Blackadder Ghoti sketch - Mercorabilia

How do you pronounce ghoti? Most people would probably think you pronounce it the same as a small pointed beard (goatee) but there are some who would disagree with you. Including a member of a certain infamous historic dynasty.

Blackadder: Right Baldrick, let's try again shall we? This is called alternative spelling. If I have a g, an h and an o, and then I add a t and an i, what do I have?

Baldrick: A ghoti.

Blackadder: Yes... and no. Let's try again shall we? I have a g, an h and an o, then I add a t and an i. What does that make?

Baldrick: A very strange word.

Blackadder: Baldrick, any George Bernard Shaw fan can master this. Now try again. F-i-s-h. So how do you say it?

Baldrick: Ghoti.

Blackadder: What?

Baldrick: ...ish.

Blackadder: Ghoti ish. So if it’s not ghoti ish but sounds similar to it, what is this word?

Baldrick: Oh! Ghoti.

Blackadder: Yes. To you Baldrick, the English spelling reform was just something that happened to other people, wasn't it?