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1201 days ago

Scone with the Wind: Lower Hutt's best cheese scones

Reporter Community News

Stuff journalist Virginia Fallon checked out scones in Lower Hutt last week.
And how do you pronounce scone?
There are two ways you’ll hear the word said: one rhymes with gone and the other with cone; some insist the latter is the posh way to say it; others urge the former is correct.
Dr Simon Overall, a linguistics lecturer at the University of Otago, pronounces it to rhyme with gone, though says there’s no ‘’correct’’ way to say the word.
“If you look at the way the word is written, you would guess gone, but we have lots of words like that. English spelling gives you clues, but it often misleads,” he said.
“Cambridge University did a dialect survey and asked people do you pronounce it to rhyme with gone or cone, and it's quite noticeable, at least around the British Isles, that in Scotland it’s almost entirely gone.“
England is mostly the same, while the Republic of Ireland is almost the opposite: “It’s really a regional thing. In terms of the way New Zealand was settled you obviously get quite a mix.”
As for whether one pronunciation is posher than the other, the Queen rhymes it with gone. I tell him I almost wish I pronounced it the other way because then this series could be called Game of Scones.

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13 hours ago

Poll: Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

With the government cracking down on gangs, it is now illegal for gang members to display their insignia in public places whether through clothing or their property.

This means arrests can be made if these patches are worn in places like restaurants, shops, on public transport or ferries, and on airplanes. Arrests were made recently at a funeral.

Do you think this ban is reasonable?

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Do you think banning gang patches is reasonable?
  • 76.9% Yes
    76.9% Complete
  • 22.2% No
    22.2% Complete
  • 0.9% Other - I'll share below
    0.9% Complete
541 votes
1 day ago

Public Transport fares face 70% increase..

Mike from Alicetown

Wellington region users says increases to public transport fares of more than 70 percent would be "ludicrous", and would lead to them working from home more often, or taking the car rather than the bus.

www.rnz.co.nz...

1 day ago

Age Concern Christmas Social Hubs for the Hutt Valley

Steph Deegan from Age Concern Wellington Region

Meri Kirihimete - Merry Christmas

Come and join our fun Christmas Hubs:

Upper Hutt - Te Kupenga o Rongomai - Maidstone Sports Centre, Wednesday 11th Dec at 12pm featuring the Hutt Ukulele Orchestra.

Lower Hutt - Walter Nash Centre, Thursday 12 December 1:30pm