You Say Potato

Go on, say it, out loud. Now say tomato. They don't rhyme, at least not in an English accent. They don't rhyme in Strine (Australian accent – to see where it comes from, imagine an Aussie saying “Australian” then speed it up and slur it a bit) either, which is lucky, or I'd end up giggling my way through cookery programs or supermarket food aisles.

However, in Strine, the word data is pronounced in the tomato style, i.e. it's "darter" rather than "dayter."

And can I keep a straight face when I hear it used in the office? (That's a rhetorical question – I'm hoping the answer's obvious.) I've resorted to coughing whenever I hear people say it. I've not had to use it myself yet – I don't think I'll be able to contain myself. (It's not even like it's a particularly rare word – I can easily envisage me needing to use it on an almost daily basis.)

Perhaps I could retain a little foreign colour in my accent, and pronounce it properly. No point going fully native – I'm only here for 2 years.