there is no such thing as absolute proof (or exact spelling, pronunciation).

Damn.. looks like there's another One addicted to memorizing any bizarre names as surface. Zbigniew has to be right up there with (variously) Iosip, Josif - Uncle Joe. It's gotta be a shared glitch in the DNA. Fortunately no tj's here that I've ever seen, so guess it's a -hoovian aberration. I imagine though that Czech would do us both in.

An ~ earliest recollection (re words) was seeing a box in my aunt's garage, maybe sometime ~ 4 yrs. old. And I proudly 'read' the label (actually place of origin) to her as,

"Chick-ago ill". And natch I thought she was putting me on when she pronounced 'Chicago' (and maybe mentiond the idea of abbreviation re the "Ill"). Found it odd later - to recall my exact pronunciation - now, obviously permanently.

Imagine if we'd been exposed to actually Interesting stuff at that time, when the brain was picking up everything, like a sponge.. Shit, we coulda been Smart instead of -


Cheers,

A.

PS heard one about the San Francisco transit company (called MUNI for municipal rwy. of course). Guy's friend Gloria was complaining about the service during a troubled time; wag replied -

Sick transit, Gloria - MUNI..