The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure

The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure The Changing Pronunciation of Leisure By Maeve Maddox When I was about ten years old, my aunt gave me a subscription to a Disney comic. I remember one issue in which Donald Duck and his nephews had a treasure map. Overheard saying that he was in search of buried treasure, Donald tried to deceive the villain whod heard him by claiming that what hed really said was in search of hurried leisure. That was in the Fifties. By the time the leisure suit craze struck in the Seventies, not many Americans were pronouncing leisure to rhyme with measure. Come to think of it, I dont know of anyone who pronounces buried to rhyme with hurried. Here are the current American pronunciations of these words: buried [bÄ•rÄ“d] hurried [hà »rÄ“] treasure [trÄ•zhÉ™r] leisure [lÄ“zhÉ™r] although some folks still say [lÄ•zhÉ™r] What pronunciation changes have you noticed since your were a child? Here are some quotations from newspapers that illustrate the use of this word: travel company sells weeklong, small group trips to Costa Rica, Morocco and Nicaragua. The journeys are part leisure, part service: itineraries include between two and three days of charity work, in collaboration with a local (www.nytimes.com) A Tuscan vacation gives travelers a chance for an urban adventure with visits to the art museums of Florence, the architecture of Pisa and the traditions of Siena. Tuscany also is a destination for a leisurely trip that meanders through the countryside, stops at wineries for tastings or takes a leisure break in a spa town. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsDisappointed + PrepositionCharles's Pen and Jesus' Name