Has anyone else noticed that all of a sudden, everyone on TV is pronouncing the word "often" as "off-ten?" When did this start? I heard it constantly from "real" people on those interminable series of reality shows that seem to be on all day and all night. Then TV actors started saying it, and now I'm hearing news readers doing it as well. I can't see where saying "off-ten" is wrong, but why did that happen? Will be all soon be saying "lis-ten" for "listen" as well?
It's an interesting phenomenon, this changing of language. How much longer until "aks" becomes the preferred pronunciation of "ask?" We can't seem to get away from "nucular" for "nuclear" any more. These two I'm not so sanguine about; they make me wince.
The fact remains: the general public remains convinced that if they hear it on TV, it must be right (unless it's something too hard to do, like charity, conservation or participating in democracy).
I just don't know what to think about all this. Well, whatever Oprah thinks is my opinion, too.
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