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From: tom@puff.wisc.edu (Thomas Scott Christiansen)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: American routs, Canadian roots
Message-ID: <593@puff.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Jan-86 09:44:06 EST
Article-I.D.: puff.593
Posted: Mon Jan 27 09:44:06 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jan-86 04:08:14 EST
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Organization: University of Wisconsin Systems Lab
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> Then there was the difference between Root (Rooot) & Root (Rut).  The folks
> would always correct us if we slipped into Rut.  But other people used it.
> (BTW: as in plant roots).

I have a friend from Atlanta who corrects me every time I pronounce
"root" and "roof" with the vowel from "book" rather that "tooth".
He says that I pronounce it the way hillbillies do, and that educated
people know better.  If I listen to people from my home town (southeastern
Wisconsin) they all speak as I do.  In fact, the "tooth" sound strikes
me as a bit pretentious, as though the speaker were trying to sound
overly educated.  Are we all hillbillies up here or has my Southern 
friend just decided his way is the only right way in spite of evidence
to the contrary?  Over what geographical areas does one pronunciation
or the other hold sway?  How about radio and tv announcers: what do they 
get taught to say?

thanks,
--tom