday:
Here’s what we can say about Donald Trump now that, well, he has no actual opponents anymore for the GOP nomination: You can call him the “apparent nominee.” You can also say that he is “assured” of the nomination. Caveats are no longer necessary. You don’t have to use “all but” before assured, and you don’t have to say “likely” anymore. We will stay away from “presumptive,” however, because of this very specific definition that [our expert) sent out April 27th: Presumptive nominee: Has accumulated the required number of delegates to be the Democratic or Republican party’s nominee, but hasn’t been officially made the nominee. Basically, it’s a designation that applies from when someone gets the required number of delegates up to the vote at the convention (after that, the person is a plain old “nominee”). Trump will likely become the “presumptive” nominee on June 7th after votes in California, New Jersey and elsewhere. That’s the earliest mathematically that he can cross the magic number of 1,237 to officially become the nominee.
So there’s NPR’s take. But I note that yesterday’s Washington Post referred to Trump as the “presumptive” nominee. So there’s that.
We received a message from a listener having trouble finding Classical HQR. He was looking for 96.7. When we investigated further, we learned that he had seen a reference on an old web page. Realistically, it would be very difficult to go back and revise every single story we’ve ever published that has ever mentioned 96.7. Listeners can contact us, as our correspondent did, or — better yet — join the station and get plenty of up-to-date information.
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