thaiophilus

If anyone is trying to register an account there, note that just following the board registration procedure is not enough. You also have to send an email to @gaybutton to confirm your identity: https://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?t=2578&sid=16e702eb675db7cd6edeb859edab3087

See the Wikipedia link I posted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Mary–marry–merry_merger "The full Mary–marry–merry merger (also known, in this context, as the three-way merger) is found throughout much of the United States (particularly the Western and Central United States) and in all of Canada except Montreal.[7] This is found in about 57% of American English speakers, according to a 2003 dialect survey.[5] The merger is highlighted in the song Merry Go 'Round, whose central wordplay revolves around "Mary", "marry", and "merry" having the exact same pronunciation in the singer's accent." There's a map here (scroll down about halfway, or search for "Mary") : https://brilliantmaps.com/linguistic-maps-that-divide-americans/

Aust It's not limited to Oz. There are parts of the USA where "marry", "merry" and "Mary" are all pronounced the same. "You are going to wed a cheerful girl who goes by the same name as the mother of Jesus?" "Yes, I'm about to marry merry Mary."

So what's it like, having an elected head of state?

No. That's why I didn't post two contributions of my own .

Not even then. Never mind Madras, Northern English "brass" and "arse" don't rhyme. The syllable counts are a bit off, too. Try this: There was a young man of Devizes Whose balls were of differing sizes. One was so small it was no use at all, but the other won several prizes. One of my favourites: There was a youhg lady from Thrace Whose corsets would no longer lace. Her mother said "Nelly, there's more in your belly than ever went in through your face."

The (equally apocryphal) version I heard was that somebody at a garden party was chatting to a lady he couldn't quite put a name to, so he asked her "and what's your husband up to these days" She replied "Oh, he's still King".

Don't worry, he would have Not Noticed. The royals are famous for that. Shortly after she became PM, Margaret Thatcher was invited to some royal event. Supposedly, she asked the Palace what the Queen would be wearing, so she could wear something that wouldn't clash. The Palace's reply: "Her Majesty does not notice what other people are wearing".

Deleted - the penny just dropped!

Ahem. That would be HM the King. HRHs are mere princes and princesses.

I believe the word you're looking for is "ampullosity" 😈

Transatlantic prescriptivism, oh dear... The clue is in the phrase "native language". That's the language acquired by a child hearing the speech that surrounds them, starting at birth. It's their native language, not yours, so they get to pronounce it the way they feel is right. Orreight? (Incidentally, before the Great Vowel Shift everybody pronounced it like that.)

So my pet hate is people who put an unnecessary "so" at the beginning of an utterance.

That's just an excuse for a party, or for selling merchandise. I doubt that the average Thai has any idea what it's supposed to be about.

Borobodur, midnight 31 December 2009 And don't miss Prambanan, not far away: