[COMPLETE] H.L. Mencken--The American Language--philc

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » November 17th, 2017, 12:42 am

It was Bill Bryson's entertaining "Made in America" which made me aware of Mencken's famous text. I just loved it and I've had to restrain myself from making too many remarks as a PL e.g. recently, about the singular significance of the word "caucus" down here.

A "Speaking of English" discussion board - of English in all its varieties, its history, it uses and abuses - promises to become the most contentious board in the history of Librivox. I'm all for it. I will attempt to tolerate other people's notions.

Barbara

realisticspeakers · November 17th, 2017, 7:05 am

mightyfelix wrote:I'm always nerdy enough to talk about language, anytime, anywhere! Can I propose we begin with a discussion of the proper pronunciation of peh-CAHN? (Because a PEE-can is the thing you put next to your bed at night if you don't have indoor plumbing....)

Quite a good laugh out of that comment.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chamber+pot

Post by **philchenevert** » November 17th, 2017, 9:52 am

mightyfelix wrote:I'm always nerdy enough to talk about language, anytime, anywhere! Can I propose we begin with a discussion of the proper pronunciation of peh-CAHN? (Because a PEE-can is the thing you put next to your bed at night if you don't have indoor plumbing....)

HA! Thanks for the good laugh mightyfelix!

beeber · Post by **beeber** » November 17th, 2017, 1:49 pm

Section 24 is ready for PL (duration 19:01).
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/americanlanguage_24_mencken_128kb.mp3

Bruce

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 17th, 2017, 1:52 pm

Thanks, Bruce. I have updated the MW and the file is ready for PL!

Philip

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 17th, 2017, 1:58 pm

Ok everyone...let the conversation begin. And, as they say "down South" laissez le bon temps rouler.

Speaking of English

Many thanks,

Philip

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » November 17th, 2017, 6:58 pm

beeber wrote:Section 24 is ready for PL (duration 19:01).
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/americanlanguage_24_mencken_128kb.mp3

Bruce

Thanks Bruce. PL OK.

A very meaty section.

When I moved to the UK for a bit I had to write a rather formal business letter which contained a phrase something like : "We would like to assist you ...". I was aware of the will/shall distinction (little observed where I came from) but the should/would distinction was entirely new to me . My letter was corrected to read "We should like to assist you...".

Best,

Barbara

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 18th, 2017, 9:55 am

Barbara:

Section 36 is in the MW and ready for PL. (The drama! The suspense! The spelling?) Two out of the three of these are missing.......

Good luck and many thanks,

Philip

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » November 19th, 2017, 3:44 am

DrPGould wrote:Barbara:

Section 36 is in the MW and ready for PL. (The drama! The suspense! The spelling?) Two out of the three of these are missing.......

Good luck and many thanks,

Philip

Your list reading was as steady as clockwork Philip (there's a simile that's due to be retired). PL OK.

Best,

Barbara

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 19th, 2017, 7:18 am

Thanks for your PL, Barbara!

Philip

realisticspeakers · November 19th, 2017, 6:15 pm

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/americanlanguage_44_mencken_128kb.mp3

I had a hard time mangling some of the place names, but I think I did a good job of it....mangling some of the place names.
(It's not like it's an important part of this section anyway)

Ch8 Proper Names in America Pt 3 Geographical Names
duration: [41:07]

Open to any and all criticism, comments, changes, etc.

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 19th, 2017, 6:41 pm

Sitting here between Toad Suck and Pickles Gap, and to the Southwest of Ralph, Harriett, and Fifty-Six, I'm not one to quibble about place names, mangled or otherwise. Section 44 is ready for PL.

Many thanks,

Philip

silverquill · Post by **silverquill** » November 19th, 2017, 9:32 pm

Here is my little section. My voice was really rough when I recorded this, it seems. I hope it's passable though.

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/americanlanguage_46_mencken_128kb.mp3 7:13

DrPGould · Post by **DrPGould** » November 19th, 2017, 10:17 pm

Thanks, Larry. I'm sure it will be fine.

Barbara, Section 46 is in the MW.

Many thanks to you both.

Philip

barbara2 · Post by **barbara2** » November 20th, 2017, 4:32 am

realisticspeakers wrote:https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/americanlanguage_44_mencken_128kb.mp3

I had a hard time mangling some of the place names, but I think I did a good job of it....mangling some of the place names.
(It's not like it's an important part of this section anyway)

Ch8 Proper Names in America Pt 3 Geographical Names
duration: [41:07]

Open to any and all criticism, comments, changes, etc.

Thankyou, realisticspeakers, most enjoyable. I was grateful to have the place names derived from American Indian names pronounced for me.

PL OK

Best,

Barbara

Mencken writes: "Only the map of Australia, with its mellifluous Maori names, can match it [the map of America]." The Maoris were, of course, busy giving place names to New Zealand.

At 36:15 there is this remark: "White, in 1880, recorded the increasing habit of giving full value to the syllables of such borrowed English names as Worcester and Warwick. ... Norwich is another such name; one hears Nor-wich quite as often as Norrich."

I've been to Worcester [Eng. pr. Wooster] and Warwick [Eng. pr. Worrick]. But I haven't been to Norwich and I didn't actually know it was [Eng pr. Norrich] but I'd have bet on it.

At 40:32 I'll refer you to this venerable popular song (it's got your moniker in the intro too):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RqCvcWUddY