First when I left Newfoundland I, of course, took the colloquialism, pronunciations, and accents of my Island home with me. And I, being young and interested in so much more than accents, did nothing to hide how I spoke. I knew the grammar was correct so that was all that was required.

However I soon became aware that my accent, such as it was, was being the subject of coffee time humor, but not behind my back. The staff talked and teased me constantly until I thought the time had come to do something about it.

All of the intravenous fluids that hospital used, and in fact most hospitals up until the 1980s' or so, came in bottles, bottles with a hook for hanging. That was fine, until I realized that every time I said the word 'bottle' or 'kettle', snickering would occur. Finally I asked what seemed so funny, a trifle angry by this time. I was told that those words are not pronounced with a 't' but rather a 'd' in them. Well, pardon me! As far as I was concerned it was designed with 'ts' and should be said with those same 'ts'.

But to stop the fracas I practiced saying 'boddle' and keddle' day after day, until I had it right. By the time my vacation was over I was ready to go back to work with my new phrase 'the I/V boddle' and surprise everyone.

Imagine my surprise when I arrived early in the morning to start work and was told that the I/V fluids were now coming in 'BAGS'!! All that practice for nothing. But guess who would ask every chance she got if anyone wanted the 'Keddle' put on to boil for tea??

Ya can't win!!!

Bonnie Jarvis-Lowe,RN.

"The vast majority of people have the deeply entrenched conviction that 'success' promotes happiness. But it's not success that promotes happiness. When you genuinely enjoy your life, you are successful in the only real meaning of the term!" Tom Russell

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