Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997 17:35:42 -0400

From: "(Dale F. Coye)" Dfcoye[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: slough



Whough pronounces "slough" differently from "through"? They sound

like they rhyme to me.



According to my recent survey of Shakespeare professors there's a national

difference. In the meaning 'bog':



US: as in how: 9 as in who: 3

Canada: as in how:1 as in who: 4 as in caw: 1

UK: as in how: 14 as in who: 0

Expatriates: as in how: 5 as in who: 2



This is from OE sloh (long o), ME long u, which gives mod. ow as in how.

Major dictionaries give both in the US, vowel of how in the UK. Wells in

LPD notes that some speakers make a distinction between a geographic slough

(sloo) and the slough of desond (as in how). PDAE tells us 'mudhole' is as in

how, but 'marsh' is sloo.



The 'skin' meaning rhymes, as noted, with rough.