I've had a grouse for a long time. It is about people who insist on mispronouncing words. There are certain mispronunciations that are epidemics. So much so that even learned people, people who are supposed to be masters on the laguage, fall into the trap. One such word is 'healthy' - the 'th' in it is pronounced the same way as the 'th' in 'thin'. But many people pronounce it 'healdhy'. This is a contention I have had for a long time, and I daresay I've done my best to do something about it. Where it was socially acceptable, I would gently correct the mispronunciation. Where it wasn't, I would pronounce it correctly in the course of the conversation in the hope that it would at least provoke the offender to go and look it up in some dictionary afterwards.

What really provoked this outburst is an advertisement for the product of a multinational company on television. Imagine my horror as a well-modulated voice butchered the word 'healthy', making an impression on millions of minds across the country, telling offenders all over the nation that the mistake they were making was the right thing to do. So then I decided, I would fight this on every forum I could. And so here I am, telling you about it. If you have been an offender till now, go and sin no more. If you have no faith in my words, then go to your Oxford or Chambers or Webster's or Daniel Jones. Look it up. See the truth. And then, go out and spread the word. Pull up offenders, civilly or otherwise. And be happy in the knowledge that you have helped make the world a better place. For, as Professor Higgins says, "You'll find more favour with the Lord if you learn not to offend his ears."

Cheers.