What's up with the pronunciation of "bosoms?"

[Guaranteed]

I mean, that's an "o" there, right, in the second position- not a "u," or an "oo."

(For the record, this is clearly not intended to be a sex thread, but an educational one, in which the many high-minded literary figures that frequent this board will discuss the phonetic intricacies of the word "bosoms.")

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The word should be pronounced "bazooms."

Didn't you know that?

[TheBaldyMan]

3. I second Bazooms n/t

[Guaranteed]

4. Heh heh

:P

[evirus]

5. actualy

i think the pronunciation should relate to the size "bazooms" being near the larger end of the spectrum.

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. You've seen Napoleon Dynamite one too many times.

:P

[Skittles]

6. put down the pipe BullGoose and get some sleep

yes INDEED !!! :hi:

[gr8dane_daddy]

7. Thread worthless without pics...

IMO

[mykpart]

8. Guess it's the same rule that applies to "move" and "movie."

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Perhaps it's improper spelling

An umlaut might help pronunciation.

Bösom.

[pokerfan]

10. Bosoms is disrepectful.

They should only be called Winnebagos.

(Don't blame me, blame Steve Martin.)

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. Here you go...etymology, cognates, pronunciation in IPA, etc.

bosom, n. ('bʊzəm) Forms: 1 bósm, bósum, 2–3 bosm, bosem, Orm. bosemm, 3–6 bosum (in 6 only Sc.), 4–7 bosome, (6 bosym, bowsum, boosome), 4– bosom. (Old English bósm = Old Frisian bósm, Old Saxon bósom (Middle Dutch boesem, Dutch boezem), Old High German buosam (Middle High German buosem, modern German busen):—West Germanic *bôsm- (not in East Germanic). Remoter etymology unknown: it has been conjectured that *bôsmo- stands for *bôh-smo, f. *bôhu-:—Old Aryan *bhâghu-s arm (bough); the word would then, like the partially synonymous fathom, primarily mean the space embraced by the two arms.)