The Monster and the Rat

The island of Montserrat continues to get a beating from our broadcast journalists and public speakers who continue to say 'Monster-rat'. As far as I know there is no monster and there is no rat. Think of the word 'mont', the root in many languages for what we know as a mountain, and think of 'serrat'. You know what a serrated knife is, right? One with a jagged edge. Now think 'mountain' and 'serrated' and you will see the logic of Montserrat, and get the rat trap for your tongue for the next time you make that mistake.

Clarendon, Hanover, Manchester, Westmoreland

When you are not native to a parish and you mispronounce the name, 'it bad an nuh so bad'. If it is parish of your birth, you should at least try to learn how to pronounce it correctly. The parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, Hanover, and Westmoreland are all stressed on the first syllable. MAN-chester, CLAR-endon, HAN-over and WEST-moreland.

For questions and comments, email: the speechcoach_ja @yahoo.com.