this is how a girl gets a reputation

[the_siobhan]

I was standing by the elevators at work with the_axel just a half hour ago, talking about caulk.

I swear it just this minute registered why we were getting so many weird looks from the people walking past.

Comments

[sonjaaa.livejournal.com]

Ah yes but cock and calk are only pronounced the same in Canadian English. Axel should have been fine...? :)

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

True. I think he throws a couple of extra 'r's in there.

[sonjaaa.livejournal.com]

Haha, no I meant it's actually a different vowel sound. It's the same difference between cot and caught, which Canadians have merged into the same sound.

[excess-and-oohs.livejournal.com]

hm. i have merged them too (NYC). if i were to talk about caulk in an elevator, people would laugh. very very slight differences.

[sonjaaa.livejournal.com]

Yes, some but not all American varieties of English have merged them too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_history_of_English_low_back_vowels#Cot-caught_merger

[trid.livejournal.com]

You tart :P

Actually, what I find silly is the amount of people I run into who don't realize the 'L' is silent.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Ditto the 'l' in salmon.

[megiddo-lj.livejournal.com]

see..I didn't even get the joke. Here in the South the words are quite different.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Caulk has a slight dipthong the way I pronounce it (kind of like the one in "about") I'm curious if Americans can hear it because to Canadian ears it's not that obvious.

On Tuesday we shall commit acts of science!

[redcountess]

I say caulk so it sound more like cork, so I should be ok if I ever visit Canada and need tiling products *g*

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

That's kind of how Axel says it.

[ashbet]

How you likin' that caulk there, Siobhan? ^_^

That is fabulous :D

-- A <3

[blackavar.livejournal.com]

Raulk out, hmm?

I love a nice creamy caulk

[http://users.livejournal.com/cincinnatus_c_/]

I pumped my caulk in the bathtub, but it isn't getting hard. Should I try blowing?