Foreign News: The Phonetic Murder

Professor Arthur Lloyd James of London University is one of the greatest living authorities on the English language and its pronunciation. He taught British Broadcasting Corp. announcers to pronounce Cholmondeley in two syllables (chumly) and Llanfairpwllgyngyllgogerychwryndrobwllllantsiliogogogoch in liquid labials (pronounced Hlan-fair-poohl-gooin-gill-gogery-coorin- dro-boohl-hlant-seeleo-gogo-goch).* He was engaged by the Government to train R. A. F. pilots to speak clearly by radio telephone. His pronunciation handbooks are regarded as standard for the King's English pure and undefiled, and he wrote the Encyclopaedia Britannica article on pronunciation. Declaring that BBC announcers were "too haw haw" in their diction, he is responsible for the nickname "Lord...