09.03.08
An Arlo Guthrie train of thought
A thought inspired by the recent landfall of Hurricane Gustav and my far-behind-in-my-reading of James Lee Burke’s Last Car to Elysian Fields
Years ago I attended a business convention in the city of Elision, Louisiana.
Elision is not the name of the city, though it certainly sounds like a good Cajun name—the convention was in New Orleans. Before I left, a colleague asked me, “When you’re down there, find something out for me. Is the city name pronounced with four syllables—new-or-lee-ans—or three—new-or-leens?”
On my return, I reported: “One: nawlns.”
Elision is the act of eliminating letters or syllables when pronouncing a word. Think of libary instead of library, wershester sauce instead of worcestershire sauce, dint instead of didn’t. (The opposite—inserting letters or syllables in pronunciation, as in sherbert instead of sherbet—might be known as “anti-elision” or “confusion.” And who the hell knows what it’s called in instances like Farve instead of Favre.)
And while we’re on the topic, I hereby declare today National Elision Day. Why today of all days? It’s Wensday, of course . . .
(And, oh yeah—Arlo Guthrie? He votes for three syllables:)
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