Posted by Ed Kiser on December 12, 2003 at 16:56:34 from 205.188.208.8 user Kisered.
In Reply to: BAIL or BALE? posted by Ed Kiser on December 12, 2003 at 04:47:20:
When I saw the spelling of BALE, I was tempted when typing to enter BAIL, but no, I should enter what was in the book.
The problem is not so much as to which is the RIGHT spelling, but that there is an inconsistency in Ransome's work. I would think that he had a preferred spelling and would therefore want to use that mode.
Perhaps we are seeing a difference of opinion or of personal preference of an assortment of editors and/or proofreaders who may have made certain changes of spelling. Different people may have worked on the different books.
But what really got my attention was in Swallowdale, because in that book are found BOTH spellings. I was wondering if in other editions that these spellings might be different. My source is a rather recent edition from GODINE. One would think that once a spelling was selected, it would stay selected for the rest of that same book.
It reminds me of what was told to me to do in radio broadcasting... If you happen to hit cold script while actually on the air, where one has to "wing it" as to pronunciations of unusual words, especially foreign names, the instruction was to go ahead and HIT IT, don't stammer or hesitate, but DO IT, take a shot at the pronunciations, and keep on going. The important thing to remember is this however - when you hit that same name AGAIN in this broadcast, be sure to make the SAME mess of it the second time as you did the first time. It was important to do it the same way each time. You will find that whatever pronunciation you gave will be quoted about a supper table somewhere with the defense, "Must be right, I heard it on the radio..." Of course, it would have been better if I had a chance to look over the copy ahead of time, and got to LOOK UP the strange words to try to get as correct a pronunciation as possible, but sometimes something hot would come in on the teletype while I am on the air, and it would be handed to me to read immediately, with my not having had a chance to look at it at all ahead of time. WOW. Just do the best you can and DO IT. Whatever I do with those funny words, I will be quoted as the authority.
Ed Kiser, South Florida