Jam, jelly, jumping, juggernauts and jackboot.
It’s also for yet another almighty row with Boy Three.
“A B C D E F L M N O P X Y Z,” he trills jauntily. Then stops: “Where’s Q. I missed Q. It’s my favourite. Quickly queen.”
Sensing the volume of our outing was about to rise with his dropping mood. I quickly volunteered. “A B C D E F G H I J K…”
“It’s jai, not jay,” he said.
“Actually it’s jay.”
“Nooo. Miss C says it’s jai.”
Seeing trouble ahead at the idea that the omniscient Miss C might be under threat I explained: “Well some people say jai and some people say jay. They’re both right and it’s important to know that.”
Too late. Very loud wail: “It’s jai. You’re wrong.”
Sigh.
We live in the West of Scotland and it’s true there’s a linguistic quirk that many people do say jai (to rhyme with fly) instead of jay (to rhyme with pay). It causes a little minor bafflement but everyone I’ve ever met understands both words.
I understand that no one should have to abandon the things that they grew up with, that are part of their culture and region for a homogeneous and bland UK neutral version.
But Miss C, if you’re reading, please can you explain to your pupils – many of whom have none-west of Scotland parents – that there is an alternative. In any case, they’ll need to know if they’re going to leave home and spell out loud at the same time.
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Out for lunch in Glasgow just before things got saucy over a letter. |
Here in Newcastle I'm fighting the inevitable 'eeee' that starts every sentence – and celebrating the house rule that it's unacceptable to end a sentence with 'man' is followed approximately 70% of the time…
Aw, man.
Here Boy Three started ending his sentences with 'but', a particularly West Coast thing. Thankfully he's stopped after we kept saying 'but what?'.