The Yeetle Box - Queen's English

A university study of English phonetics has determined Queen Elizabeth's spoken English has gradually lost its upper class tone since 1952.

Jonathan Harrington, professor of phonetics at the University of Munich and author of the study, told The Telegraph he used the queen's annual Christmas addresses to map out the gradual changes in spoken style.

"In 1952 she would have been heard referring to 'thet men in the bleck het.' Now it would be 'that man in the black hat,'" Harrington said. "Similarly, she would have spoken of the 'citay' and 'dutay,' rather than 'citee' and 'dutee,' and 'hame' rather than 'home.' In the 1950s she would have been 'lorst' but by the 1970s 'lost.'"

Harrington also stated that George W. Bush's English has lost its Presidential luster.

In 2002, President Bush might have said "weapons of mass destruction." Now, he says nothing at all. In 2003, he said "Mission Accomplish." Today, he says "stay the course." In 2005, he said "terrorism." Today, he says "secretary violence."

But, says Harrington, a comparison between the two is hardly relevant. "You can't really say that President Bush ever spoke more than pigeon English. The Queen still speaks a form of 'dodo English.' There's a world of difference."

The Yeetle Box
The Yeetle Box