Bone Fiddle-verse 221B: "Setting the Tone" (part 1)

[vulgarweed]

A very belated New Year's Eve-themed 221B drabble. I'm dedicating this to write_out because she's had a crap week.

Title: Setting the Tone (pt 1)
Fandom: Sherlock (AU, Bone-Fiddle-verse)
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Once again, John teaches Sherlock to have a little respect for tradition.

Comments

[azriona]

Love it! John's accent just tickles me pink. :)

[vulgarweed]

Thank you!

We always struggle a little bit with how much to write the accent out. Laying it on too thick is just horrible, but we want to make sure the reader can "hear" it. (For those characters who have it, that is. Sherlock and Mycroft don't - they speak like the moderately wealthy, well-connected Central/Northern Virginians they actually are.)

It's very difficult to convey, without outright stating, for example, that Sherlock and John do not pronounce "Appalachian" the same way. :)

[azriona]

How do they pronounce it, then?

[vulgarweed]

Sherlock, like most outsiders, would say it "App-a-laytch-ia". 3rd syllable has a long A, doesn't rhyme with much except the letter h (aitch!).

John, who grew up there, would say it "App-a-latch-ia." Short a in the third syllable. Rhymes with patch, snatch, catch, and Cumberbatch.

Though Sherlock has probably noticed this and done a little correcting on it. He can mimic the accent when he has to. Going native, one syllable and one rednecky habit at a time.

[azriona]

Awesome, thank you. (But the real question is: how do they pronounce "pecan"? *grin*)

[vulgarweed]

Could be any which way really, but it only ever comes up in conjunction with "pie" and only when Mrs. Hudson is baking one. :)

[vulgarweed]

This is serious business:

http://www.notsville.com/2011/01/congress-to-vote-on-pronunciation-of-appalachia.html

[azriona]

*snickers*