So, did Ted Kennedy, or any of the others in the Kennedy clan, really say “erah” frequently as a filler word, much like most of us would go “ummm” or “uhhhh”?
I’ve checked some interviews with JFK, RFK and Ted, and they all say “ahhh” or “uhhh” as fillers.
They were saying ‘um’ and ‘uh’ with a New England accent.
But did any of them ever actually refer to “Cuber”?
Or “Rusher”
John Kennedy actually did say “Cuber”. That one is just the accent. Ted Kennedy also pronounced the president’s name “Obamer” on occasion, as well.
The “Cuber” and “Rusher” thing is a very specific and peculiar speech pattern that also shows up in British English.
If a word that ends with a vowel is followed by a word that begins with a vowel, an R gets added to the end of the first word. So “Cuba is” or “Russia is” becomes “Cuber is” or “Rusher is.” But in the case of “Cuba says” or “Russia says,” they are pronounced as written.
There is nothing wrong about speaking in a dialect. President Kennedy was speaking correctly when he referred to Cuba as Cube-er. And Johnson was correct in referring to it as Que-bah. Maybe our next President will say Coo-ba if she wants to.
Which British dialect says Cuber?
Most of them, per freckafree’s post. It’s called the “non-rhotic intrusive R”. It also occurs in Glasgow where there is a rhotic R.
Pronouncing it with an R on the end without a following vowel isn’t normal for any British dialect I know of. I do occasionally hear this on BBC dramas, usually from actors either trying to do British rural accents (qv the Archers) or American accents - very, very badly.
Really?
Ku-Ba? and Rus-See-Ah?
I always like hearing Brits refer to the Central American country Nic-a-RAG-yoo-a and the metal al-u-MIN-yoo-mum.
Isn’t it al-u-MIN-ee-um?
Boston Brahmin, to be precise.
A Kennedy can not come onto my TV screen without me doing my impression of them going, “erah…”