Foreign News: Greyed Eel to Be Said

Visiting Americans often regard the elegant accents of BBC announcers as the proper speech of Britain. But Englishmen often find themselves as confused and baffled by BBC speech as Americans are.

Last week, in the letters column of the Daily Telegraph and elsewhere, a chorus of puzzled listeners cited examples of peculiar BBC enunciation, which, taken together, added up to a handy glossary of current radio speech in Britain. Samples: Miss Treeden—Britain's Foreign Secretary.

Chube—the London underground.

Greyed Eel—a large amount.

Good Eel—a fair amount.

Port Rate—a picture.

Picked Yure—a portrait.

Tramf—a triumph, as Churchill's Tramf and Tragedy.

Countess of Ayr—the public official in charge of county surveys.