Regional differences in pronounciation are pretty interesting.

Question: Does your lawyer practice law or loi?

If you get what I'm asking.

Hi,
This post reminds me of a time I came to visit Ariel. We were talking and I used the word disconcerning. As I was proud of using such a "big" word I was disconcerted when Ariel informed me the proper way the word is pronounced is Disconcerting. I was very sure that I was correct and didn't listen to that voice in my head saying: don't mess with Ariel, he always knows his stuff. The next day I came with a large dictionary and after pouring over it for a few minutes looking for the word Disconcerning I had to admit defeat.
Sincerely,
Yehuda Kaplan

Kent:

My lawyer practises law--sort of. He's an entertainment attorney.

Anyway: every dictionary I have consulted states that often is pronounced offen.

Yehuda:

Ariel adored language, was a whiz at grammar, especially Hebrew grammar--which completely baffles me.

Thanks so much for the lovely memorysnapshot. Karen and I will forever treasure it.

Hope you can make it to the lecture.

Huh. I've always pronounced the t, not because I was trying to sound sophisticated, but because that is how it was pronounced where I grew up. Same goes in London. I genuinely had no idea.

Robert,
Not according to Dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/often

Jackie:

No disrespect intended. But we do notice that many NBA stars and football players tend to pronounce the T when giving interviews, thus our crack about trying to sound sophisticated.

The last straw: on "24" last night, one of the main characters let loose with an often pronouncing the T. Karen and I looked at each other in despair and cried: "That's it, we have to blog about it."

I have consulted a dozen dictionaries. They all agree the T is silent.

Ohio? Gosh, and I thought that was the heartland, pure and unsullied.

Pastorius:

Thanks so much for the link. I will confess that I have a preference for the old fashioned Webster's and Oxford dictionaries. I consider them to be authoritative.

However, I see where usage overtakes proper usage.

This is not always good. You end up with, ahem, ebonics. Choo know what 'um sayin?

Help me out, Pastorius: I'm trying to stem the tide here!

Not guilty of the offenses mentioned.

Once I learn to tie my shoes, women will find me irresistible.

Velcro really has held me back.

Sig:

I'm with you. Lacing and tying shoes, that's a whole other story.

Thank G-d for loafers.

Personally I prefer orfun (as in the riff on "Did you mean "orphan" a person who has lost his parents or "often" frequently?")

I admire those who can watch Jack live. We are forced to wait until the DVD's come out, so we cn avoid commercials and watch 3 in a row if we need to.

Katherine:

In Brooklyn it's pronounced: aawfen.

We don't watch 24 live. No way. We watch it on DVR, fast forward right past the pesky commercials.

Yes, quite a pet peeve of mine for years..

Often is spoken "offen"

To those who wish to change reality by blunt force overload...

the work is "ask" not act...

the word is "Torah" not old test, unless you are referring to the reader's digest VERSION of the Hebrew Scriptures, or as I like to to call the 5 books of my UNcle Moishe...

Merriam-Webster's Tenth Collegiate gives both pronunciations, but prefaces "of-ten" with a symbol signifying that many regard this pronunciation as unacceptable.

Just from an etymological point of view, I'd imagine that since the word derives from "oft," it would be preferable to pronounce the "t." But hey, English usage goes in strange directions.

Rambam:

Fine points you have made. Thanks so much.

Let me add that I offen hear ask pronounced as axe.

Deep sigh, head in hands, weary shake of the head.

Kishke:

Yes, I have seen this reference.

Hey, I have an idea. How about a dictionary of Yeshivish English?

Truly, a blight on proper usage.

Yeshivish-English dictionary? Too late, it's been done. I saw it in the bookstore a few years back.

Kishke:

No kidding. Was it well written?

I could go on and on about Brooklyn pronunciation, but I won't, because it's been parodied too awffen and anyway I'm sure you could do a better job.

My own pet peeve concerning people trying to sound sophisticated is when they replace the direct object "me" with the subject "I." In order to avoid saying, for example, the obviously uneducated and vulgarian "Rick and me are going to the movies," they say "Would you like to come to the movies with Rick and I?" It makes me shudder every time.

I still had traces of my southern accent when I started at Yeshiva of Flatbush high school... the teachers used to talk about how I had a "Faah-Ran accent."

My vague recollection is that it was okay.

I thank you so much for turning me on to futility closet. I was wondering when I saw - cac·o·graph·ic - if it's possible to misspell it.

After all you could explain "I was cacographic cacographically."

That should have read, After all you could explain "I was spelling cacographic cacographically."

Sara:

I walked into a Hollywood meeting once, started to pitch my story, but the exec stopped me and said:

"You from Brooklyn?"
"Yeah, how'dja know?

He practically fell on the floor laughing.

Anywhoo.

How about this usage: "Would you like to come to the movies with Rick and myself?"

Myself.

This brings out the homicidal maniac in, um, myself.

Jake:

Northeners always make fun of Southern accents. It's reflexive and really stupid.

I remember the first time I met a Jew from Alabama, accent thick as molasses. I was hypnotized and have been ever since.

I keep telling Karen: "Can't you talk like you're from "To Kill a Mockingbird"

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen." she says.

Kishke:

You mean: "They said it over okay." The Yeshivish translation.

Soccer Dad:

Glad you like Futility Closet. I just love that site and spend way too many hours trying to crack the puzzles it posts.

Or, "it was gantz good."

Or, "not mamash my kav, but nisht shlecht."

Kishke:

You said it over eppes good.

Let's not forget nucular!

RR:

Oh, right. The horror, the horror!