G'day Bert,

In re. your Geordie pronouncing every letter in the word eighty; keep in mind that the reason it is spelled that way is that every letter WAS pronounced - before the lazy pronunciation of the southern counties became "Received Pronunciation" and eventually "The Queen's English".

I admit that I am at risk of becoming even more pedantic on English: my copy of the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language was waiting for me when I got home, last night.

Regards,

Bob Bolton