Mar is quite hanxious to see you. (P. Kelver II. 64. 30.)
Thank you, I don’t heat cocoanuts that have been shied at by anybody. (P. Kelver II. 64. 16.)
Another characteristic of non-culture, often ridiculed in comic papers, is the pronunciation of u:
| dooty | instead of duty. | (Novel Notes 52. 10.) |
| amatoor | » » amateur. | (Tea Table Talk 163. 9.) |
| dook | » » duke. | (» » »136. 18.) |
| menoo | » » menu. | (» » »126. 12.) |
| soot | » » suit. | (Tommy and Co. 38. 26.) |
| literatoor | » » literature. | (T. T. T. 158. 22.) |
| Etc. | ||
An r, consisting of a scarcely perceptible vibration of the tip of the tongue (named vanish-r by Ellis), is often heard in words and combinations where it does not exist in ordinary pronunciation. In some cases, it seems to be used to avoid a hiatus, in others, it is evidently the effect of an exaggerated palatal pronunciation of the vowel.
| droaring-room: drawing-room | (P. Kelver II. 65. 30.) |
| oughter ave: ought to have | (Sketches 195. 12.) |
| arter: after | (Novel Notes 205. 7.) |
| arf: half | (» » 204. 4.) |
| arst: asked | (» » 212. 6.) |
| follered: followed | (» » 213. 5.) |
| carn’t: can’t | (» » 204. 3.) |
A long vowel is often abbreviated: weskit for ‘waistcoat’, gal, gel for ‘girl’, dunno for ‘don’t know’, agin for ‘again’, etc.; while, on the other hand, a short vowel (esp. o) is sometimes lengthened: dawg for ‘dog’, gawd for ‘god’ (Novel Notes 212).
(The same pron. of short o exists in the Essex dialect.)
In vulgar London speech, w is sometimes heard instead of v. Jerome’s language offers, however, but one sample: wiolets (T. T. T. 137. 5.)