Dear Ann Landers,
y boyfriend is a high-school senior. Butch is not the greatest student in the world but he's a terrific athlete and has a wonderful personality. My girl friends make fun of Butch because they say he talks like he was born in a foreign country. He was born right here in Buffalo. His parents were bom in Europe, and they speak their native language at home. Butch pronounces certain words wrong, but then nobody is perfect. He says "Babe Root" instead of "Babe Ruth," "dem" for "them," and "wacation" instead of "vacation." When he said "Walley Forge" in class everyone broke up. Should I correct Butch when he makes mistakes or would it be best to say nothing and hope that he catches on by himself?-Butch's Girl

Dear Girl,
A high-school boy who says "Babe Root" and "Walley Forge" is not likely to catch on by himself. Speak to Butch privately about the words he mispronounces. He picked up these speech habits from his parents, and it's going to take a lot of work to unlearn them.