Jeez, way to set up an interesting story and then kill it.
It was real.
That’s why he linked to a story of the snipers in his post. I’m sure what he was saying is that the people he was overhearing were saying crazy things about it.
Same one, even.
Exactly. I’ve lived in Northern Virginia since July of '88 and those people were saying crazy stupid things about the snipers; pretty sure one of 'em used the phrase “false flag”.
When I was growing up, it was “slew” in Missouri, and I thought it was a southern-ism.
I know “slough” as both the Slough of Despond (in Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress), and the town of Slough, which has the kind of reputation that makes it no surprise that they’re pronounced the same (as in “ouch”) - but also as slough (pronounced sluff) as in a snake sloughing off its skin.
*Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn’t fit for humans now,
There isn’t grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!
Come, bombs and blow to smithereens
Those air -conditioned, bright canteens,
Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans,
Tinned minds, tinned breath.
Mess up the mess they call a town-
A house for ninety-seven down
And once a week a half a crown
For twenty years.*
John Betjeman.
If only…
Oh, I remember that one! Hilarious!
I believe the civic authorities are sensitive about it still.
When longtime University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson died one of the news channels talked to some chum of his and did a prerecorded piece where they talked to old chum. The reporter finished by saying that “old chum called Lute the epitome of [something I can’t remember]”. Yep. Ep-ih-tome.
I remember a local newscaster breathlessly describing a “HEE-in-us” crime.
I listen to so many books. More books than I read, so I sometimes have the opposite problem.
Only one I can think of is the kid with a little red wagon named Ralph Oider… near the end of the book, he’s feeling bad that his “wagon is backwards”, and I finally figured it out:
The wagon had REYLF OIDAR painted on the side, because a worker had stenciled “RADIO FLYER” on backwards. In print, I would’ve understood. But since it sounded like a real name in audio, I didn’t.
I think I’ve mentioned this story before.
My family was going for a drive out in the country, and we stopped at a shop that sold frozen custard. By the entrance was a sign listing the available flavors, among which was pistachio. I was 7, and studying phonics in school. In an effort to show off my reading ability, I asked “What’s pis-ta-KYE-o?”
After all these years, I can still hear my father calling me “pis-ta-KYE-o Pete.” That lasted several years.
Pistachio, Pinnochio; who cares how it’s said? Italian is weird 
Your Dad was being mean. Maybe with a twinkle in his eye, but that was mean.
Great, I’m not only saying “pis-ta-KYE-o" forever, but “pinno-CHEE-oh” too.
Not “high-anus”?
That’s assuming the police got to the bottom of it.
A relevant 30 second portion of Kentucky Fried Movie (NSFW in the sense it shows a dildo):
Overheard at Zion National Park’s Angel Landing trailhead.
Very old male tourist: What’s this trail rated?
Female Ranger: Strenuous.
VOMT: I mean, for a man.
A tad perturbed FR: (deadpan) Strenuous.
Pause…
VOMT: What about for a German man?
Longer pause…
FR: strenuous.
For reference: Angels Landing Survival Guide: Things to Know Before You Go – Earth Trekkers
I did it, the switchbacks are brutal. I was praying for her to downgrade it for him.