Fy is approximately high front

You might know that I'm teaching Mike Swedish. Ok, ok, he's learning Swedish and I'm trying to take credit for it. That's besides the point.

One of the first words he picked up was 'fy' (The People's Dictionary translates it to 'ugh' which is an odd choice - I'd go for 'shame on you'. Depending on context, obviously.). Only he reckons I put an alveolar lateral approximant in there. Whassat? An /l/ sound.

My thoughts exactly: I most certainly do not!

So what's the reason for this? Is it me slurring sounds together and producing a holy mess of highfrontlateralness? Or is it Mike's ears making stuff up? I think it's a bit of both.

My articulation of the high front vowel (/i/ or /y/) is really quite close in Swedish. And I can see how it can be heard as an approximant. Though perhaps something more front than /l/ - labio-palatal perhaps. (Please note that when I suggested this to Mike he laughed. Hmph.)

And I've still not forgiven the person who suggested to Mike that this makes me sound posh. I'll never hear the end of it.

on Snobbery.

It's so amusing. I find myself reading blog/forum posts around the net filled with British snobbery. Well. Let me explain.

They moan about posh people, about people with money - how awful anyone with a good upbringing or who was lucky enough to be born into an upper/middle class household is. They moan about those at the other end of the spectra - those without anything, those on benefits, those on the verge of desperation or on the periphery of society. Nothing and no one is good enough for these moaners, the worst snobs of them all.

If you're not brought up in a family who are/were struggling financially; if you didn't go to a crap school; if you can afford to go to uni without working at least 20 hours a week to earn your keep; if your family is actually supportive and help you out (financially or otherwise) to help you achieve your goals and - worst of all - if you actually accept their help: well then you're posh. You don't deserve good things, no matter how hard you work, because you've 'always had it easy'.

This little moan would make a lot more sense if I had some quotes to illustrate - but I'm not interested in starting Blog Wars 2009 (or, 2010 nearly...), and I'm not interested in hurting anyone's feelings, in case they happen to come across this post.

I'm just... I'm part amused, part annoyed by these people. Why shouldn't I embrace being born into a reasonably well off family; why should I have to be ashamed of that? I've got massive student debts - from the very generous Swedish government - and paired with my parents'/great uncle's generous gifts at Christmas and birthdays etc I've never *had* to have a job whilst studying. But for most of it I did - not a lot of hours, and not throughout, but the implication that everyone with a similar background to myself are strangers to working is insulting.

Don't get me wrong - I admire those that have come from a more difficult background who have worked so hard to be able to go to uni (or, who's parents have worked so hard to enable their kids to get a better future). But I resent the snobbery from some of these people.

It reminds me - somehow, I'm not 100% sure how - of 'old' vs. 'new' money. But the other way around. In that situation, the fact that 'new' money has obviously worked hard to get where they are is ignored - and the focus is on the lack of history/heritage...

I've rambled on enough now - and as always, completely forgotten where I wanted to go with this post. You're used to it by now, I'd have thought...

xx