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I am being particularly grumpy today, but why do commentators say "ampitheatre" when the word is "ampHitheatre"?

Tyke

I am not looking forward to the League Cup match - we dont do too well in these. Will you be going?

Chrise - I've never understood it either but Mary Beard also pronounces it ampi... when talking of Roman ruins.

Pronunciation can be a minefield. It's common for people to pronounce asphalt as ash-falt.

Hi Orson
People seem often to have a blind spot with "phs". You hear diphtheria pronounced "diptheria" more often than the correct pronunciation.

Jigjag

I'm still in Cricket mode - 50 over game with Surrey at York on Tues, then CC games at Scarbados & Cardiff in Sept.
Good draw for us - you should get 3,000 away tickets - capacity is 15,000. I think the last time we met Andy Gray received some abuse from yours truly!
I don't do night matches nowadays so doubtful for me to go.

Extract from Times Feedback today, a column which often fields pedantic complaints from readers:

'...whether we had been catering to a rather restricted audience...'

I've mentioned 'catering to' here before (surely 'catering for'?). It's also a favourite of the paper's bridge correspondent, Andrew Robson, (e.g...'cashed the ace, catering to West having a singleton king...').

However, the column does lead with the Apostrophe Protection Society, which I am glad to see has been revived.

Re PH: yes there are bound to be spelling and pronunciation pitfalls. Another one is ophthalmologist with its apparent link to the 'aitchless' optician.

That reminds me of another cringe, the often heard h as in haitch*.

* the symbol for an invalid word in Scrabble commentary.

Just heard on US Open tennis commentary. “She was stranded in no-person’s land”. I’m losing the will to live …

Quisling

Yes it is getting beyond a joke. As our friend Miss Grunger has said here, the women in the sports she plays still use the word "man" even though she is in playing women only teams. They refer to twelfth man, man of the match, a man short, man-on and all the other phrases used in men's sports. This comes naturally to them, and when officials, reporters etc use the idiotic words like you mention, they get short shrift from the players.

Paul

Another cater to in ARs column today, and one a few days ago. Pity- such a brilliant player and teacher, but this is just wrong.

Yes, jigjag @659, I saw those Robson bridge 'cater to' errors as well, so we really are and were on the same page with this one.
😂