On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:55:00 -0700, aem > wrote:

>On Aug 9, 9:34 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
>> "l, not -l" > wrote in ...
>> > On 9-Aug-2007, "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
>>
>> >> Absurd. You say it that way out of some fake sense of propriety. [snip]
>
>> > According to the M-W online dictionary, croppie is the correct
>> > pronunciation. Click on the little speaker symbol to hear it pronounced,
>> > if you don't believe what you see. [snip]
>
>> Then, the dictionary is wrong.
>
>No, you're wrong in this specific instance, but your point about
>pronunciations being changed to avoid embarrasment is correct. Middle
>school and high school teachers know all the words which elicit
>adolescent giggles. I think it's the national tv producers who are
>the culprits in using this as an excuse for fomenting
>mispronunciations. My pet peeve in this line is "harass". It was
>properly said, "ha-RASS" until the fear of giggles now makes it more
>often heard, "HAIR-uss". -aem

i once went to a columbia football game. one of the crowd chants was:

harass them! harass them!
make them relinquish the ball!

as i recall, the pronunciation was 'ha-RASS.'

your pal,
blake