ShelliDawn as a person from Southern England the following rhyme when I say them:

Mary - the first syllable to me rhymes with air, lair, hair, care, share and bear.

Merry rhymes with berry (and bury), sherry and ferry.

Marry rhymes with Harry, Gary, Larry and carry.

Not much help I know- it is very difficult for me to picture how words are said in another accent.

If you want to get us going on pronunciation just say the word "scone" wrong*.

We may not mind people getting the names of our military ranks, home guard captains and lightweight metals wrong. Heaven help you of you bugger up the name of our teackakes. There are some things we take seriously.

*There is no agreement on the "right" pronunciation.

From dictionary.com. Pronunciation [in brackets]:

lieu [loo]
–noun 1. place; stead.

I'll accept that there's an alternate pronunciation, if you'll accept that "loo" is an accepable pronunciation.

I wonder if there is a connection between

"loo" tenant and "loo-tenant" (someone using a loo?

Don't think there's a connection:

The Paris Sewer Museum takes you through 500 yards of the city's 1,300-plus miles of sewers. For all but the most passionate waste management aficionado, that is enough. Visitors can admire the tools of the sewer man's trade—the flusher trolley, the two-ball traveling cleaner, the gas mask. They are also provided with a brief history of Paris's methods of waste disposal dating from the present—the system evacuates 1.2 million cubic meters of wastewater per day—back to the Middle Ages, when those methods consisted of shouting "Gardez lou!" before hurling the contents of one's chamber pot out the window."

On a walking tour in England - it was explained to us that Gardez lou was used there, too, not just France.

j_999_9
From dictionary.com. Pronunciation [in brackets]:lieu [loo]

I am quite happy to accept an alternative pronunciation, but you were "feeling superior" and quoted "Lieu" as "loo" to Flanner.

Now my understanding is that Flanner is from North of Watford (possibly Liverpool) and may not pronounce the word in the same way I do, but I would think that rather than "loo" he would pronounce it as in the OED.

lieu /lyoo/ • noun (in phrase in lieu or in lieu of) instead (of).

Gardez loo comes from regardez l'eau- loosely, look out for the water.

Loo comes from lieu d'aisances- place of convenience.

Sometime folk on here talk total baloney:)

Baloney or Bologna?

First of all, I thank you for asking this question, I had been curious as well ever since I was watching a British show and heard how they said it.

Also, though I had no part in it, I am sorry that your simple and legitimate question was met by people who have yet to realize the war was over a long time ago.