Let's end the ignorance :)

[Geraint]

Are your ducks in a Rose?

Ooooh, I dunno. I'll check.

Hope I didn't put the Carte before the Rose...

[jemtheflute]

Are your ducks in a Rose?

Ooooh, I dunno. I'll check.

Hope I didn't put the Carte before the Rose...

Well, if we put all the horse s**t (from the equines behind the vehicles) here on the Roses, would they smell (?play?) as sweet?

And don't call me "ducks"!

"Duck, you suckers!"

[Denny]

I can load....

We don't have near enough roses

[Jim Troy]

He was from Crediton you say , surely you mean Crediton ? ( local pronunciation ; kehrtn)

[benhall.1]

I'm still going to say "Ruddle" ...

Also, I'm surprised you didn't chip in there, Jem, about Totnes ... I've always pronounced it TOT-ness, but I seem to recall you had a totally different pronunciation ...

Mind you, having been up to the Kyle of Lochalsh recently, I was surprised to find that the locals pronounced it "Sh*thole" ... so, as you say, Bowjest, sometimes you just can't tell from the spelling ...

[btw I still feel just as ignorant]

[Nanohedron]

So, this was a long answer where a short one should have sufficed: ROO-dl is the correct pronunciation.

Dammit, Jem. I'm getting whiplash.

[jemtheflute]

I'm still going to say "Ruddle" ...

Well, I suppose you're entitled to insist on being wrong about something - just to keep you feeling human and the rest of us thinking we might have a chance......

Also, I'm surprised you didn't chip in there, Jem, about Totnes ... I've always pronounced it TOT-ness, but I seem to recall you had a totally different pronunciation ...

I didn't chip in because I've erratically pronounced it both ways (I think) and also evenly stressed on both syllables (I lived in the vicinity from age 13-18 and went to school there...) and still do. I think where I place the emphasis kinda depends on verbal context, e.g. "I used to live near TOTnes," with a downward final inflexion of the voice, or "I'm going to TOTnes Market", but "I visited TOT-NES Castle yesterday." with level tone and emphasis. Actually, trying to think of an example, I don't think I would pronounce or have often pronounced it with a clear second syllable dominance, though that might creep in occasionally; perhaps "TotNES is a funny place", though that could just as well be "TOTnes is....". But then, as an in-comer my pronunciation is not necessarily that of a true native - I may have partially acquired a pronunciation from such folk but also non-local variants from my parents and other varners.

[jemtheflute]

So, this was a long answer where a short one should have sufficed: ROO-dl is the correct pronunciation.

Dammit, Jem. I'm getting whiplash.

Nano, that was Robert Bigio, not me, and I have said "Roodl" all along, whilst acknowledging I didn't have proper back-up evidence previously and that the derivation Ben found made sense in itself (but proved nowt pertinent).

[Nanohedron]

Oh, well. Maybe I'll just take to putting on airs and pronounce it "rueDOLL".

[Denny]

rue doll

[Akiba]

That's just plain ROO-dle.