CRINGE, FAYETTE COUNTY TALK, again

Yesterday, at a party, I was making punch. My sister-in-law asked, "What all do you put in there?" I began to list the ingredients and when I said sherbet, she then asked, "What kind of SHERBERT?"

I thought, "Oh, my God, did she just do what I think she did--pronounce it as "sherbert"-- to try to correct my pronunciation?" I detest that passive-aggressive behavior. I didn't say anything then, but when she said "sherbert" again, for no discernible reason other than to just say the word for my edification, I thought, "Well, Hell, she's just saying that to rub it in!"

I pointed to the sherbet container and said, quietly, "It's sherbet; there's only one R in it!"

She had brought sandwiches which she had labeled, and I had debated earlier whether to tell her that she had pimento spelled as "pimentoe". I said, "Hey, Dan Quayle, you have pimento misspelled!" She didn't "get" the Dan Quayle reference but her daughter did, and laughed appreciatively.

She was cool to me the remainder of the day!