Date: Sun, 30 Nov 1997 17:51:54 -0500

From: Beverly Flanigan FLANIGAN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OUVAXA.CATS.OHIOU.EDU

Subject: Re: of(t)en and "is all"



A colleague of mine from Akron (near the western NY State border)

pronounces the /t/ in 'often'; but she also says 'better' with a [t]

rather than a flap. Since I suspect the latter is "affected," I have

wondered if the former is too--but maybe not.



BTW, a visiting colleague (about 64) from London via Africa also says

'often' with a /t/. He claims he speaks not RP ("oh heavens no") but

Educated Standard (London) English--learned in school, not in his

London home neighborhood. How does this jibe with Mr. Suleiman's

observation? Is it age-graded?