The exaggerated enunciation of the word evil, common to those of us who have been engrossed by its depiction in books and on stage and screen.

You'll find that many people say it like the "i" is missing, and it's one syllable: evl ... like they want to get it said quickly before it can contaminate them. But somehow I, among others, lengthen the word almost into a drawl.

Many years ago I was best man at my buddy's wedding. So there we are at the front of the church, facing into the center. During the service we are asked to recite the Lord's Prayer. As the church is not very full I decide to project as well as I can to fill up the silence. So ... we get on towards the end ...

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil

... and of course I boom out sonorously eeevil and my second syllable echoes in the silence, as everyone else has long since finished enunciating the word as evl ...

Sigh.

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