Interesting Links for 18-01-2024

[andrewducker]

1. How is "scone" pronounced - a map

(tags:language maps UK )

2. Who Are Western Europeans? New Study Reveals True Origins (three waves of colonisation)

(tags:europe prehistory )

3. Drama with a social conscience is vital to get through to the public, but the BBC have stopped doing that

(tags:bbc itv drama UK journalism politics )

4. Gravity Storage 101 Or Why Pumped Hydro Is The Only Remotely Real Gravity Storage

(tags:physics gravity batteries storage )

Comments

[cmcmck]

1. I'm unusual in that I come from the southeast but pronounce it with the short 'o' due to how my grandparents pronounced it (Midlands and northeast). But then I pronounce 'castle' with the short 'a' for the same reason but 'bath' with the long.

Strange things, hybrid accents!

[draigwen]

My parents were from the south east and I'm from the Midlands. Everyone growing up thought I sounded posh (although my mum was a Cockney!). Now that I've lived in Wales my entire adult life I tend to mix it up and I can say scone one way one day and the other way the next.

[cmcmck]

I grew up in Kent but we now live in Shropshire so my oddities no longer sound quite so odd! :o)

[anef]

Yes, my parents are from Up North, and I'm pretty sure when I went to primary school I said bath, path, grass and castle, with short 'a's, but years of education in the South East means that I now say them long. However, scone remains short, probably because it's not a word I use very often.

[hilarita]

The Midlands Scone (cone) island is quite interesting. I definitely pronounce it like that, but whether from my Midlands upbringing or my Hertfordshire parents I don't really know.

[danieldwilliam]

The stone of scone is crowned aboon the town.

[drswirly]

By George, she's got it! By George, she's got it!

[cmcmck]

Although isn't that pronounced 'scoon'?

[danieldwilliam]

Scone is pronounced scone.

2. Who Are Western Europeans? New Study Reveals True Origins (three waves of colonisation)

[anef]

Completely fascinating!

Re: 2. Who Are Western Europeans? New Study Reveals True Origins (three waves of colonisation)

[andrewducker]

Yes! I love stuff that explains our (pre-)history, and how we came to be.

Re: 2. Who Are Western Europeans? New Study Reveals True Origins (three waves of colonisation)

[anef]

And it seems to be constantly changing, which is exciting! I find it hard to keep a mental timeline straight about what (we think) happened when.