Pop quiz! How should one pronounce the word

[Flaxbee]

"Bysshe" as in "Percy Bysshe Shelley"? Me, I have no idea, but would love to know. I am mystified. Is it "Bish" or "Bice" or "Bishy" or what?

[Sapphocrat]

1. I say "Shelley"

Saves risk of public embarrassment!

[Terwilliger]

2. bish

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. bish or byeshe. Don't worry, nobody can correct you,

because no one knows for sure.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

6. of course, as a personal friend of Shelley

I just called him fuckwit.

[Flaxbee]

9. LOL!

n/t

[roguevalley]

3. I've always heard it pronounced and pronounced it Bish.

RV, who has that word in her last name. Only spelled diffently. And with other letters attached. :)

[NYC]

4. Bish.

I can't swear that's correct, but it's the only way I've ever heard it pronounced.

[SOteric]

7. The most English of my English profs have always pronounced it

Bye-shh.

Ultimately, I think you'd have to track down anyone in the U.K. who still sports the name and ask them how to pronounce it.

[DS1]

8. Beyatch!

[SOteric]

11. Doh!

:spank:

[Mrs. Venation]

10. Back In The Dark Ages (1960's) When I Was In High School It Was "bish"

But then Quebec, Canada was pronounced "qweebek" so maybe this one has changed, too.

[dweller]

12. It's pronounced

Bye shh according to Pat Houton, my 11th gr EngLit teacher.

damn, i can remember that? over 30 yrs ago

she was a cutie, yes.
:)
dp

[TXlib]

13. rhymes with fish

[CrownPrinceBandar]

14. Bish.