Scone with the Wind: Lower Hutt's best cheese scones
Stuff journalist Virginia Fallon checked out scones in Lower Hutt last week.
And how do you pronounce scone?
There are two ways you’ll hear the word said: one rhymes with gone and the other with cone; some insist the latter is the posh way to say it; others urge the former is correct.
Dr Simon Overall, a linguistics lecturer at the University of Otago, pronounces it to rhyme with gone, though says there’s no ‘’correct’’ way to say the word.
“If you look at the way the word is written, you would guess gone, but we have lots of words like that. English spelling gives you clues, but it often misleads,” he said.
“Cambridge University did a dialect survey and asked people do you pronounce it to rhyme with gone or cone, and it's quite noticeable, at least around the British Isles, that in Scotland it’s almost entirely gone.“
England is mostly the same, while the Republic of Ireland is almost the opposite: “It’s really a regional thing. In terms of the way New Zealand was settled you obviously get quite a mix.”
As for whether one pronunciation is posher than the other, the Queen rhymes it with gone. I tell him I almost wish I pronounced it the other way because then this series could be called Game of Scones.
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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73.2% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16.7% Hmm, maybe?
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10.1% Yes!
Ryman Village Open Days
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More than just a place to live, Ryman villages are places where friendships grow, hobbies flourish and a genuine sense of community thrives.
The best way is to experience it for yourself. No appointment necessary!
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